War of the Worlds (2005)

Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto

Synopsis:
During a visit by his estranged children, a dock worker finds himself caught in the middle of an alien invasion.

Impressions:
My curiosity was piqued when this first came out, but I believe that was around the time Tom Cruise was losing his mind, so his presence had more of a warding effect than a lure. However, he's been doing well by me lately, so it was high time to see if that curiosity from nearly 18 years ago was rightly piqued. I will say that Ray having such a strained relationship with his children does interesting things for character drama, especially when the Sierra hits the oscillator. Normally you expect strong familial bonds to keep characters close in a scenario like this, but it doesn't work that easily at all. It was also interesting to see Dakota Fanning's character set up with the sort of precociousness she'd established in such early roles as I Am Sam, only for that to be torn down and her to be reduced to nothing more than a terrified child. Despite Steven Spielberg using his longtime cinematographer Janusz Kaminski, this often doesn't feel shot like a Spielberg movie, so the visual experience seemed rather unique. There are some excellently crafted scenes, especially the initial attack of the Tripods and the river scene (and I especially like the piece John Williams used for that one). I also want to give a nod to Tim Robbins for his role as a paranoid survivor who takes in Ray and Rachel. There's one bit about the ending that I felt was pulled right out of the ol' fourth point of contact, but all told, this is a rather good film that blends suspense, terror and interpersonal tension. Give it a watch at the very least.

Rating:
Watch It