Very nicely done

Rating: 9/10 (3 July 2005)

With all of the less-than enthusiastic hubbub swirling around this flick, I wasn't sure what to expect; indeed, I was very interested in seeing if Spielberg and Cruise could make a movie as bad as some of the critics were saying.
Well, I am pleased to report that I can genuinely give "War of the Worlds" a 9 out of 10 vote. This is a very nicely done retelling of H.G. Wells's tale. I can recommend this film to nearly every audience that does not contain young kids.
I am not recommending that you keep your younger kids away from this film because of the standard Hollywood fare of gratuitous sex and excessive profanity because there are no such scenes in the film. On the other hand, I found the film to be very intense at times and I suspect that there are some kids out there who might be adversely affected by the intensity.
Overall, the special effects are excellent, the script is good and the acting is exceptional. Tom Cruise played his part nearly perfectly and Dakota Fanning is superb. This is one of those rare films that is worth the price of admission.