War Of The Worlds (DVD)

Ok so you have been waiting to see this film for ages and youve decided to buy it..
Before you spend youre money ask yourself these questions:

Have you seen the origanal War of the worlds?
Have you seen the 2nd and 3rd remakes of this film?
Have you listened to the sound track?

If you have answered yes to any of these questions you are about to be a bit disapointed.

The film has some real obvious flaws, things that are just not part of the story, charachters that arn't the charachters they should be and doing things that others should be doing instead. Confused????? you will be if youve seen the origanal and you watch this.
This is nothing like it should be the aliens land (are born) in a different way, mad people arnt who they should be, the red weed Isn't made from lava???
I understand keeping up with the times has to be done but you can't change the plot to a film.

On the plus side the graphics are great, tripods are origanal but hugely magnificent and the charachters are pretty good at what they do.

On the major down side if you want to hear a little brat screeming for the next 2hrs then be my guest, if you want to see a remake that has takern a turn for the worsed then ok, if you want waste your money on a film thats been modified to the point of changing the basic rules of a story well i think Im gonna leave it there..............

Verdict: save your money, his is the worst tom cruise film ive seen in ages.

PLOT (for those who haven't seen it)
As normal life prevails for Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), suddenly without any warning whatsoever the Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines with no mercy and engage merciless combat upon arrival. Ray must protect himself and his family as they fight for survival.

INTRODUCTION
YOU CAN NOT slag this film off until you know the history of the War of the Worlds. It was not meant to be an action thriller on par with Terminator 2 and Independence Day. There have been 4 versions of this story. The original 1898 HG Wells Novel, then the 1938 radio broadcast by Orsen Wells. Thirdly the Bryon Haskin film version in 1953, and now the Spielberg version in 2005. Believe it or not, the Spielberg version is the most accurate of them all in terms of the novel! I am basing this review on the documentary of the Spielberg version on the DVD, so it is legit and not just my own opinion.

ORIGINAL ASPECT SET FROM 1898 NOVEL
If you just watched it for the action and thriller aspects, then you probably wouldn't have had a very high opinion of it. This is because Spielberg wanted to portray the movie how HG Wells originally intended it to be in his original 1898 novel "The War Of The Worlds". This was in fact SET FROM FIRST PERSON PERSPECTIVE. An individual's account of how the world falls apart around them when extra-terrestrial life suddenly makes an appearance into everyday life. Notice in the Spielberg version how there are no flash news reports and 3rd person perspectives (such as the war scene) as seen previously in the 1953 Bryon Haskin version (the one where the martians are floating cobra-style warships). Infact I would challenge you to point out any bits that are "extra-Tom-Cruise", scenes that don't involve him. That is why you may have thought it was under-par and too much centred around Tom, simply because thats how it was meant to be!! And in that light I deem it a more scary and realistic experience!

GRAPHICS & ENVIRONMENT SETTING
Since the world has been nurished with high-tech ultra fast computer technology, the computer generated parts of the movie seem very real and spectacular. Much of the machinery, weather effects and ground-cracking (as seen in the beginning) was done in CG. Spielberg wanted to keep it as realistic as possible in terms of everyday life. For eg, in the war scene over the hill, it was cruicial that the lighting was realistic and not over the top. So instead of having loads of greens and reds and blues and yellows flashing away reflecting the alien invaders, he would have a simple bright white strobe flickering away (for the bombs and explosions) and then a quick flash of green or purple. This gives the viewer a sence there there is something out-of-the-ordinary present within this real environment. In my own opinion I think hes achieved this remarkably throughout the film; I watch a lot of Sci-Fi films and this one has made me believe I am in that environment experiencing it from first person.

GUEST APPEARANCE!
If you have watched the 1953 version of WOTW you will remember Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry) and Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Robinson). They make a cameo appearance as Rachael and Robbie's grandparents that appear right at the end of the 2005 edition.

