A Misfire

Rating: 3/10 (16 November 2012)

Steven Spielberg is my favorite film Director. He has brought to the screen some of the most spectacular films the world has ever seen. E.T., Raiders Of The Lost Ark and Poltergeist are among my top ten list but Spielberg's record is extensive; Duel, Close Encounters, Jaws, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, A.I., Minority Report, even some more recent ones like War Horse and Tin Tin held their place among a high caliber. I always regarded Poltergeist as a groundbreaking powerhouse that is perfectly crafted from the very opening television sequence to the final rolling credits with the ghosts laughing in the background; and Heather O'Rourke was an unforgettable angel.
I'm saying all this because, I have to be honest, this version of War Of The Worlds seems to lack most of the signature Spielberg qualities in a rather blatantly large fashion. What I mean is everything is grand in scale yet there is literally NO substance. Which is for me, shocking, considering Spielberg's talent and his perfectionist drive. Even someone who isn't a regular moviegoer would roll their eyes at this mess.
Tom Cruise is unconvincing as a dock worker. Dakota Fanning is a wonderful actress but having her scream like a brat was unnecessary. The kid and daddy didn't get along, so..... Tom Cruise attempts to make peanut butter sandwiches because they'll need food on the road except he forgot that his daughter is allergic?! All the electricity is knocked out but not their van or the ferry or any of the military vehicles?! Tim Robbins is a great actor but here he is miscast and uninteresting. The cinematography was stunning even though the overall image was grainy. We see the ridiculous looking aliens in a basement as they're fascinated by a bicycle wheel?! The tripod's are actually scarier than the aliens?! All of these random sentences probably seems like an incomplete review, it is, that's because I'm trying to visualize a parallel between these words and this film. The film is exactly the same, incomplete.
I would never have imagined such a thing from Steven Spielberg.
Maybe. Could you? I mean. Yeah. Okay, no it isn't. Who are you? Huh??? WTF?! Oh yeah? That's it! What, How, When, Where.....Why? I Don't. Drugs? The horse. No more. Me, fine. The Ark. Ghosts?! NOT! Ellliiioot! Dogs can too. I love you. Death? Two more people. I said no. I wonder. Thanks! You're Peter Pan! O.K. Back, now are you? Quint?, No. But it...I...it's just... Whatever... Barrryyyy! Everybody runs. Is it a game???