Spielberg delivers a marvel to watch

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2005)

*** Spoiler *** The star of the movie is definitely Steven Spielberg. His direction made the movie a work of art. It was amazing to look at and the graphics and special effects were outstanding. I liked the tripods and I liked how the aliens killed people quite easily.
The acting was good. Tom Cruise's son was a bit weak in my opinion. Really the character only exists to show how bad of a father Tom Cruise's character had been up to this point. Dakota Fanning was excellent. Tim Robbins was hilarious and a pleasant surprise. Overall it was first class.
Having said that, I couldn't help but feel that the movie was kind of a let down, especially at the end. The ending was a neat twist of sorts, but very anti-climatic. You have this whole movie moving in one direction and then within 5 to 10 minutes it swings the other way. I thought the ending could have been more developed. The time frame to which this took place and the explanation how humans prevail is too quick.
The fact that no one of any importance in Tom Cruise's life (ie. the son) died made the story kind of cheesy. This may have been expected, but not as blatant as it turned out. No one in Tom Cruise's immediate or in-law family was sacrificed.
It is a good movie for what it was. It is not another Independence Day type film. No glamorous military victories here. I appreciated that part. It is entertaining. But also the aforementioned flaw of the story itself gives the story and ending a strong anti-climatic tone that couldn't be overcome by a textbook happy ending.