Visually arresting but emotionally empty alien invasion tale

Rating: 5/10 (3 July 2005)

How do I say this? Directly perhaps? I didn't like it.
Its cold and distant and wildly illogical. Cruise is too cocky and too stony. It never really welcomed me in since it was so carefully calculated to ever embrace me with a real hug. I suppose that if you go in and forgive the logic holes you'll have a good time.
(SPOILERS AHAEAD) Logic holes is too small a term, chasms is better all electronics are down in some areas, yet one man has a working camcorder, Cruise hijacks the ONE working car in his neighborhood, They've been here for centuries but we never noticed the buried tripods and a few more that boggle the mind including the ending. What ever you do not think about this movie. (END SPOILERS)
The tripods are great and the images of them in action are amazing, its what I always hoped the tripods would look like, but to me they are operating in a vacuum, or were lifted from another better movie. They are never really connected to the human story.
Yes, it follows the book plot-wise, but its missing the one thing the book and the Gene Barry version had in spades, which was a heart. (Barry cameos in the film) There is no heart just people and machines going through the motions pretending to be under attack. You never connect, or I least didn't.
As to whether you should see it on the big screen, its a toss up. The visuals are a gas, but the people aren't. Your choice, but I'd say wait. Five out of ten.