Mr. Spielberg, I shall scream.

Rating: 3/10 (4 July 2005)

Almost tenable take on the H.G. Wells classic story about aliens and their attempt to take on earth. Bad dad Cruise is struggling minimum wage maker (a REAL stretch for a bad actor as old Tommy) who has to take care of his two kids he barely knows. Then the terror starts, with unrelenting lightening storms and hail as big as shot glass. Then it is revealed what is causing all this...
Films like this film have come along for the past five or six years, and in that time, the CGI method has grown haggard. This film is no exception, but that is only the small part to this mess of a film by the once eminent Steven Spielberg. The film starts with a diminutive aspect ratio of 1.85:1, rather than the (ex) maestro's regular 2.35:1 aspect ratio that was seen in such classics as "Jaws" and "1941." Not that this is too big a problem, but it is usually a more accessible film if the scope is properly attributed to. Morgan Freeman is a delightful actor, and it is no surprise that he bolds a narration that seems like it was put in just to compare to the original "War.." back in '53. But Freeman does his job like he should and the film is given a sort of feel we as an audience can rely on...if not anything else. The film is surely not introduced as a CGI driven film at a first glance, which is one thing that actually can be said about it.
Then it happens: we see her: the one: the only: the HORRIBLE: Dakota Fanning. She may seem like a cuddly little brat, but she chews her scenes like a tootsie roll. Who needs child starlets. Not me. Anyway onward and almost upward, to what was the first real bullet to this film. The build ups were as scatterbrained as a child's made up nightmare. The whole opening is really rushed. We do not get a chance to get to really know this family, or care about them for that matter. We see daddy and rebel son cussing each other out, and not - so- daddy's girl being obnoxious and sarcastic with daddy. Then they just HAD to show a shot of a half naked Tom Cruise. A body does not a good film make. And then when "things" begin to happen, there is no empathy with these characters as they have to live with each other to survive. There are some really good ideas for building up to the invasion, that are maimed by flimsy attempts at jumping at the audience, and if that isn't enough, character are brought on who just get killed off, it's like, why bother getting cast members just to kill them, why even write these people. Of course I know why, but that isn't really the point. By now the best things in the film were the theatrical marks.
"Spielbergisms" were few in this film, as if it was not him at all, as if someone were playing some game, or taking film-making as a game. So the buildups are taking place, and they throw earthquakes into the mix. I could swear Williams' score sounded just like his fabulous "Earthquake" score, and I can tell you right now I would rather have been watching Earthquake than this. And furthermore, there are goofs on top of goofs. Example? ALL electricity in the city, be it from cars, watches, digital, etc. All get shut off, and then later we see a guy FILMING an alien attack! What happened to there not being electricity? There are plenty more where that came from. The film basically seems to be an "Independance Day" rip off. However I would choose this over ID4.
The film was in a nutshell, too long and rather silly, as unbelievable plot points are scattered through out the film, like aliens being smart enough to place human victims in minuscule cages when it is explained that these machines were built BEFORE MANKIND! Totally insane.
There was one thing to save this film(philosophically, anyway) and that was the reoccurring theme of terrorism and communism. Such as references to the burning of the Jews, to when 9/11 hit, to when characters think (at first) that the country is under attack. Spielberg has done so much better than this, that the film almost doesn't even deserve a review. It may have a moment here or there, but it is not enough to cover the fact this film, be it a Spielberg/amblin film, is as contrived as a Lucasfilm inc. If you want to see a good Spielberg/alien film, watch "Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
If there is anything more to say, it is to Mr. Spielberg himself that I am sick of films like this coming out: Mr. Spielberg, I shall scream, I shall scream, till they hasten to my rescue I shall scream, and that film was not too cozy see my cheeks are are getting rosy though if I sat there for an hour you would have had me in your power, and I would scream scream scream!
3.3/10