A cliché ridden disasterpice, but surprisingly entertaining

Rating: 3/10 (7 August 2005)

I decided that I would not go to the cinema to see this film (I use the term 'film' in its loosest possible sense) based on my principles as a lover of the novel. However, I was not going to pass up the opportunity to see it when a free ticket was given to me by a friend.
In order to salvage any kind of enjoyment from this trashy flick, one must first get over the initial shock of how Spielberg has raped Wells' visionary classic.
The logic-less plot wrestles with the bizarre idea that the Martian war machines have been buried under the earth since the dawn of man. Which begs the question that if man has advanced so much technologically since the time we were throwing rocks at one another to prove masculinity, why have the Martians not invented more efficient ways of laying waste our planet and destroying our way of life?
When the movie begins, we are 'treated' to several scenes of Tom Cruise's home life, we find out that the protagonist is not a writer, nor is he middle class, he and his wife are separated and they have children together. Cruise's character swaps the quill for the hard hat; one can only assume this is to make the philistines that the movie is aimed at feel as though they can relate to the hero in some kind of pathetic way.
Once the Martians land however, the film starts to look up, first they eliminate our technology with E.M.P then they attack us. A tripod raises itself from under the earth and emits its death cry, this is the first time you hear "the voice of the Martians." This scene, although impressive, is fatally flawed. We learn quickly that all battery operated erm. Things, have been wiped out (even Cruise's watch) yet when the first of the fighting machines appears we see someone standing around filming it on his video camera. Silly enough for you yet? You would think so, but sadly it's about to get a whole lot sillier. The genius Martians, who (as we later are told) have been planning this invasion for centuries, decide to use the most inefficient method of extermination ever put to film. They unleash their heat ray on individual humans fleeing the scene. Hats off to the screenplay writer for that little gem. However, there are many positive thing about this scene and subsequent others. As much as I did not wish to enjoy the film, one cannot deny that it is an awesome visual spectacle. The special effects are truly stunning; they may well be the best I have ever seen. I must also confess; that the first time the Martians 'spoke' from within their machines, I was amazed, so amazed in fact, that I came shockingly close to soiling myself.
I enjoyed every action scene in this film. I especially like the part where a huge crowd of people trying to board a boat in order to escape the carnage are suddenly thrown into massive panic when a fighting machine appears in the distance. True Spielberg suspense reminiscent of 'Jaws!'
One aspect where Spielberg has failed to live up to his previous films was the pitiful attempt at adding a human angle to the film, luckily, this is ended quickly with some killing and lots more explosions lovely.
The verdict
Pros
Martian Voice.
Amazing Special Effects.
Suspenseful.
No Cheesy Destruction of Famous Landmarks.
Red Weed.
Homage To The Original. (Hand Crawling Out Of The Craft After Death.)
Cons
Dreadful Script.
The Martians Looked Like Pocket Dragons.
Badly Edited. Martians Were Suddenly Dying After A Handling Machine Scene.
Tom Cruise.
The Ending, You Must Be F***ing Joking!
Script 7/20  Some very good lines like "there's no more of a war between us than there is a war between men and maggots" but largely poorly structured.
Visual Effects 19/20  almost flawless, but the Martians themselves were very CGI looking.
Character Development 1/20  Cruise became a better father, that's it! It wasn't handled well either.
Thought Provocation 2/20  completely stripped the story of all social and political comments.
Entertainment value 17/20  annoying scenes with Tim Robbins nearly ruin the movie, other than that, I was massively entertained.
I enjoyed this Movie. It is important that I refer to it as a movie and not a film, as it was a piece of entertaining garbage and had nothing to say. The special effects were wonderful and the action scenes were so entertaining that I no longer cared about how terrible this movie was when compared to the novel.
7 out of 10 Great Movie. Rubbish Film.