I'm going to go into detail, so if you haven't watched the film, and you don't want me to spoil it for you then don't continue beyond this paragraph. This movie is saved (by the skin of its teeth) by the great acting, and amazing computer affects. The story line on the other hand is a complete cock up. Although Steven spielberg didn't write the original, he did changed the story line a bit; and I can see why, and I have no problem with it. But in doing so he made so many continuity mistakes, which I'm surprised got past screening without anybody noticing them. If you are going to watch the movie for the first time, then try and spot how many mistakes there are. Its fun for all the family. Otherwise read on.


MISTAKES

EMP1
When all the elecrical equipment stops working at the begining, there are still guys in the middle of the street using cameras and camcorders! Are they looking at blank screens or are their cameras steam powered?

PLANECRASH
When the characters hide in the basment during an attack, they emerge to find utter chaos. A plane has crashed, and there is debris everywhere. Everything (and I mean everything) has been damaged in some way.......except their car. Which is still parked nicely on the drive, and hasn't been damaged by the EMP either. Not only that, but there is a clear path for them to drive away. Now that is incredibly lucky!

EMP2
When the characters pull up to the small lake side town with the ferry, Why are all the people completely amazed to see a working car? All the lights are on, and in Tom Cruises own words "nothing bad has happened here yet..." So surley that means no EMP pulse has happened in that town, so all the cars there must still work, the ferry is working! And when the characters finally get on the ferry there are cars parked, with people inside, with their lights on! So either the people are sitting in cars that don't work, but still having working lights! Or all the cars work and the crowd of people went crazy for nothing!

WHY WAIT
We are supposed to believe that aliens planted machines underground, waited a million years, and then came to attack us! If I wanted to do something, I wouldn't use a million year old piece of technology. And why wait in the first place, why wait untill the human race has evolved, why not take over earth a million years ago. I'm sure it would have been alot easier.

OVER THE HILL
This is just a minor nit pick in comparison. But the boy goes over the hill with the US army, there is a huge explosion, loads of fire and mayhem. Yet when we next see the boy, there isn't a scratch on him. Again, these people are extremely lucky.

But apart from all that.............its a pretty good movie.

If you spot any other mistakes, please let me know. And if Steven Spielberg is reading this, then you need to fire you storyboarders and writers!

Hope you enjoi the movie. (-;


.P.S. I have read some of the other reviews, and I've found that a few don't really understand the ending. Well I'm about to tell you, so anyone who is either too young to have seen the other four versions, or has been living in a box for the past forty odd years, and dosn't want the ending spoilt shouldn't read on. The aliens keel over and die because they get a cold. Which if you ask me is really stupid. If these aliens can travel through lightning (which by the way, is against the laws of physics), then i'm sure they can defend themselves against the most basic form of life. Over and out.

Although not an expert on the above film, I have listened to the radio broadcast, seen the original film, listened to jeff waynes album, and seen the tom cruise version.

Although I do not agree with some of the reviews that I have read here, I have to say that the spielberg film was very good, the CGI was great and the storyline held me for the 2 hours, albeit the ending was a little quick, but hey, that is the story. I was a little dissapointed however that there was no epilouge at the end, the uncertainty that it could happen again

With any film there has to be a story line inserted ( Look at titanic ), I feel that this make the film watchable and not a documentry style program.

This is one that I will continue to watch again and again, I love the film and I love the concept, It is also very thought provoking.

Wolfen

Not a bad film, a little disapointed that there was NO war of the worlds music within it. The ending was little odd, with certain people still alive. The music version is so much better.

I bought this DVD after seeing it at the cinema, i thought it was truely great, which i still think now. Ive watched the movie who knows how many times.
But if your thinknig of buying the 2 disk DVD, think again. Its full of items which are mostly dull and long. You sit and watch a graphic logo run arcoss the screen which takes around 30 seconds (which is way to long), just to listen to a man who is somehow related to the movie go on and on about how great the director is and how great the set was and that the cast was the best in the world. Well i kinda agreed at first, but then he just go's on and on and on for ages, just chatting away about the same thing, if i could find that man, i would say "they cant be that great". All the other features are a bit boring, i could only sit through about the first 10 minutes of each, but who knows how long they go on for.
My verdict, buy the 1 disk, you will not be disapointed about the flim, its great, but dont waste your money on a 2 disk when you will only be disappointed.

