Impressive technically, but bleak, grim and rather disappointing

Rating: Null/10 (7 July 2005)

Confession first. I've never been a huge fan of the 1953 original. I think it's a fine film, but, like most George Pal films, falls just short of true greatness (THE TIME MACHINE is the one glittering exception). So, I didn't go into the remake "offended" that they would dare re-do a classic film.
Still, I'm quite disappointed in Spielberg's take.
Warning: There are Major SPOILERS in Review
Though in no way awful, and with a lot of respect on the tech end of the film, this is a bleak, depressing and overlong exercise. Obviously written to echo 9-11, the film is oddly constructed around a very narrow concept. The scenes of devastation and ravaged families carries grim implication no doubt. Cinematographer Janusz Kaminski's desaturated color scheme stands in stark contrast to the candy colored Technicolor look of the original. In that way, along with the 'personal story' angle, the film reminds one of the spate of Disaster films of the 70's.
Disappointingly, there is no "War"! Even in the 50's we got to see cities and countries battling it out with the spaceships. On paper, it may have seemed viable to construct a story around just 3 or 4 characters, but we feel cheated from a lack of spectacle. People in Hollywood were surprised at how quickly the production was completed (recall, that it was hastily begun when Tom Cruise became available when MISSION IMPOSSIBLE 3 fizzled). NOW, I know why - Take away Tom Cruise and Spielberg's paychecks, do the SfX more cheaply, and you have a low budget (by Studio standards) flick! Many have mentioned Tim Robbins's character as misconceived. While this may be partially so, it at least gives us someone besides Cruise and his 2 kids to watch for a few scenes. This is yet another film where we are asked to look past the fact that TENS OF MILLIONS of people are being exterminated...but wait...a CLAUSTROPHOBIC LITTLE GIRL can't find her daddy! Stop the presses!! As frightening and tense as the farmhouse scenes are, you KNOW that nothing bad to Cruise and Dakota Fanning, lessening the suspense. The 'twist' that the Aliens come from within was given away months ago in the ads "They're Already Here"; Again, neat as the concept may be on paper, it just doesn't make much sense. There are thousands, millions of them. They are HUGE. How could they conceivably have been hidden away all these millenia? More importantly, they are bio-mechanical in some way. How could they have survived? (Not to mention the fact, that yes, there are germs below ground too) Worse yet, is the ridiculous manner in which all our main characters survive (Though it's a nice touch to include the original's ANN ROBINSON and GENE BARRY as the Grandparents). As much as I thought the everything ends well conclusion to MINORITY REPORT let the air of what was until then a truly superior film, this one is even more unbelievable. Going back to the 9-11 analogy, where is Spielberg's sense of sacrifice? Of loss? If you are going to invoke something deeper in a summer blockbuster, at least have the guts to do it justice.