War of the Worlds annihilates with its special effects and amazing twists

Rating: 9/10 (12 July 2005)

I can probably feel confident in saying I am one of the most open-minded reviewers in the country. I went into 'War of the Worlds' a little fearful it would flop. I was happy to feel proved wrong as I got what I wanted from a book movie: accuracy and special effects.
While this version is not what it could have been, I take into account what many reviewers shut out of there minds when they start: appreciation for what the filmmakers were trying to do. I entirely understand what Spielberg tried to do in the film. Let me see if I can explain some stuff. This will probably have spoilers.
When Ray Farrier, Cruise's character, sees a ship emerge from underground, he acts as I would expect someone who has seen a gigantic machine to act. Then Farrier turns from run away survivor, to all American hero, and for a reason a few of the reviewers may have forgotten: Farrier's family is split up. His ex-wife is god nows where, his son ran off with the military to fight the alien machines, his daughter is taken by the aliens, and he is left in the wake of every attack. I would want to get everyone together so I could maintain some sort of sanity in a troubled time. I hope my explanation has helped reviewers.
Now, back to my review. First off, the effects were great. I have never seen such good computer effects from a film. The ships, probes, and aliens are perfect. Accuracy is top notch. While it is not completely accurate, things have gotten better. The ships have 3 visible legs. The ships have impenetrable shields. The heat rays kill everything in sight. Just like in the book.
More spoilers. In the film, wherever the aliens go, there are red root things all over. My theory: the aliens created the planet earth. They caused the big bang, put organisms on it, and planted their ships. I think the ships resemble the harvester machines from the matrix, which helps support the theory. Earth was the martians farming planet. The reason for the attack was that the planet was right for picking, and they attacked people to reduce resistance. But, they never considered that our atmosphere, the micro organisms in the air, could kill them. They probably didn't know about the viruses and diseases on the planet. Of course, the novel strongly opposes the theory, as it says that the martians hated how good humans had it, and wanted Earth for themselves.
Final thought: The movie was a blast, a perfect summer blockbuster, and a great attempt at epic status. While many may scold my review of this film, I will remind you this: My review is my opinion, and so are their reviews.