No nothing, nada, zip, zilch here

Rating: 2/10 (29 December 2005)

No point (or joy) in this one. And, next time a movie begins with those cold-bluish print overtones on the film, I'm turning it off right away (had enough of that in "Minority Report."). There aren't really any spoilers in this review, but because this movie IS such a spoiler, I checked the box anyway.
To begin with, the only reasons I'm even giving "War of the Worlds" two stars: 1. Excellent musical score. 2. Great special effects. Both or these, however, were inherently wasted on the movie itself. There are just too many "but, why(s) or why not(s)", "but how(s)" but, but, but AND NO ONE to answer any of the questions except for Harlan, an apparent Ed Gein wannabe character played quite creepily by Tim Robbins, who somehow knew in his infinite psychotic wisdom that "they" (the aliens) had been planning this (attack) for a million years. But, why? Hey blockbuster-making-movie guy (yes, I'm talking to you SS), you really should care somewhat about the main characters as you're telling the story. I didn't. Tom Cruise plays Ray Ferrier, a hotshot heavy equipment operator who is extremely selfish, full of himself, and a (goes without saying) lousy dad. Robbie Ferrier, played by Justin Chatwin, is the whining-chip (on the shoulder) off-the-old-block teenage-mutant-ninja-son who chooses this time of Armageddon to tell dad just how lousy he really is (natch). And then there is Rachel (Ferrier), played by the much heralded Dakota Fanning, the wise-old ten-something kid who is much more annoying (remember Lloyd's "most annoying sound in the world" from Dumb and Dumber) than she is likable. And what happened to Ms. Fanning's little girl looks? I mean she looks like someone took a twenty year old head and stuck it on a ten-year- old's body. It must be those awkward years.
Not much else to say. So there you have it, three characters, with which you really don't care what happens to any of them, yet whom all somehow triumph in a few days time over aliens vampires, dysfunctional family relations, hordes of armed and dangerous zealot survivalists, and one psycho. (Now that I've seen the film, I kind of wish the aliensor Harlan would have won)
P.S. Is it PC now not to call a Martian a Martian? I mean, really!
j.braun