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From Amazon.co.uk
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. The film opens and closes with narration from the novel read by Morgan Freeman, but Spielberg could have adapted Orson Welles's words from the famous Halloween Eve 1938 radio broadcast: "We couldn't soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night, so we did the best next thing: we annihilated the world." --Doug Thomas, Amazon.com
Product Description
DVD Paramount Home Entertainment (UK), 5014437888334, 2005 Special Edition PAL Region 2
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The first quarter of this lengthy remake held up the guise of an interesting and downright entertaining cinematic experience. Rather cynically however, I refused to let my guard down; Tom Cruise, a raving nutter was playing the main character, after all.
To sum up War of the Worlds (2005) in a single paragraph, which should be easy given the immense padding stretched across every surface; an instantly forgettable protagonist and his overacting daughter are forced to flee an army of rather impressive CG alien death machines across America after a freak lightning storm. Sadly most of their adventure is spent basement dwelling and catastrophic scenes of genocide are few and far between.
If anything, this botched remake has inspired me to pick up the book and 50's film in order to sort out original material from the ghastly Spielburgian blunders. Inconsistencies, nonsensical events and boring filler dialogue make the whole thing a chore to watch without a magazine or portable gaming system to pass the time spent waiting for something to actually happen.
Eventually the movie completely releases its bowels and defiles its already rocky midsection by indulging in an overstretched Scooby Doo-like collection of scenes where the generic hero has to avoid a giant metal worm. I don't see why they bothered with tense ambient sounds for this part when Tom & Jerry music would have been much more fitting.
To sum up War of the Worlds (2005) in a single paragraph, which should be easy given the immense padding stretched across every surface; an instantly forgettable protagonist and his overacting daughter are forced to flee an army of rather impressive CG alien death machines across America after a freak lightning storm. Sadly most of their adventure is spent basement dwelling and catastrophic scenes of genocide are few and far between.
If anything, this botched remake has inspired me to pick up the book and 50's film in order to sort out original material from the ghastly Spielburgian blunders. Inconsistencies, nonsensical events and boring filler dialogue make the whole thing a chore to watch without a magazine or portable gaming system to pass the time spent waiting for something to actually happen.
Eventually the movie completely releases its bowels and defiles its already rocky midsection by indulging in an overstretched Scooby Doo-like collection of scenes where the generic hero has to avoid a giant metal worm. I don't see why they bothered with tense ambient sounds for this part when Tom & Jerry music would have been much more fitting.
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I loved the 1950's original and even a low budget parody like Gremloids (Hyperspace) was better than this shell.
What a cop out, the Aliens are already here. Yet with all the building going on in all the cities all over the world no one spotted anything. Independence Day and even Mars Attacks beat it hands down over the arrival of the Aliens.
OK, the effects are great, the acting adequate, but the final plot is weak. It does follow the plot of the novel fairly faithfully, but the added Gung Ho All-American bull severely weakens it.
What on Earth was Speilberg thinking of?
For an all action us v. them movie with a few beers it's fine, just do not expect to be challenged at any level.
What a cop out, the Aliens are already here. Yet with all the building going on in all the cities all over the world no one spotted anything. Independence Day and even Mars Attacks beat it hands down over the arrival of the Aliens.
OK, the effects are great, the acting adequate, but the final plot is weak. It does follow the plot of the novel fairly faithfully, but the added Gung Ho All-American bull severely weakens it.
What on Earth was Speilberg thinking of?
For an all action us v. them movie with a few beers it's fine, just do not expect to be challenged at any level.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
By Daniel
Format:DVD
She does nothing but scream and demand. Totally annoying! Give her up to the aliens already!
Without her and a couple of other pretty illogical elements, the movie is fairly watchable.
Without her and a couple of other pretty illogical elements, the movie is fairly watchable.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
grea film classic
A great film classic and Tom Cruise is again brilliant considering his earlier career. Very well directed and never fails to scare the hell out of me.
Published 27 days ago by Anthony Garrick
2.0 out of 5 stars
Bad quality
My purchase of war of the worlds came very quick and in good time but there are marks all over the main feature disc and around 45 minutes into the film it starts to jump and this... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Sean
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great film
Great remake of an great original film - add it to your list! If you've not seen the original watch that first
Published 1 month ago by Richard Mansley
2.0 out of 5 stars
Low Res Quality on a BluRay
I like the movie and so I was expecting a higher quality visual experience from blu ray and honestly I think the dvd looks better than this does, don't waste waste your money like... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Rich
1.0 out of 5 stars
Crap.
Crap.
There are probably twenty other words that I could use to describe this version of the story but most of them would not be printable.
There are probably twenty other words that I could use to describe this version of the story but most of them would not be printable.
Published 4 months ago by D. A. Bailes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great service
Everything was great very swift service. All items were correct and received within the time span allocated. Well packaged and no damage.
Published 4 months ago by S. C. Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars
War of the Worlds
Already got this film on D.V.D.
loved the film so got a copy on Blue Ray
Payed less for it than the origional not bad a ?
loved the film so got a copy on Blue Ray
Payed less for it than the origional not bad a ?
Published 5 months ago by mick
5.0 out of 5 stars
blu ray IS better than the DVD and here's why :
Ok so some people did not understand the way this film was shot. It was SUPPOSED to be grainy and gritty. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Johan RF
5.0 out of 5 stars
war of the worlds
The sound quality on blue-ray is amazing, not a great picture quality but this is how it was filmed / intended, overall a great movie, def get the blue-ray version
Published 7 months ago by andyyy
1.0 out of 5 stars
War of the worlds Blu-ray
I should of read the reviews on the Blu-ray quality before I bought this movie again this time on Blu-ray. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Dave Taylor
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