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195 reviews in total

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63 out of 69 people found the following review useful:
An Effective Sci-Fi Thriller, 13 July 2003

Author: Lechuguilla from Dallas, Texas

To be an effective thriller, a sci-fi film absolutely must impart to the viewer a sense of --- coldness, either the physical coldness of outer space or other worlds, or the emotional coldness of science.

Cedric Hardwicke's opening narrative in "The War Of The Worlds" is brutally cold, and the added images uninviting. The martian machines, vaguely resembling "legless swans", are both beautiful and terrifying. They move slowly, in a graceful but calculating manner. They warn of their approach with an eerie, unearthly "pinging" sound.

In the scene where the priest walks toward one of the "swans", the aliens do not impulsively open fire. Instead, they wait. The cruel "eye" peers down on the priest, studying him, in a foreboding prelude to his inevitable annihilation.

Other scenes in the first half also convey this needed sense of alien coldness. We can, therefore, forgive the film for its somewhat corny plot.

The film's second half is weaker because the aliens have to compete for screen time with Los Angeles mob scenes, a showy and irksome display of American military hardware, and dry narration of military war tactics. But even in this second half, suspense filters through, as we watch the heartless "swans" eject their heat rays on a helpless Los Angeles.

For sci-fi films made before "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The War Of The Worlds" is one of my three favorites, along with "Robinson Crusoe On Mars" and "Forbidden Planet".

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40 out of 45 people found the following review useful:
A Classic!, 23 November 2004
Author: BaronBl00d (baronbl00d@aol.com) from NC

Somewhere out in the American West, a huge meteor-like projectile crashes in the soil. Everyone initially believes it to be nothing more than a meteor, but soon all learn it is really an investigative ship from the planet Mars out to destroy anything and everything in its path. This film directed by Byron Haskin, based on a script by Barre Lyndon, and produced by George Pal is one of the quintessential science fiction films of the 50's, otherwise known as the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Based on the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells, this film keeps the spirit of the book intact while changing some things like the setting. The book takes place primarily in and around London. All of the talents in this film help make The War of the Worlds an innovative, intelligent, and evocative film that tries to get one thinking about alien invaders and their intentions. The earthlings in this film are the good ones...trying to be friendly, yet, treated as nothing more than impediments in the Martians' way. So many scenes in this film are strong: the army fighting the Martian space ship while a man of God tries to make peace with the strangers, the old farmhouse, and the ending as the aliens attack Los Angelos. Acting is strong too as leads Gene Barry - doing a very good job as a scientist who just happens to be nearby - and Ann Robinson convincingly portray what life might be like in a world with such horrific news. But despite a first-rate script, solid direction from Haskin, and good acting, The War of the Worlds owes its greatest debt to producer George Pal. Pal knew how to put films like this together and was a driving force in the film's innovative and unique special effects. Who could forget those bright green Martian ships or that figure of a Martian?

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40 out of 49 people found the following review useful:
the little men in lime green machines, 15 April 2004
Author: didi-5 from United Kingdom

HG Wells' futuristic novel responds well to the Technicolor splashed on it in this 50s B classic. Gene Barry over emotes in the lead now and then but the martian invasion is handled very well and the tension rises to the final scenes where the surviving populace huddle in the church as the buildings crash and burn around them.

'War of the Worlds' deserves its place as both a highly regarded novel and a well-remembered movie. Byron Haskin and George Pal did a great job in visualising the apocalyptic bits of Wells' text, while still making the end result enjoyable and interesting for the viewer.

Recommended for fans of intellectualised science fiction.

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42 out of 57 people found the following review useful:
Still a classic after 50 years!, 19 August 2003
Author: moonbus69 from Mouse Town, USA

This film is easily one of the Top Ten of the Sci-Fi genre. Producer George Pal and director Byron Haskin certainly reached a creative plateau back in 1953 that is seldom attained even now in the current age of CGI effects and ear-splitting soundtracks.

I was lucky to attend the 50th anniversary screening in Hollywood recently, with Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, other actors and production people from the film, and 'Mr. Sci-Fi' Forrest J. Ackerman, all in attendance. To see it on a full size theater screen for the first time, and with these people there, was the thrill of a lifetime, for sure!

The Martians and their war machines in this movie are still some of the best and most memorable designs in the history of science fiction films. The color cinematography and musical score also hold up very well. And any film that starts off with the beautiful space art paintings of Chesley Bonestell has my vote of approval. Also, Jack Northrup's Flying Wing bomber puts in a splendid cameo appearance.