I thought that the remake of this classic film was distinctly average for a Hollywood production. I am afraid that I grew up having listened to Geoff Lynn's musical adaptation of the greta H G Wells story, which is by far out of this world in comparison.

Despite super effects, a huge budget, and the cinematic pedigree of alien-happy Steven Spielberg, this take on H.G. Wells's novel is basically a horror film packaged as a sci-fi thrill ride. Instead of a mad slasher, however, Spielberg (along with writers Josh Friedman & David Koepp) utilizes aliens hell-bent on quickly destroying humanity, and the terrifying results that prey upon adult fears, especially in the post-9/11 world. The realistic results could be a new genre, the grim popcorn thriller; often you feel like you're watching Schindler's List more than Spielberg's other thrill-machine movies (such as Jaws or Jurassic Park). The film centers on Ray Ferrier, a divorced father (Tom Cruise, oh so comfortable) who witnesses one giant craft destroy his New Jersey town and soon is on the road with his teen son (Justin Chatwin) and preteen daughter (Dakota Fanning) in tow, trying to keep ahead of the invasion. The film is, of course, impeccably designed and produced by Spielberg's usual crew of A-class talent. The aliens are genuinely scary, even when the film--like the novel--spends a good chunk of time in a basement. Readers of the book (or viewers of the deft 1953 adaptation) will note the variation of whom and how the aliens come to Earth, which poses some logistical problems.

One cannot help but think of terrorist attacks while watching Steven Spielberg's update of the classic sci-fi fantasy THE WAR OF THE WORLDS. While the H.G. Wells story dates back to 1898, and has inspired previous adaptations, this particular version feeds off its 21st century audience's fear of a terrorist-induced apocalypse. Even if the sight of tall buildings crumbling to the ground and crowds running fearfully away from their demise doesn't trigger post-9/11 paranoia, dialogue such as Is it the terrorists? will. Disgruntled, divorced father Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is struggling to connect with his estranged kids, who have been dropped off by their mother for the weekend, when a severe and unusual lightning storm leaves his New Jersey neighbourhood powerless. Over the course of the next few hours, it becomes obvious that this was not a storm at all, but rather the first sign of a worldwide alien attack. Emerging from the ground in multi-legged tripod-like machines that have apparently been stored beneath the earth's surface since before man's time, these aliens begin the process of waging a long-planned war on our planet. While WAR OF THE WORLDS follows Ray's growing closeness with his two children (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) in the face of imminent disaster, and his transformation from lousy father to hero, their story is used mostly as a vehicle for illustrating an unending series of horrific scenarios. The human element of the story is also briefly explored with Tim Robbins's portrayal of a crazed, alien-fighting recluse. Sticking closely to Wells' original descriptions of alien warfare, the film focuses mainly on visuals and succeeds through impressive special effects to create two hours of thrilling, frightening, realistic terror.

This is a reasonable reworking of an excellent book and film. Its darker and more interesting than most hollywood summer blockbusters, but the pathetic last 5 minutes of the film bring it straight back into the 'forgettable rubbish' category. Its a shame because it could have been much more. Overall, a worthwhile watch but be prepared to throw stuff at your television in the last few minutes. You're better off with the original.

The special effects are extrememly good and overall a good movie to watch but i would not purchase this movie for a couple of reasons. The ending as mentioned in some of the above reviews is extremely disappointing and is not what you expect after watching such a good film. So like i said, worth watching if you can borrow it from someone but dont buy it, you will be disappointed trust me.

This is a good movie, plenty of action and special effects.
A must see for all you sci fi enthusiasts out there.
I was a little disappointed with the ending, it was very quick but overall a good movie.

