Progression never seems to stop and War of the Worlds is no excuse

Rating: 8/10 (4 July 2008)

As many other franchises War of the Worlds have undergone various changes throughout history. It all started with H.G Wells novel which later was adapted for the radio by Orson Welles. That version also caused panic among the people at that time because they believed the incidents in the radio were actually happening. The radio version was also hugely acknowledged, yet criticized and was later broadcast in Ecuador. The people got so furious because they also believed the events were true so some outraged citizens burned down the broadcast station that had been sending the transmission. Several people were killed in the incident. The 2005 version of War of the Worlds is not the only film adaptation either, but the whole point is that for every adaption the story has changed or been revised almost like old folk tales that have passed on orally and changed or modified from time to time. It is clear to those who have read the book that the movie has attained that familiar Hollywood style we all know so well. As said in the description this is a contemporary adapted version of the old novel which is not that bad at all. The overall story has not changed that much, but it is now told through the eyes of the protagonist; a childish father who is not very good at being a parent. His daughter (Fanning) is mature of her age and is used to emphasize Ray's (Cruise) lack of maturity. Her brother (Chatwin) is also strong willed and determined to join in the fight against the invaders which is also a contrast to Ray's lack of responsibility and problem with being indecisive. When the two children are left with Ray the aliens start their invasion and it is this little family's struggle and Ray's development through the crisis that is the focus point in the story. And it is very well told. The animation of the tripods has been very successful and the powerlessness of the people is convincing enough to make you keep watching. Wells story combined with Spiellbergs directions, complements each other in a satisfying way and even though War of the Worlds is not the best movie ever made it is still worth watching, both because of its entertainment value (if you like sci-fi,) but also because the movie represents a long developed story of a piece of media which affected its contemporary society in very extreme ways. It is furthermore a somewhat new approach to the subject of aliens from Spielberg's side because they now are hostile rather than cuddly (we all remember E.T)