SPOILERS Speilberg knows how to impress with style. He had me in for the first half of the movie, but the second half didn't really explain anything. There wasn't any substance and the whole son thing was a waste without any explaination how he survived or why he wanted to see the shiny lights. The entire eyeball scene reminded me of the raptors in Jurassic Park. Tom Cruise was Tom Cruise, which might not be a bad thing if it wasn't the end of the world. Still, the special effects were worth watching, and Speilberg knows how to hold his audience. It was an okay movie and it'd be better if it was cut by half an hour.
I concur. It was a coin flip decision between this and Batman Begins. I'm throwing that pennie down the drain. Special effects do NOT carry a movie anymore, especially when they were this weak. It reminded me more of "mars attacks" than any legit sci fi movie. Speilberg should be ashamed.
Amazing how this flick is so love-it-or-hate-it. Also amazing how, after so much complaining about remakes, most people know nothing about the source material. Thought it was entertaining; enjoyed it. Ending didn't bother me, aliens approach to the invasion didn't bother me, great effects. Overall solid summer movie.
As stated the movie is very much about survival. As the attacks start there were a couple of heavy handed culture/terrorism type images. First, everybody had an American Flag up and down the block when he went out to find his son. Seconds later, the first thing to get destroyed was very noticeably a Church. When Minority Report came out, Spielberg was very vocal in saying that it was not a response to the Patriot Act --- I saw 2 or 3 interviews where the reporter tried to get him to draw some connection, and he wouldn't be baited. I think this is sort of a counterpoint to those issues which may or may not have been intended in Minority Report. Regarding comparisons to AI, Spielberg movies are always focus on how conflict and stress brings out hidden humanity (Think E.T., Saving Private Ryan, Schindler's List, Close Encounters, Catch Me If You Can... they all end with people (or Aliens) coming together or showing uncommon qualities when subjected to difficult situations.) A.I. was supposed to be Stanley Kubrick's project, whose movies (Clockwork Orange, The Shining, Full Metal Jacket, Dr. Strangelove, & 2001) were always about freaky stressful environmental factors turning people into subhuman wrecks. It was absolutely the worst connection between script and director. Back to War of the Worlds... Did anybody besides be notice the major gaffe early on? Right after they get the EMP, and every modern electronic device gets zapped, Spielberg makes a point of showing a guy filming an alien with his video camera, and the shot very noticeably zooms on the working camcorder display. If there was really an EMP, the camcorder would have been just as nonfunctional as every other electronic device!
The movie had a good grasp on me for the first hour and a half or so...but then lost me. The sudden ending of the movie sucked. Huge build up to be left with nothing. Although, this makes me want to buy the book.
I thought it was a good movie, I wasnt dissappointed by the ending cause I'd seen the original a few years back. I also liked the concept of how we are the only creatures fit to live on this earth and how the aliens couldnt adapt to our environment. I just sat back and enjoyed the movie without nitpicking it to death. Overall I came away impressed.
Exactly. Sure, the movie had it's flaws, but so do most movies. I can name a few equally relevant things to nitpick in my favorite movie of all-time, but what's the point? Leaving the movie last night I would give it a B-, but after reading this thread, it's up to an A-. People are way too damn picky, I swear. The only thing that bothered me was not explaining how the son made it. Of course, he could've immediately realized what an idiot he was for wanting to go and ran away not knowing where Ray and Rachel were. But stuff like complaining about how the mini-van survived or whether or not the clothes should've been vaporized is trivial.
I read the book and thought that they did a pretty good job. I thought the tripods were awesome. As for those that knock Tom Cruise, because of his personal beliefs - Get real. When he was running while being shot at, the look on his face was pretty convincing. He's a pretty decent actor. Obviously he's made some movies where he was shaking his ass for the women. IMO - Since 'Far and Away', he's done pretty good in his roles.
i don't have any real problems with tom cruise...except that sometimes he distracts from the role. because he's tom cruise. virtually every character he plays is about 70% Tom and 30% the character.
Its not trivial if everyone notices. Take for instance the minivan, that's the first thing I said to myself when he drove off in the perfectly intact vehicle in the midst of all that destruction. You can't help but notice it. I don't go to movies looking for obvious inconsistencies and I'm sure most of the people who posted in this thread don't. I have watched plenty of movies and not come away with so many "how did that happen" moments as I did with this movie. Perhaps you would like us to just donate $10 to every production Hollywood puts out.
it cracks me up when people point out little inconsistencies in science fiction movies. "aww, man...that was soooo fake" -- talking about how a kid's glasses didn't break in a fall or something...meanwhile, aliens are overrunning the planet...or people are fighting each other with lightsabers. i don't get it.
They're not little consistencies. Like the video camara working when the entire point of the scene is to point out how they disabled our electronic devices. A car surviving a plane wreck that took out an entire block and driving through the debris undetered is not a "little" inconsistancy. No ones complaining about the aliens, or their vehicles, or how they got to Earth or anything like that. Edit: Its like going to a restaurant with great food but the dishes aren't clean. You can't help but notice it and because the food is great doesn't give an excuse to be sloppy in other areas. The movie was actually pretty good but the inconsistencies are sloppy.
i know! that's my point! that's what I think is funny. aliens are attacking...or jedis are flipping around all over the place, defying gravity...or force fields surround giant battle stations...and someone will complain about something else not being realistic. i just think that's funny.
In that case to make the video camera working a believable scene, we'll make the guy holding it a jedi who ran into the city from an area outside of the emp's effective area. He has super speed so he got there in time to film it all If we can believe in jedi super powers then this makes it feasible now. hehehehe
