Directed by Steven Spielberg
Written by H.G. Wells (novel); Josh Friedman, David Koepp (screenplay)
Starring Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins
Genre: Action / Adventure / Sci-Fi / Thriller
Country: USA
Runtime: 116 minutes
MPAA Rating: Rated PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images

Evaluation: 9/10
by Greg Ferguson






Given Steven Spielberg's pedigree as a purveyor of family-friendly blockbuster science-fiction/fantasy fare, it's forgivable to assume that War Of The Worlds has more to do with the "worlds" aspect of the classic H.G. Wells tale than the "war." This is not so. Spielberg's latest is a grimy, brutal, and relentlessly cheerless evocation of the West's post-9/11 terror, paranoia, and fear. Remember that this is also the man behind such films as Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan; he understands the implications for humanity behind war and conflict, and this film owes a great deal to such insight. More immediately, it directly builds upon his adaptation of Philip K. Dick's Minority Report from 2002, which exposed the compassionless attitudes of an overly cautious society in the not-too-distant future and paved the way for this sort of contemporary pathological evisceration.

Here, cold and merciless creatures from a distant world (presumably Mars, according to Wells’ original story) who have sought to colonize Earth for over a million years (in order to allow the human population to flourish past the 8 billion mark, I imagine) have finally decided to set their plan in motion. They awaken buried machinery under the ground’s surface and irradiate and harvest human life in more or less equal numbers. Their moral framework operates on a completely alien level from ours and, naturally, we suffer the throes of an ideological and physical war - or jihad, if you will (the initial alien attack on the streets of New York plays out like footage of the Twin Towers' collapse). Where we engage the invasion is with Ray Ferrier (Cruise), a divorced father of two who, as we are immediately able to surmise, is the likely cause of the marital discord. A characteristically selfish guy, he is saddled with his young yet already disabused teenaged son (Chatwin) and his younger and more vulnerable daughter (Fanning). In order to survive and prevail, family conflicts must be resolved and individuals must band together. With tensions running high, as they tend to in moments of crisis, this of course isn't always easily done, and the fallout from everyone's attempts provides the film with a gritty realism that's welcome and refreshing.

All of that may sound like a rather hefty load for summertime popcorn entertainment, but it is made reasonably palatable thanks to Spielberg's winning direction. In his hands the integrity of the story is preserved, and as a result remains less of a science fiction disaster flick than a humanist parable that just happens to involve aliens. Being a parable in this instance, however, seemed to call for a happy resolution, and without spoiling the conclusion for anyone let me just say that the most unlikely and disappointing plot development occurs at the end and it doesn't involve the aliens.

War Of The Worlds succeeds foremost as an allegory for the utterly violent nature of control and domination - interpersonally, internationally, and between species - but it is also an awesome spectacle of special effects and an exhilarating display of style and technique. Spielberg fans of every stripe should find something to marvel at, from the Close Encounters and E.T. devotees who've come for a glance at the invading creatures, to those who are strictly thrill seekers (Jaws, Jurassic Park) and those who relish his more pensive side. Barring some minor quibbles and one major oversight at the end, it is a fine motion picture and earns its regard as one to be remembered.

(This film was released in theatres on June 29, 2005, and is currently playing at Crystal Palace 8 Cinemas in Dieppe and Empire 8, Trinity Drive in Moncton.)