A new caliber for disaster movies * lite spoilers *

Rating: 9/10 (30 June 2005)

I can honestly say I can't remember a single disaster movie I've seen that I even marginally liked. Whether it be tornadoes and floods, or volcanoes and asteroids, there has just never been a movie that has done justice to the visual destruction of our civilization. Every ounce of destruction in this movie is awe-inspiring. Everything that falls, blows up or dies is witnessed through the characters in such a way that is shown not just for the special effects category at an award ceremony, but to put into perspective just how horrifying and intimidating these invaders are. And intimidating they are. This is bar-none the most brutal and efficient evil I've ever seen in a movie. It's as if humanity is nothing more than an infestation; being dealt with by an exterminator with a million magnifying glasses. For once, the world being brought to it's knees by it's destruction seems plausible. And humanity doesn't just rally together and fight the good fight, people do all they can to survive, often times at the expense of others, sometimes justified, sometimes selfishly. And it's all done so well, that when a question arises as to why something happens or how did this person survive, it doesn't even matter, because with all of the chaos and horror that has just ensued, anything seems possible. As benevolent as E.T. was, these aliens are malevolent. Truly intimidating, and more importantly, believable, this movie in it's affect is unique.