Good, True to Novel but Flawed Adaptation

Rating: 4/10 (24 November 2005)

I always had a special place for "War of the Worlds" from when I read the novel in 5th grade and stayed up late to watch 1953 "The War of the Worlds". Recently, I re-read the novel, set in Edwardian pre-WWl England. The 1953 movie had it's flaws and tried to be upbeat in that noxious 1950's way where the novel was pessimistic about England and man in general. The 1953 film even had words of praise for the doomed British and their fighting spirit when the book had them melt into mass panic and selfishness after the first string of disasters.
What tripped up the movie was not Spielberg's pretensions or Tom Cruise's eternal pretty boy act but the actual plot and characters. Spielberg was trying to work a modern split family-stupid dad theme to it. You just couldn't respect the hero, Ray Ferrier crane operator(like a modern Fred Flintstone) He wouldn't even use some force to knock his two bratty, smart ass kids in line during the flight from NJ or intelligently stock up on necessities in flight. He was too common to admire; he was rebuilding his 69 Mustang's V-8 in his kitchen and his kids were like 30 points higher IQ and years ahead in sophistication. He was almost a serious Homer Simpson. Then, his great plan for the attack onm earthj, go from NJ across from Manhattan to BOSTON, MASSACHUSSETS! Why Boston, why would anyone want to get boxed in in Boston, as well as travelling a dangerous corridor to get there? Well, there is the plot line. His only concern, besides running to Boston, was to protect his daughter from any ugly sites by blindfolding her. His one heroic scene was accidental. What about the rest of humanity, Ray? Like your friends and the people you saved? Why not team up for survival and resistance like a man, instead of running like a mouse? The efx and the Martians were good and it was truer to the novel than the 1953 version. Obviously, Ebert never read the novel, with his ignorant comment on tripods. But the character in the novel was an intellectual who had no real plans, fled alone and was no great hero. In this flick, he was a blue collar scheisskopf. That is what really hurt it. Dakota Fanning needs to be phased out, her precocious little brat routine is getting stale, as she carried quite a bit of the movie. His son, Justin Chatwin, did better but he was another modern brat, but didn't suck up space like his stage sister. I gave it a seven due to good concept, efx, camera work, great scenes of the destruction of the Pulaski Skyway and I love WotW.