Horrifyingly Grim

Rating: 6/10 (3 July 2005)

Steven Spielberg has always made movies that have been well received by almost all. Personally, I love all his movies to date. But this one was different.
I had been anticipating the release of this movie ever since I had seen the teaser almost a year before. It was tops on my 'must-see' list of summer movies. However, the product I saw on screen was less then appealing.
Right from the start, I could tell something was not right. The film seemed incredibly dark, not a blue sky to be seen, and very little sunshine. The script is nothing special, and you can tell that you're in for 2 hours of clichéd dialogue. That's fine, I don't mind it. However, as soon as the invasion begins, the film embodies the feeling only experienced by watching a mass execution. And that is basically what this film is, the complete extermination of the human race.
The way the humans are killed is disgusting, the state the minds of the people in the film are in is disturbing, the amount of blood is enough to make you sick. The mood was so grim, so intense I was forced to leave halfway through to escape it. I went back, just to say I saw it through to the end.
War of the Worlds was not a fantastic film. It sure wasn't the best Spielberg movie, and it was just another lackluster Tom Cruise performance. Except this wasn't a movie that you expect to feel good after. Spielberg realised this and threw in an ending he thought would at least make you happy. Sorry Steven, just to little to late.