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War of the Worlds (2005) 6.5
Ratings:
6.5/10 from 219,682 users
Metascore: 73/100
Reviews: 2,688 user | 389 critic | 40 from Metacritic.com As Earth is invaded by alien tripod fighting machines, one family fights for survival. Director:Steven Spielberg |
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Title: War of the Worlds (2005)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Tom Cruise | ... | ||
| Dakota Fanning | ... | ||
| Miranda Otto | ... | ||
| Justin Chatwin | ... | ||
| Tim Robbins | ... | ||
| Rick Gonzalez | ... | ||
| Yul Vazquez | ... |
Julio
(as Yul Vázquez)
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| Lenny Venito | ... | ||
| Lisa Ann Walter | ... |
Bartender
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| Ann Robinson | ... | ||
| Gene Barry | ... | ||
| David Alan Basche | ... | ||
 |
Roz Abrams | ... |
Herself
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Michael Brownlee | ... | |
| Camillia Sanes Monet | ... |
News Producer
(as Camillia Sanes)
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Plot Summary
|
Plot Synopsis
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. Written by Majorwest
Taglines:
This Summer, the last war on Earth won't be started by humans. See more »Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
Rated PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images | See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
29 June 2005 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Out of the Night See more »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
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Color:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1
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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 ...
See more »
by Christopher Shawn King
Performed by Kriz Kang
Courtesy of Luke Eddins at Luke Hits
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
When the aliens are investigating the junk in the basement, one of them plays with a bicycle wheel. This is tied to the original book when the main character observes that, with all the advanced technology the aliens possess, they don't use any wheels, and wonders if the alien life form had skipped the invention of the wheel. See more »Goofs
When the tripod emerges Ray hides behind a building on Polk Street, but when he comes out he is on Van Buren Street. Then he is back on Polk Street coming out of the store. See more »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 ...
See more »
Crazy Credits
There are no opening credits after the title is shown. See more »Soundtracks
"Fa Wat"by Christopher Shawn King
Performed by Kriz Kang
Courtesy of Luke Eddins at Luke Hits
See more »
First - a quick rebuttal: The peanut butter sandwich which seemed to stick to the window impossibly. This was a very visually interesting scene. In fact, the scene was shot from inside the house, and Cruise was shot in reflection against the window - so there is no problem here other than the reviewer not thinking what they were seeing through.
Now on to the review...
This film follows Tom Cruise - playing a not-very-adult divorced father
- and his two kids through the Wellsian version of The War of the
Worlds. Despite the fact that the film focuses exclusively on the harrowing experiences of this somewhat dysfunctional family, in a very basic way it preserves the elements of the original novel. As with Wells' book, a science savvy viewer will pick up on the biological plausibility of the main plot and realize the brilliance of Wells original points. Scientifically educated viewers will also recognize the geological impossibility of it. Neither of these facts should detract from the entertainment value of this interesting and exciting film. After all, it is a testament to Wells' genius that a novel written nearly 100 years ago still holds our attention today, and is still regarded as an intelligent take on improbable events.An alien species, about which nothing is really known, has been planning to take over and terraform earth for millenia, or perhaps much longer. Using unknown technology, they manage to emplace operatives in enormous tripod machines equipped with horrendous weapons that basically carbonize any life forms they take aim at. The tripods had been implanted deep in the earth long before the advent of our species. There simply is no stopping the invasion. Cruise, whose character is not really built for heroism, digs deep into his soul to protect his children as they attempt to make it to Boston to reunite with his estranged wife and her new family.
Before I discuss the technical merits of the film, and the lavish production values, I feel that I need to make a comment on Dakota Fanning. Ms. Fanning gives one of the best performances I have ever seen a sub-12 year old give in The War of the Worlds. She is a match for Cruise, and actually manages to steal several scenes from him. The acting in this film is uniformly good, but Fanning really stood out.
Spielberg and his team make seemingly impossible film visions come alive in a uniquely well realized manner. War of the Worlds is one of the most visually stunning films I have seen in a long time. Though I would not call the special effects innovative, they are, more importantly, convincing and never over-done. The nearly first person story telling technique is both original and effective, and the non-heroism of Cruise's character makes for a much more compelling plot than I expected to see. There are indeed some problems with believability, but let me ask - why would anybody go to this film expecting something more realistic than a fairy tale?
Recommended for Wells fans, fans of the original 1953 adaptation, and action sci-fi fans. Mildly recommended to the average cinema-goer.