War of the Worlds (2005) Review

THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.

Steven Spielberg showed us how friendly an alien can be with ET and Close Encounters of the Third Kind. But after years of amazing blockbusters that came after, he showed exactly how scary they are as a threat when adapting HG Wells’ War of the Worlds.


PLOT


Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the 2005 version takes place in New York, follows divorced longshoreman Ray Ferrier who is arranged to spend the weekend with his children, teenage Robbie and 10 year old Rachel while his ex wife Mary Ann (Miranda Otto) goes out to Boston with her new husband Tim to see her parents. The weekend does not go well for anyone because once Mary Ann leaves, a thunderstorm occurs that causes multiple lightning strikes and an EMP that shuts off most electronic devices. When investigating the impact with the rest of the neighborhood, he sees a tripod war machine emerge from the ground and disintegrate all in sight. Ray is able to avoid this and escape with his kids via repaired van that has replaced solenoid thanks to his friend Manny, who dies due to his hesitance in joining him. When taking refuge in Mary Ann’s home in New Jersey before scavenging in the following days, they meet a reporter who confirms the tripods are attacking major cities around the world and have force fields protecting them from human defenses. It’s even added that the extraterrestrial pilots arrived through the storms as their machines must have been buried underground long ago. Ray tries getting his kids to Boston where their mom is, but they get swarmed by a mob and are forced to give up the van. They reach a ferry that crosses them to Hudson River before more tripods attack other refugees. In the midst of it, the family witnesses a military counter offensive that Robbie ends up joining to his dad’s dismay. Ray and Rachel would end up taking shelter in a nearby house with a former ambulance driver named Harlan. They’re able to go undetected for a few hours an are able to see the aliens fertilize human blood & tissue for their own vegetation. This causes Harlan to have a breakdown so severe, that Ray decides to kill him to avoid getting detected. Sadly, that still happens when one tripod abducts Rachel. Ray acts in saving her by grabbing some grenades from a military Humvee and allow himself to be captured in order to destroy it. He and his daughter reach Boston on foot, but surprisingly see the aliens fertilization wither and the tripods collapsing. When a bird lands on one, it confirms the force shields went down, which gives the military to shoot the rest down with javelin missiles. When they advance on one already downed, they see one alien slowly die sick as a result of the countless microbes inhabiting the planet. The film ends with Ray & Rachel finally arrive the house of Mary Ann’s parents, where they discover Robbie to have survived, as well as his mother.


THOUGHTS


What has been the biggest honor as a cinephile is seeing Spielberg continue to direct outstanding films past his prime because it feels like he is still in his prime, with this one being proof of that. The year of 2005 was also one of Spielberg's ambitious periods in his career due to releasing it within the same year he worked on his Best Picture nominee Munich. He is able to craft suspense with ease when it comes to the aliens because while we mostly focus on the domineering tripods, the one scenes where they are visible roaming around without it is breathtaking because while this ain't the first time aliens are depicted as threats, it doesn't make it any less terrifying. The visual effects are great on both ends, John Williams composes another compelling score to express the danger at hand and the cinematography creates an impressive feeling of claustrophobia. The real kicker that makes this film just as grand is the production design. The setting alone of the crashed Boeing 747 is god damn insane of a moment to be depicted as it emphasizes exactly how dangerous they are when not disintegrating people. You can't say that doesn't echo the 9/11/01 attacks with an image like that. Even if it sounded ridiculous that they defeated by germs, it doesn't change the fact they could've conquered us if they weren't and it is still a scary thing to think about. With such stakes at hand, we're able to understand the importance of resilience when it comes to the need of survival and you get that from an unconventional protagonist. Tom Cruise is a strong lead as Ray Ferrier because while he is a flawed parent for not knowing his kids enough to bond with them, being overwhelmed does not stop him from protecting them both through the darkest of times. His limits are tested with his patience in particular because he never thought to have been pushed as far as it shows. He never wanted to kill anyone in his life, no matter how demented Tim Robbins sadly portrays Harold, but that is how much his kids mean to him and it's a shame this is what it takes for them to appreciate him. Despite their conflicts, the kids still feel relatable in being depicted as deeply confused in coping with the conflict at hand. Young Dakota Fanning is a standout as expected for portraying Rachel as an impulsive one, but is ideally scared with what's going on. There is then a similarity when it comes to Robbie because teenage Justin Chatwin doesn't know what he wants in life. Education doesn't inspire him and when the military take a stand, he feels he can make a difference. He does this to spite his dad because he doesn't think he cares about him, not understanding that taking him back to his mom is for his protection and is safer than being in the midst of war. Once they reunite at the end, lord knows how he got there, it clicked with him how much Ray cared deep down and it wasn't his fault his parents broke up. Having survived the botched invasion, it's safe to assume this family will be able to heal together. I don’t kid when I say this movie holds up, but there are still a few things that confuse me upon re-watching. For example, why does everyone stay in the same place when the earthquakes happen? I understand they want to know what the hell’s going on, but it’s not worth risking your life in the process and turning one corner doesn’t do a damn thing. And why exactly do the aliens stop using EMPs once they start attacking? If they don’t want the humans to have an advantage before National Guard takes a stand, I don’t see the point of them to stop using a powerful weapon. And how did so many cars get on the ferry? The goal should be more people rather than allow vehicles take up space for those who need it more. I do respect Ray trying to get through to his son to not join the counter offensive, but leaving Rachel at a tree before almost being taken by another couple trying to protect her was just too risky. He doesn’t know them, so they could’ve been worse than Harold if he didn’t get to her sooner. And what has to be the craziest realization is that the tripods have lenses, but do not understand what a reflection when Ray uses a mirror to hide from it. It’s more of a surprise than Rachel being able to keep it together when the aliens choose to explore outside the tripods. Lastly, it has to be a bit funny that Ray is the only one to notice the shields are down when the military has been fighting them for ongoing hours. I know these guys are multitasking in protecting people while taking action, but when everywhere is a battlefield, I feel like they should’ve noticed it way before Ray did. Ignore this, then you’ll still be impressed. In short, 2005’s War of the Worlds deserves to be part of Spielberg’s list of sci fi classics for being able to raise the stakes much different than he’s done before. If alien invasion movies are your jam, see this now.