Simply the best 'alien invasion' type film ever made - bar none!

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34 out of 44 people found the following review useful:
One word describes this classic - VIVID, 2 May 2000

Author: matt-96 from Indianapolis, IN

For it's day; and, even this day, this is classic, almost perfect, masterpiece. Brilliant design work on the alien ships, incredible sound effects, and sharp, vivid colors. Pacing in this film is tight, and Barry's performance as a scientist in giddy awe of the alien's capabilities is masterful. Finally, the realism of the story telling is unrivalled in most modern science fiction films. All right, it's not true to Wells' original, but what's wrong with updating the story, especially when it is this effective.

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28 out of 37 people found the following review useful:
Freaked Me Out, 24 November 2004
Author: dvanwormer23 from Washington, DC

Cheesy, Yes! But...

Probably the creepiest and most horrifying scenes in Filmdom was when the Martian crept up behind our heroine and clamped its tarsier-like fingers on her shoulder.

She freaked, but not immediately. She paused. Reacted to that touch. Slowly turned her head around and LOOKED at the offending appendages.

This entire moment of horror and violation took about four to six seconds.

Her mind - finally - comprehended it. IT had touched her.

Then she lost it.

One of the best screams in film history. Great acting and just overwhelming.

For that one scene, I love this movie. Creepy as hell!

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22 out of 28 people found the following review useful:
One word: CLASSIC!, 4 April 2004

Author: Lang-John from McHenry, Ill.

George Pal redeems himself after the appalling special effects from "When Worlds Collide" by giving us one of the best science fiction movies from the 1950's. Without the use of Industrial Light & Magic or THX, George Pal created the near-perfect illusion of flying swan-like Martian machines attacking the Earth. (Near-perfect because you can faintly see the wires) Ann Robinson gives a BRILLIANT performance as "The damsel in distress". Sandro Giglio (from "When Worlds Collide") returns as one of the scientists. Also Leith Stevens returns from "When Worlds Collide" to provide the music. You'll notice too that some of the footage from this movie comes from "When Worlds Collide". I must add...look for George Pal & Byron Haskins as the hobos listening to the radio.

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27 out of 38 people found the following review useful:
Good Adaptation, 12 March 2003
Author: Brian Washington (Sargebri@att.net) from Los Angeles, California

Even though this is not a literal translation of the H.G. Welles classic, this is still a good film. I especially loved how it was updated to the 20th century and that all our modern weapons, including the atom bomb, couldn't destroy the Martians. George Pal is definitely one of the most underrated directors of science fiction and this film along his When Worlds Collide and The Time Machine stand out among the great science fiction films of all time.

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24 out of 33 people found the following review useful:
Great 1953 Film!, 17 September 2004

Author: whpratt1 from United States

Decided to view this film which has been showing on TV for a very long time and enjoyed the great efforts of the director to create a great Classic Sci-Fi Film. Gene Barry (Dr. Clayton Forrester),"Burke's Law,TV Series, '63, gave a great performance hiding behind some rather large framed glasses. Ann Robinson,(Sylvia Van Buren),"Imitation of Life",'59 gave a great supporting role and helped Dr. Forrester try to defeat the invading enemy from another planet. This is a great Classic film from the 1950's, however, I am very glad that our films industry has progressed since this flick. I never thought we would ever see just what the enemy looked like and the ending of the film will surprise you to NO END!!! KEEP PRAYING!

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21 out of 29 people found the following review useful:
A Fantastic Classic of the Sci-Fi Genre, 18 July 2005

Author: Claudio Carvalho from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

When Mars invades Earth with lethal war machines, neither the army nor the scientists are able to stop the invaders. However, the influenza virus succeeds where even the most powerful weapon developed by men, the atomic bomb, fails.

A couple of days ago I went to the movie theater to see the 2005 version of "The War of the Worlds". I am not fan of remakes, but I really expected a great movie, with Steven Spielberg updating this fantastic classic. What a waste of time and money: the Spielberg's version is awful when comparing with this naive classic. The state-of-art special effects of this 1953 movie may seem cheesy in 2005, but they are spectacular indeed. The story is very scary, with the indestructible Martians invaders destroying everything and everybody; the heroine screams in danger situations and looks for the arms of the hero, as usual in the movies of those years; and my only restriction refers to the religious connotation of the end of the film. "The War of the Worlds" is a fantastic classic of the sci-fi genre, better and better than the recent version. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "Guerra dos Mundos" ("War of the Worlds")

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