Amazed at the lack of thought...

Rating: 7/10 (17 July 2005)

I felt the movie was a very good, if not imperfect, adaptation of the H.G. Wells novel. It strayed in some ways, but one could argue the use of creative license and making the story more relatable to a 21st century audience.
Two points of concern, however. Notwithstanding the fact the I have, indeed, read the book, I thought it was still obvious, although subtly presented, that the aliens die as a result of their exposure to the natural bacteria and atmospheric differences that we are acclimatized to. I was dumbfounded by the number of audience members who left saying that "there seemed to be no end", or that they didn't understand the conclusion. We have been conditioned to the Hollywood "formula" that explains all at the end. It's amazing to think that some didn't have the capacity to think for themselves.
The other thought is the atmosphere in which this movie has been released. Wells wrote and published the book at a time where it was seen as an allegory for the decline of the British Empire. It reflected the "fear of the future" that was felt with the diminished power and prestige that the shrinking Empire brought about. Could the movie's release as a Hollywood blockbuster be a metaphor for something a little closer to home?