A bit outdated

Rating: 6/10 (20 July 2005)

Any analysis to this movie must have two realities into account: the images and the story. The former are as strong as we all have already become accustomed to in watching Spielberg's movies. The latter is rather weak and a bit outdated. When H. G. Wells wrote this story in 1898 modern science, mechanics, astronomy, aviation, etc were still in their primordia. Even Jules Verne had not ventured to enter deeply into those fields. Therefore this story which was maybe the first one that made a solid approach to a broader conception of the universe and the possibility of other forms of life besides the human one, has had a great impact upon readers. It was then a great exercise of imagination and creativity. But since then not only enormous progress has been made in those above mentioned fields but also literature saw the birth of a new branch the so called science fiction which has until now already explored all the possible fields related to space travel (which is furthermore a reality nowadays). Hundreds of novels, stories and movies have already been produced on those themes using much more modern conceptions. Therefore it looks like a bit outmoded to conceive an invasion of our planet by those monstrous three-legged machines like Wells (who knew nothing of cybernetics and computers) had conceived them according to the mechanical knowledge of his time. It should have been more appropriate to refresh the story with more sophisticated scientific and mechanical ideas to adapt it to our current knowledge. The invading machines (I say "invading" despite the fact that they were hidden underground in this planet) are very unconvincing in terms of that knowledge. The sentimental story that is supposed to be the human ingredient of the movie is too conventional and too much already seen, of the divorced couple whose children suffer the respective trauma. Too much déjà vu and sameness on those scenes too. Well but if all you want is to watch a lot of sequences which will keep you stuck in dread to your seat go and watch it.