There is a spoiler at the end of this review so please bear this in mind if you havent seen the film.
You can probably guess from my title that i found this film very dissapointing. I'd waited ages to see it and was given it for christmas but found that although the effects were good as was the start of the story the ending was EXTREMELY weak. Basically we are all doomed these aliens are invincible and are exterminating the human race and then 5 minutes from the end Oh look all the aliens have died hmm well that was handy anyone know how?? Nope, oh well weve filled our time slot who cares about a decent ending.
At least that is the impression your given.
I personally have never seen the original and to tell you the truth now cant be bothered to see it although a few people i know that have say the original and last remakes were just as poor. So why remake it again?? im sure money could have been better spent remaking something else.
However although the story line is poor i must say that the acting is actually quite good hence why i give it 2/5 instead of 1/5.
In summary, buy or rent something else.

Can't believe how rubbish this film was. Expected somthing good, and it wasn't!!
Probably one of the worst films that Steven Spielburg has ever re-made!!
Shameful!!

For me, this film was a waste of time. The acting was dreadful and the storyline didn't make any sense. The special effects were amazing, but they were the only good thing about this film.

How did anyone decide to make this film???!!! Its utter rubbish.
Tom Cruise cannot act for peanuts - but he couldnt have made this film any worse then it already is so we'll let him off this time!
Its just utterly non-sensical and far fetched beyond even the most "out there" person's mind.
Aliens killing people with what looked like oversized milk frothers and spraying their blood everywhere - come on please!!!

I bought this film on sale price at Tesco and even at the cheapish price i payed regretted wasting my money!

I'm a sci fi fan but this is boring and stupid.

I bought this film from the bargain bin section and I'm not sure it was worth the £5 I paid for it. The special effects are spectacular and a lot of money has been spent but I felt the story line and plot very confused and lacking. The original film I thought was much better! It's one of those films where you say, but why would you do that! That's stupid! I thought the acting was very average for Tom Cruise who I think can be a good actor but is not a great actor. However, the little girl I did think was very good for one so young. The film just turned into a bit of a gore fest in the end. I don't mind violence in films and love horror and sci fi movies but as long as it is justifiable. I felt that some of it was done purely because they felt the blood quota hadn't been high enough yet. It started off okayish and got worse towards the end. I think the special effects of this film will carry it but I also believe it is one of those films which in X number of years time when special effects have improved again and people are used to it, the realise the rest of the film is very weak. Some people I am certain will love this film, it definitely wasn't one for us, I'll leave it up to you to decide if it's for you. The film does have some good points but they are far outweighed by it's bad points and I shall never watch it again.

Firstly, dismiss from your mind that this film has even the slightest relationship with H.G. Wells's original masterpiece. To be fair, it never really pretended to be, but that's no excuse for this lame effort.

The effects really are very good, I certainly have no complains on that score. Some of the best I've ever seen. If your idea of a good film is sitting watching extremely clever and spectacular computer generated effects, you are in for a treat. And the sound is probably amongst the best ever recorded in terms of quality. If you want to test the dynamics and low frequency capabilities of a high-end home cinema setup, then look no further, particularly when the tripod errupts out of the church. On a good set up, the power it generates is downright frightening. Sadly though, there's even a downside to this: like far too many films and TV series of late, the producers seem to be under the impression that it's the music and effects that are the most important thing, and they have turned the wick up to such an extent that they frequenctly drown out the dialogue. OK, so you can probably adjust the levels in the sound menu, but, why, might I gently enquire, should you have to? It's nonsensical. Then again, the dialogue and lines are so apallingly contrived it might not be such a bad thing after all.

