War of the Worlds

[ringsyde]

I saw the movie earlier today. I don't want to spoil anything for anyone, but the movie was a mix of highs (great suspense and special effects in certain parts) and lows (not so special effects in some parts and a really BIG mistake at the end that ruined the movie for me).

The ending needed to be changed. Maybe others who have seen it can comment, and that will help me determine whether I was too nit-picky or am absolutely correct in feeling one dumb editing decision hurt the entire film.

[Chris Ingersoll]

How close is it to the original ending?

I really have no interest in seeing this, which has nothing to do with Tom Cruise becoming certifiably insane (although Captain Scientiology hasn't helped matters), but respect the source material.

[Darth Turkish]

I really have no interest in seeing it either, which has EVERYTHING to do with the glut of exposure that Tom, Katie, and his clam alien beliefs have gotten.

It's everywhere!

[baldue]

Look past the TomKat hype, this
is a GREAT film! I agree that the
movie has high's and low's, but
overall this is a solid movie. Tom
Cruise in my view starts off like
a jerk, but in the end things are
different.

I'm not sure what part or the
whole ending RingsYde is talking
about, but the ending could have
been alittle longer. I still say
it is a GREAT movie, but it's not
the original which was real good.

Sidenote:
I really liked the old tvshow, I'm
wondering if it will be on DVD any
time down the road.

[ringsyde]

The part where Ray's ex-wife, her new man and the grandparents walk out of a well-lit house all clean and neat (although ALL of Boston and assumedly most of the world has been decimated), she nods appreciatively and the movie ends.

From an editing standpoint, this was ridiculous because this house is magically untouched - electricity included - during a worldwide attack, and none of the people inside are even dirty or tattered.

From a storyline standpoint, Ray has matured from jerk to father to ultimate protector, yet the movie's ending completely overlooks this. The combination of the two things killed what was otherwise a great film.

Part of me also was disappointed with the rather seventies looking alien vessels. The ships themselves were cool, but the noodley legs and the human containment cages bothered me.

I'm being harsh, but overall I'd have to say it was a good movie. I just hate sitting through a film that has wowed me only to watch it all fall apart because of a dumb ending. I also hate global disaster movies with simple solution endings (ala "if we would've all gone to mom's house in Boston, we could've averted the whole thing!!").

[Matt]

I agree, it was a good, but not great movie. The ending was far from believable. The plot was a little weak, i.e. how does this average guy figure everything out? What was the deal with his son? It never got explained, he just magically showed up at mommy's house in Boston. The great special effects saved this movie, just like "The Day After Tomorrow", another movie weak on plot, but strong on effects.

[gwffantrav]

I know a lot of people who say they aren't seeing it because of Tom Cruise, but I won't actually see it because of Speilberg.

I heard about six months he was a supporter of Castro (along with Jack Nicholson and Robert Redford) and for that, I can't respect.

A friend of our family escaped Cuba and some in his family had experienced Castro and can tell you he's a terrible person beyond anything.

I always like how people say Bush or liberals are so evil, but when you have someone like Castro, that's a face of evil.

I pains me not to see some of Speilberg's movies any longer, because he has talent and I love some good FX, but on those grounds, I just cannot see another of his movies.

If I'm wrong about Speilberg, please let me know. But until then, I'll just keep the dice rolling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Matt]

gwffantrav said:

I pains me not to see some of Speilberg's movies any longer, because he has talent and I love some good FX, but on those grounds, I just cannot see another of his movies.

If I'm wrong about Speilberg, please let me know. But until then, I'll just keep the dice rolling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know Oliver Stone is the same way, a supporter of Castro. I don't like Cruise or Spielberg, but I don't 'hate' them enough not to see their movies. I do 'hate' Tom Hanks enough never to see any of his...

[Scott Fire]

I thought it was really, really good. A lot of the time I was on the edge of my seat. I definetly thought it was better then the original. And I loved when Tom Cruise was getting sucked in and the first guy that jumped up and said grab him or pull him was an american soldier. A nice tough by Speilberg.

[pikemojo]

Personally I loved the movie. I am someone who goes to the movies to be entertained. This movie really entertained me. It does not make you think, not that that is a bad thing but it doesn't do it. It has great special effects and is pretty intense. I do agree that the ending was kinda quick and a little dumb but not so bad as to ruin the rest of the movie. I was also told that it is the same basic ending as the book.
I would highly recommend this movie. Also King Kong looks sweet. King Kong vs. a T-Rex. Nuff said.

[moparpaul]

I finally saw the movie today.

My only question is this.

At the beginning when all the power had been zapped including cell phones, etc. When the first ship came out of the ground a guy was filming it with a camcorder. How did his camcorder not be affected but everything else was? Whoops.

[Talison]

I had the same problem with the ending that RingsYde did. The family looked like they were having Sunday tea during the invasion. And the son walking out of the house and suddenly loving his dad was no better.

This movie was really mixed for me. It looked great visually. It had some great suspense. It handled people freaking out in a crisis very well. And it had some really creepy scenes like the river scene or Cruise washing himself of "that powder that's all over you."

But I didn't care about any of the characters. Cruise was a jerk, his daughter was a nut job, and nothing his son did made sense. Further more they said something like 1 in 5 people died during the invasion yet the 7 people we know from the beginning (counting the Grandparents) all lived. They introduced Tom's neighbor just to kill her off and make us believe someone you knew could die, but it was very ineffective.

Other little things like the camcorder Paul mentioned. The fact that Tim Robbins is brandishing a shotgun for a half hour but when the Martians show up he has to load it and give away his position. The fact that only Cruise was smart enough to change his solenoid out of every driver in the north east. The fact that Cruise had to explain to the army why the birds attacking the Martians was significant.

The kicker was the son surviving. Not only was it highly improbable as presented, but it validated him for being a jerk as he not only lived but got home quicker. And then he suddenly learned to love his dad who he hated the whole movie.

Still, I would say that there was a lot of good in this movie for it to have been so bad. Honestly had the ending not been horrible I could have forgiven most of the other problems. In the end I don't think it conveys the tone of the book and other versions, that humanity is unimportant. If anything it changes it to "your family is the most important thing no matter what."

[ringsyde]

So much of what you've posted ecoes why I wasn't very pleased with this movie. It succeeded on the level of summer (popcorn) blockbuster, but it failed in terms of being a logical, faithful retelling of the tale. I wont go any further than saying ditto to your comments.

[Talison]

It's really a case for me that it could have been so much better. It was trying to be. But it kept stumbling.

And I do expect more out of sci-fi, especially based on Wells. I didn't want this to be a throw away no brainer.