Great flick

Rating: 9/10 (29 June 2005)

I thought this was the best Spielberg flick I've seen in a long time. You can say a lot of negative things about Tom Cruise, but "bad actor" isn't one of them. Spielberg has released a few sci-fi clinkers in the past (and of course a few great ones too), but this isn't one of the clinkers. There are a few little gaffes here and there, but the action of the film helps move you along fast enough that you soon forget them. The mob violence scenes are great, and they really get you thinking about what happens when society breaks down in the midst of a calamity. Its also an interesting comment on society when the main characters initially think that the invasion is actually terrorists.
Someone will probably complain about the ending (which I'm not going to talk in detail about--don't want to spoil it), but I thought it was a great ending. First off, the plot was based at least loosely on the radio drama, so it's not like the screen writing team was at liberty to change everything. Second, to end it otherwise would have turned it into an Independence Day knockoff, which would have been a let down. I for one found the ending quite satisfying...
Great flick, highly recommended--go to the late show, it'll add to the effect!