War of the Worlds
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin
Rated: PG-13 for frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images.
Parental Notes: This is a reasonably strong PG-13 film. Although it isn’t terribly graphic, there are several disturbing scenes including one of mob violence and numerous shots of dead bodies at a distance. Youngsters may find it too intense.
Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds” is a film which highlights the difference between movie viewers. Those in search of an entertaining disaster film will be thrilled: the special effects are brilliant and the suspense and fear generated by the individual scenes are impressive. However, viewers expecting any kind of character development or solid storytelling will walk away disappointed. “War of the Worlds” is a strange mismash which fails unless a viewer has very limited expectations.
The film shows an alien invasion of Earth through the eyes of the Ferrier family: father Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) and his two children, Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). Ray and his ex-wife Mary Ann (Miranda Otto) have a strained relationship, and as the children live with her, his relationship with them is understandably strained as well. By focusing on the family, Spielberg could have made this film an interesting character study, showing how adversity turns Ray into a better father when he is focused on keeping his children safe, or how the children react to and are changed by danger.
Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Ray starts out as a careless and immature Dad, and he doesn’t change much: his decisions later in the film include letting one child rush off to certain death. The children have Movie Kid Syndrome: Rachel is a miniature adult with plenty of neuroses (claustrophobia, among others) and wise advice for her father, except for the scenes when she is a hysterical little girl. She flips back and forth between types depending on which suits the scene better, not in a way which creates an actual character. Her brother is at least consistently angsty and defiant, but that never changes, even when it conflicts with what he apparently holds dear. He loves his little sister and is clearly a father figure to her — he even promises not to leave her alone during the crisis — yet he constantly tries to run off and join the armed forces mobilizing against the aliens so we can see how rebellious he is.
At least the aliens are cool. They arrive in electrical storms and rise up from the ground in massive three-legged vehicles which stomp around and vaporize people with laser beams. The sequences involving the aliens attacking humanity are brilliantly shot and choreographed, and the scenes in which the Ferrier family are hiding and fleeing are truly suspenseful. The special effects are absolutely mind-blowing, and use both miniatures and CGI to create superb, jaw-dropping disaster sequences. If only the rest of the film had this kind of care put into it.
There are immense plot holes at nearly every turn, and they are made worse by the pompous narration which begins and ends the film. We are told by the narration that the aliens have been watching and waiting and planning this invasion for a million years. One million years! Yet their plan is phenomenally short-sighted, and it even appears that they could have taken the planet over at least once some time in the past before humans ever existed. We are given just enough detail to make it clear that the aliens’ plan is incredibly stupid. Had Spielberg taken the route of early adaptations of the film and made the aliens’ plans unknown, the film would have been far more effective.
Taken as a whole, “War of the Worlds” is mediocre. As pure entertainment, with no intellectual engagement, it succeeds: the effects are astonishing and individual scenes are thrilling. However, the utter lack of a coherent plot, any meaningful character development, and cogent characterization make it a failure for viewers who want something besides than visual delight. It’s disappointing to see this kind of film from Spielberg, a filmmaker who does have his flaws but who usually produces films far superior to this one.