Spielberg's triumphant return to fun film-making.

Rating: 9/10 (5 July 2005)

Between the quality, yet wholly depressing films such as 'Schiendler's List' and 'Saving Private Ryan' and the perky, but bad films like 'Lost World' and 'AI' (my vote for worst studio film ever) I was beginning to worry that Spielberg had forgotten how to make a fun movie. Fears put to rest, he has remembered after all.
The story is the stuff of Sci-Fi legend, so only a brief synopsis: aliens invade earth and set about eliminating the human race. Unable to stop the hulking machines of war, mankind must find a way to survive the onslaught.
The stops are all pulled for this magnum opus of a movie. The scenes of destruction are so massive to as defy believe, yet so expertly executed to fell all to gut-wrenchingly real. The first appearance of the alien menace is a scene of awe; it inspires excitement the likes of which I haven't felt since Spielberg brought dinosaurs back to life in 'Jurassic Park'. The film's obvious selling point is it's look and nearly facet of it's appearance is perfect. Starting from an ever moving camera, moving into the color and lighting, transitioning to angle and shot choice, and finishing off with startlingly realistic SFX; the movie looks amazing.
Were the look all the film had going for it, it would still have been a failure (see 'Day After Tomorrow', 'Dante's Peak', etc.) but the film pulls a bait-n-switch and elects to focus on a tighter human element rather than a global picture. Similar to how M. Night Shyamalan constructed his alien invasion film 'Signs', Spielberg's end-of-the-world tale centers on the survival of a divorced father and his children as they attempt to outrun the mayhem. Matters are made more difficult for them as the father (Cruise) is disillusioned and angry and his children neither know him well nor particularly care to. The family dynamic takes as much precedence in the story as the mass destruction.
Which brings up the films only real flaw, that in the form of lack of intention. When the film begins, the audience is introduced to the characters and the conflicts, but just as they are coming into focus the invasion begins and things get put on hold. Just about the time the audience is now settling into action mode, the film down shifts back to character drama and viewers are left missing the devastation.
I call it a flaw, but it really is inherent to the material. The Orson Wells' radio broadcast followed much the same pattern, as did the 1953 movie of the same name. Just know that for every big moment you get there will be equal time spent watching people huddle together in basements being terrified.
A character drama disguised as a Sci-Fi action/horror film, 'War of the Worlds' is classic Spielberg fun.
9/10