"Another tech wonder from Steven Spielberg, but seems to succeed more in action and special effects than it does in story. "
Steven Spielberg is no stranger to aliens, having directed Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. However, the big difference between those two movies and his vision of WOTW is the character development and story. Those movies gave us insight into the characters lives and feelings. Even Spielberg's Jurassic Park dives into the thoughts of the characters. War of the Worlds is just a disaster movie through the eyes of one family.
But, there is still the emotion there, with Tom Cruise's character Ray Ferrier and his two kids, played by the talented-for-her-age Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin, as he tries to protect them from the onslught of alien tripods that are invading Earth.
Speaking of Tom Cruise, whether you like his personal life or religion, you've got to admit: the guy's a damn good actor. And so is Tim Robbins, who appears in the film as a man verging on insanity who gives Ray and his daughter shelter during an effects heavy attack. His character begins shouting out ways to defeat the Tripods and believes that just him and Ray can defeat them together. Ray is forced to take matters into his own hands to protect himself and his daughter in one of the most suspensful scenes of the movie.
While the film does lack character development, it does have plenty of special effects blowouts. From the first attack on NYC with Tripods disintegrating people into dust, or a Tripod rising out of the water to attack a ship full of people trying to escape, there's plenty of action. But, Ray's love for his kids and fear of losing them is still established under the coat of action scenes.
The reveal of how the aliens are defeated is dull, but still makes sense, as they die from Earth's bacteria in the air.
In the end, War of the Worlds is a great movie filled with suspence and action, but still feels like that's all there is to it, where the story is there, but barely visible.
AR's score: 4.0 stars(8/10)
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