Pretty Damned Good

Rating: 8/10 (6 August 2014)

I had high expectations for this movie because I saw it was produced by the legendary Steven Spielberg. I also heard the superstar Tom Cruise was behind the thing, like it was a labor of love for him. Such talent, resources, and star power meant that this remake of the 1953 classic should be something more than an excuse to show off modern computer graphics.
My expectations were actually exceeded. It's not just a top-notch, popcorn- munching hide-and-go-seek game with giant alien monsters. It's actually SCARY. Being a lifelong horror movie fan, this surprised me.
I don't know how they did it, but the film somehow tapped into a primal dread of vast, unstoppable monsters. This is interesting because this is the only "giant monster" movie I've ever seen that's made me feel this way. I literally walked out of the theater dreading to see one of those tripods on the horizon.
They're the size of tornadoes. They're utterly invulnerable. And despite their size, they're stealthy and agile.
I don't think it's a profound movie, but it made me fear its alien monsters. I think that's remarkable.