Conflicting War Of Thoughts.

Rating: 5/10 (20 July 2005)

The summer season, more specifically the July 4th holiday, always seems a prime occasion to release alien invasion movies. "Independence Day" and "Men In Black" have both added some extra fireworks to the patriotic festivities, and now, "War Of The Worlds" is the latest movie to offer up American soil as a stomping ground for unearthly inhabitants.
While the first two titles approached the subject with a certain degree of humor, "War Of The Worlds" makes it its goal to remain serious throughout, but at some point in its efforts, only succeeds in becoming unintentionally funny.
Steven Spielberg delivers, yet again, an insight into the long-debated possibility of other lifeforms, and how it would affect our planet should our existences collide. In the past, Spielberg has always presented these imaginary visions with a sense of mystery and childlike wonder. But now, gone are the lovable aliens who befriend young boys, watch cartoons with their little sisters, and develop a liking for candy and geraniums. Here, the creatures only have destruction of the human race in mind, and they do not go subtly about making their intentions known.
Tom Cruise plays Ray, a deadbeat parent who is strapped with the care of his two estranged children for the weekend, while their mother goes to Boston on a family visit. Robbie is a sullen and bitter teen who can't stand being around his father. Ten year old Rachel is more tolerant in regards to her dad, but it's clear that in their relationship, she is the one who acts more like the adult.
Just enough time has passed for Ray to take a nap, Rachel to order takeout, and for Robbie to sneak out in his dad's car, before eerie lightning storms begin striking down, unleashing the emergence of underground tripods.
From that point on, Ray and his children become the focal point as they attempt to escape the carnage, with the ensuing destruction becoming the backdrop behind them.
The special effects are on a grand scale, but it's nothing we've never seen before in most other cinematic disaster depictions. However, it does an effective job in capturing apocalyptic levels reminiscent of the 9/11 attacks. With its scenes of collapsing structures, scattered debris and masses of panicked, confused crowds, it conveys the news headline reality of more sinister and ever-present enemies. It's also a study of how violently-driven people can become in their instinct to survive.
Initially, the movie does a good job setting things up, but it gradually loses steam and plausibility along the way towards its conclusive and abrupt halt.
The movie is rife with inconsistencies. First off, how could such imposing machinery not be discovered after all these years, especially when you consider subterranean maintenance and transit systems? Secondly, if all electrical utilities ceased in their functionality, how could camera equipment still work? And even more so, how could the minivan that Ray hijacked still manage to run when all other vehicles were at a standstill? How could the son possibly survive after disappearing into the explosive crossfire of the battling tripods and the military artillery? How could the aliens succumb so easily to human bacteria if they spent years studying our planet? And last but not least, how could one street in Boston remain conveniently unscathed, if not for the sole purpose of accommodating a happy homecoming? Did the residents of that street shield themselves inside a protective, impenetrable bubble? The ending does nothing but present Ray as a heroic figure, while leaving too many unexplained loose ends dangling from its neatly tied ribbon.