insurance issues

Rating: Null/10 (27 June 2005)

Does an alien invasion count as an Act of God for insurance purposes? I say this having seen the new War Of The Worlds. Things really do look pretty messy and thats even before Tom Cruise gets round to fixing the window he broke with a baseball. Talking of breaking things, Spielberg's latest trial of destruction would probably be the years biggest hit if Lucas' Sith hadn't happened. WOTW has some absolutely monumental special effects and some spellbinding moments where you tip your hat to the old maestro: could some industry figure please explain how Spielberg worked the shot where the camera goes in and out and around the car Cruise's character is driving to Boston? Its a shot that may not be noticed by Joe Schmoe but it is as impressive as anything in the film. Other contributers have made useful contributions on these picture and I agree with them all. I do regret however that the film is less impressive when it slows down (it must do: you can't keep the mayhem going 24/7. Spielberg used to be able to do the quiet stuff better: one of the greatest moments in Jaws is Robert Shaws ghastly WW2 yarn. In particular I found the Tim Robbins role as pretty annoying: was it bumped up so a big name actor would have more to do. Nevermind, this is the real banana.