Expect more from Spielberg and Cruise

Rating: 4/10 (10 July 2005)

I expected way more from Spielberg and Cruise. This oh-so-familiar alien-invades-and-destroys-earth movie is so predictable that I had to have someone wake me up a couple of times during the movie. Cruise's familiar take on the "I'm the leading man, so watch me beat my chest" scenario grows tiresome. Thank goodness for Dakota Fanning's honest and believable portrayal. One scene almost derails the movie (a guest star's preachy and solemn sermon halfway through), and another ruins it completely. I won't give it away but if you manage to sit through this until the end you'll see what I mean - it is so typical of Spielberg's overly-sentimental direction. I am so tired of the big Hollywood movies with all the flashy technology and over-hyped stars that can't even tell a decent story, but of course there's always a happy ending, right? Schlocky!