Probably the best blockbuster this summer

Rating: 8/10 (30 June 2005)

I've just got home after watching War of the Worlds and I have to say that i thoroughly enjoyed it. When I first saw the trailers I was sceptical like most thinking it would be no more than a cheesy disaster movie like Independence Day but having seen it I know that it offers so much more.
Firstly, the acting performances are great. Tom Cruise is solid in the lead role and manages to realistically convey true terror throughout (he is especially effective during the appearance of the first 'tripod'). Dakota Fanning is brilliant as Cruise's daughter, a young girl fraught with panic and bewilderment at the events that transpire around her. In one memorable scene where dead bodies are floating down the river in front of her she conveys these emotions without uttering a word. The rest of the cast all deliver solid enough performances and I felt this helped it to avoid any cheesy or cringe worthy moments which so often taint disaster movies.
The special effects in this film are absolutely stunning and are definitely some of the finest I have ever seen. The 'tripods' are truly terrifying and my adrenaline was pumping whenever they loomed into view and emitted their chilling war cry. Without believable special effects the movie wouldn't have been able to properly create believable terror, which I think is perhaps this movies strongest emotion.
However, I did feel that it did end a bit suddenly and without any prior indication of why the 'tripods' start to falter and the shields fail. It is explained in a small piece of narration by Morgan Freeman at the end but some earlier explanation would have been nice and helped to build up to a more satisfying climax.
Also, if you have a general dislike for this type of movie then this probably won't do much to sway you. You will also dislike this movie if you are the type of person who insists on knitpicking every tiny detail throughout such as how Tom Cruise manages to avoid death rays or how his car manages to avoid being blown up when most of the house whose driveway it is parked in is destroyed (the answer is simple, the story follows this character BECAUSE he doesn't get zapped at the start and the fact his car survives is believable and irrelevant as the story would simply have gone off in a different direction if it had been).
I would definitely recommend this movie as it is superior to practically every other movie in this genre thanks to believable performances a solid script, great casting and special effects which enhance the story rather than overwhelm it.
8 out of 10