Tom Cruise remains an excellent actor, and I have no complaints about his performance; given the utter dearth of material he had to work with he's done the best he can. The rest are carboard cutouts for the most part, and the perfomances are OK in the same way: they've nothing to do or go on, and probably make the most of the almost non-existant material, but it's difficult to be sure. There is no character development at all on the part of the script-writers, and no other points of interest. Oh, there is one poor piece of 'acting' though: Morgan Freeman's voice-over is truely apalling. You want a decent one? Richard Burton's for the 1970s Prog Rock album shows such superiority it's frankly embarassing for those of us who have heard it and cannot help but to draw the inevitable comparisons. Darker, richer, more dramatic, more threatening, certainly more haunting. Oh dear.

The story, such as it is, is cringe-inducing. Divorced man gets his angst-ridden teenage son and pre-teen daughter for a short visit while former wife goes off with new man to her parents, miles away. Cue short dysfunctional father / son / daughter bit. Martin tripods start errupting out of the ground everywhere (as they do) and causing havoc. Proverbial run away to rest of family now takes place for about an hour which gives the effects team plenty to do, given that there's no other content to worry about. Oh yes, nearly forgot: Son runs off (surprise!), evidently to Go Kill Me Some Martians, leaving Dad with Daughter (who has little to do except scream every other minute). We have a 'tense' moment in a house, a gory moment of human blood being sprayed over the fields to fertilise them, a bit more running away, then the little microbes begin to kill the Martians (the only thing this has in common with Wells's story). Wife appears alive at end, as does Son. The end. An 11 year old could write a better story than that. What was Spielberg thinking?

I can't honestly think of a good reason to own this film, except as a test disk for your home cinema. It offers little enough content for a single viewing; repeat viewings might be a good cure for insomnia though.

Why make this? I'd much rather be terrified by Orson Welles on the radio! Worst part - Tom Cruise singing.

Both me and my boyfriend have been to the cinema twice to watch it and have seen it 7 times on DVD.

We think it's great!!!

The sound affects alone are stunning, not to mention the grafhics they are wonderful too.

The story line seems to mix parts from the original broadcast, the first film and alot from Jeff Wayne's musical version.

Sorry goto go i'm watching it again for the 8th time!!! Bye Emma x

I was upset when I missed seeing this film at the cinema and delighted to get the DVD for Christmas, but that delight turned to dissappointment on watching the film. I enjoy science fiction, but the story line was just not creditable and after about an hour I decided not to waste any more of my time watching the rest of the film. A huge dissappointment, and now I'm actually glad I didn't waste time going to the cinema and have to sit through the whole film.

If you want to kill a couple of hours & like alien si-fi films then you will enjoy this one, it killed a couple of hours for us & we were mildly entertained.

All we really wanted to do was to strangle the little girl ( Tom Cruise's Daughter ) because all she seems to do is scream just about all the way through it.

However the special effects are fantastic, from the Aliens to their Spaceships, they were " Out of this World " ;0}

The ending was dissapointing as well ~ in a way you hoped that Tom Cruise's ex-wife's new husband had been killed & that she could go back to him, even though you know that there is no chance of this happening, or is there ~ you'll have to watch it to find out for sure ;0}

Like I said abouve a good film to kill a few spare hours.

This is a hugely entertaining movie with fantastic special effects. The stars of the film are the aliens rather than the actors, none of whom play particularly likeable characters. This is the type of film you do not have to try to hard with, everything is given to you on a plate and, therfeore, is great for a Sunday afternoon whilst you are 'recharging your batteries' ready for the coming week! A recommended movie, as long as you don't expect too much of a challenge. Great fun!

If you're a fan of the original (as I am) then you won't see terribly much plot-wise of the original in this Spielberg remake other than 'Alien's land, Aliens kill people, people run, bacteria kills aliens'. The main characters are self absorbed, well acted though unlikeable, but the special effects more than make up for character weakness. The aliens were the stars of this film and provided some excellent suspense. One scene will have you holding your breath and then jumping in your seat! A nice little touch is that the two key characters from the 1953 film also make an appearance, I liked that. If you have a couple of hours to spare then give it a try, I doubt you'll be disappointed. I'll happily watch it again.