Science fiction fans have much to celebrate this 4th of July weekend. With Tom Cruise and Spielberg teaming up for War of the Worlds; you know in your gut that you’ve got something worth seeing on the big screen versus waiting for DVD as so many fans seem to do these days. Based heavily on the original Wells novel and radio show that frightened countless in the late 1930’s, the foundation is solid. But the updated version of Worlds shifts the story away from a military/Martian conflict, and general mass hysteria to the story of one particular family unit trying their damnedest to survive it.

Worlds stars Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, a divorced dock worker that's not on the best of terms with his daughter Rachel Ferrier (Dakota Fanning) and his son Robbie Ferrier (Justin Chatwin). Cruise plays a single guy, that’s self centered, part slob, part indifferent to everything going on around him. So, the set-up for Cruise to have his adventure with his estranged kids involves his ex-wife Mary Ann (Miranda Otto) dropping off the kids to spend time with dad.

Before Worlds delves into the big dollar scenes, Spielberg et al. were smart to force the audience to bond with all three main characters. Early on, it’s revealed that underneath Cruise’s cool exterior, he truly loves and adores his kids. Both his son Robbie and daughter Rachel were perfectly cast in that the audience sees that they are smart, likeable, and have chemistry with each other and Cruise. Had those key points been missed, the rest of the movie would have fallen apart. Case in point, Worlds sports an intense amount of suspense and tension. This would not have been possible if Cruise and his children were merely throw away characters, destined for early extermination like the “new guy” on the old Star Trek series.

Once the bonds are established, the action begins. And honestly, there’s no big delay to get the good stuff that everyone really wants to see. Rather than have some expected cheesy scene of Martian invaders flying in from outer space, key spots around the world are hit by strange storms and lightening. Unbeknownst to the foolish earth creatures, it was the harbinger of their doom. Soon massive tripod machines, buried long ago have been awakened to begin the slaughter. The various sounds that accompany the arrival of cold-blooded, genocidal foes is bloodcurdling, it will raise the hair on the back of your neck. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Anyone looking for some feel-good, humans banding together to fight evil aliens story will be sorely disappointed. The earth is raped, humans that never had a chance are slaughtered without remorse or hesitation. Honestly, it’s almost beautiful in its ugliness. With the alien storms knocking out all means of communication, being separated from the rest of the world adds to the anxiety of the situation. Spielberg gives the viewer virtually no information on these aliens, the reason for their carnage, or anything else for that matter.

For example, why would a superior race bother with all the work? Why not just nuke the earth and be done with it? Maybe they want us out, but want to make use of the resources earth offers? It detracts a bit from the movie, but looking back on it, imagining that for myself adds a certain charm to this horrific extermination.

Once the chaos ensues, you can see the money on the screen, and in the case of Worlds it’s not a bad thing. There’s a very smooth blend of real locations, and CG giving the action a feeling of massive size and weight. Also adding to the realism is the sheer number of extras that were used by Spielberg to scream and run in all directions. The shots are also amazing and add an intense feeling of panic to Worlds. One jaw-dropping scene involves Cruise running through town trying to avoid alien death rays. It’s a frenetic steady-cam shot that had me clutching my armrests.

Another amazing shot (a combination of real and unreal camera-work) is the frantic swinging and zooming camera-work that happens while Cruise and his kids speed down a freeway. During all this, there’s a facetious part of me that enjoys watching the sheep get slaughtered. There’s a certain satisfaction watching the unprepared scramble for food, water, and weapons. Our decadence and worry-free beliefs are ultimately our undoing, like a modern day version of Noah. I’m sure the Roger Ebert book of movie reviewing frowns upon my personal comments, but I’m not a professional movie critic. So I guess I get to do whatever the hell I want right? Thankfully, there are a few comedic moments (as small as they may be) to break the almost never ending tension, fear, and despair of it all.

While I enjoyed Worlds immensely, the only real flaw was the ending. It’s not a surprise to anyone familiar with the story, but it was too short, and felt rushed, and clipped. Another few minutes near the end, allowing that information to unfold would have given the ending more weight. Other than that, the rest of Worlds was superb science fiction fare. To anyone familiar with Worlds, don’t look for a direct re-make of the original story, instead expect to see the focus on one family. Expect to be left in the dark (much like the sheep on screen). And of course, expect to be entertained and blown away. Sci-fi fans in general should just enjoy the show, even those that aren’t familiar with the original story. Forget DVD, big summer movies like this are best enjoyed on the big screen.

★★★★☆

© Tony Flores 2005




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Recommended:
Yes

Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older