War of the Worlds (2005)

As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival.

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Josh Friedman (screenplay), David Koepp (screenplay),

Stars:

Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 13 wins & 19 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Tom Cruise	...	Ray Ferrier
Dakota Fanning	...	Rachel Ferrier
Miranda Otto	...	Mary Ann
Justin Chatwin	...	Robbie
Tim Robbins	...	Harlan Ogilvy
Rick Gonzalez	...	Vincent
Yul Vazquez	...	Julio (as Yul Vázquez)
Lenny Venito	...	Manny the Mechanic
Lisa Ann Walter	...	Bartender
Ann Robinson	...	Grandmother
Gene Barry	...	Grandfather
David Alan Basche	...	Tim
Roz Abrams	...	Herself
Michael Brownlee	...	TV Reporter, Osaka
Camillia Sanes Monet	...	News Producer (as Camillia Sanes)

Storyline

Ray Ferrier (Cruise) is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. When his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son Robbie and young daughter Rachel for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm suddenly touches down. What follows is the extraordinary battle for the future of humankind through the eyes of one American family fighting to survive it in this contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells seminal classic sci-fi thriller.

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Plot Keywords:

survival | fight | storm | alien | tripod | 

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Taglines:

This Summer, the last war on Earth won't be started by humans.

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Genres:

Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

29 June 2005 (USA)

Also Known As:

Out of the Night

Filming Locations:

Athens, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$132,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$3,789,496 (France) (22 July 2005)

Gross:

$234,277,056 (USA) (18 November 2005)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Amblin Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

116 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Real National Guard troops - mostly from Virginia - drove most Convoy Scene military vehicles. Extras, bit-players, and stunts-crew filled in the Hummer seats and troop trucks.

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Goofs

Near the end of the film, a group of soldiers attack an alien drone with a Javelin shoulder-fired missile launcher. The firing effect in the film has a dramatic backblast complete with flames shooting out of the missile tube. The actual Javelin has a "soft-launch" feature where the missile weakly pops out of the tube and travels a certain distance before the main rocket motor ignites. It was designed to help mask the gunner's firing position.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Narrator: No one would have believed in the early years of the 21st century that our world was being watched by intelligences greater than our own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns, *they* observed and studied, the way a man with a microscope might scrutinize the creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. With infinite complacency, men went to and fro about the globe, confident of our empire over this world. Yet across the gulf of space, intellects vast ...

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Crazy Credits

There are no opening credits after the title is shown.

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Connections

Referenced in Futurama: The Beast with a Billion Backs (2008)

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Soundtracks

"Fa Wat"
by Christopher Shawn King
Performed by Kriz Kang
Courtesy of Luke Eddins at Luke Hits

User Reviews

If this movie were a meal, it would be a very satisfying prime beef steak with a dollop of unnecessary cheese.

However it must be said that the majority of the meal is so perfectly cooked that you're able to swallow the cheese without much trouble.

Tom Cruise was good enough that even my fiancé, not normally a fan, was impressed... and despite some misgivings as the lights dimmed at the start, once the action started, not once did I think of Katie Holmes - I was simply too swept up in the action to think about anything other than what was on the screen. But no matter how good a job Tom did, it has to be said that Dakota Fanning blew everyone else away. And not in the same way Tom was upstaged by the gorgeous little boy in Jerry Maguire through sheer 'awww' factor, Dakota is both cute and one of the most talented actresses I've ever seen.

The special effects were amazing, (the first lightning storm was the PERFECT way to get the audience on the edge of their seats, the rest of the movie made sure we stayed there) the thrills were non-stop and executed brilliantly - I nearly broke my fiancé's arm during one particularly nerve-wracking scene - and whilst some of the characters were inevitable clichés - the rebellious teenage son, for example - the story evolved at a fast enough pace that you didn't have time to get irritated by them.

I thought the ending came a bit suddenly and with perhaps not quite enough explanation but overall I really enjoyed this movie - and I'm not usually a fan of alien blockbusters. I just want to know one thing

• HOW COME THAT GUY'S CAMCORDER WAS WORKING???!!!