Tom Cruise shines despite his bizarre behavior.

Rating: 8/10 (25 December 2006)

The original War of the Worlds was great, but I like this version even more, mostly because the story and special effects have been updated, but still pay homage to H.G Wells' original vision. Tom Cruise gives a great performance in this film even though his behavior in the media has been questionable. Also worth mentioning is Dakota Fanning (Man on Fire, Charlotte's Web) who also gives a strong performance. Some may say that her performance is a little OTT, but for me, it works really well. As said before, the special effects and story are top-notch and there are some disturbing images that may be too intense for children. My only gripes was the ending and a brief role by Tim Robbins. The ending was a little out of place for me; they've should have had a better, more tragic conclusion. As for Tim Robbins, I felt his role was too brief and not fleshed out more. He's one of my old favorites.
War of the Worlds is a good sci-fi film to enjoy at least once.