They didn't really pre-screen it (remember those concerns about "piracy"?), so it's just now, the day before its North American premiere, that the War of the Worlds reviews are starting to fly in. There are just four reviews in the Metacritic database, but it's averaging a 76 so far - and even the reviewers themselves seem surprised to have found it to be a really good film. Variety's Todd McCarthy compares it to Spielberg's earlier film, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, before predicting that its "relentless mix of breath-sapping scares, awesome spectacle, Tom Cruise and a massive marketing push look to deliver the biggest B.O. haul Spielberg has enjoyed in quite a few years." According to the Village Voice's Michael Atkinson, even if "the urban-Americana vibe is hard for Spielberg to nail at first" (and don't get him started on the "rote, unconvincing Tom Cruise–as-deadbeat-dad scenario"), the "second-by-second unfolding of the tripodal alien invasion is one of the most eloquent pieces of under-the-skin filmmaking he's done in years."
This isn't Spielberg in fairy-dust flight-of-fancy mode - as Kirk Honeycutt puts it in the Hollywood Reporter, it might actually be too realistic: "The real question the film raises is whether post-Sept. 11 audiences are ready to view destruction, chaos and horror as entertainment." It's a question echoed by Scott Tobias over at The Onion: "Though the image of a city in ruins immediately recalls 9/11—in fact, Fanning wonders aloud if it's terrorists at work—War Of The Worlds has stronger echoes of Spielberg's Schindler's List, due to the stark terror of innocents who are powerless to stop their extermination."
Wow. Finally, a summer blockbuster that's also a serious piece of filmmaking? Or, will the rest of the reviews soon pour in and balance the scales?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
6-28-2005 @ 6:55PM
War of the worlds said...
War of the Worlds Torrent is out
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6-28-2005 @ 6:56PM
War of the worlds said...
http://www.madtorrent.com/find.php/war%20of%20the%20worlds.torrent
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6-28-2005 @ 9:03PM
Tyler J. Smith said...
I haven't seen the movie yet (have to see it with the rest of the US on opening day tommorrow, boo), but, I did want to make some inital comments on whether or not the movie was too 'realistic'.
Had this movie been released Friday, September 13th 2001 (the weekend immediatly following September 11th), I think that the sentiments discussed above may have some relevance. However, while Americans do feel threatened by terrorism, I'm not sure the 'impairment' is to Cold War levels yet. Now, if another attack were to happen on U.S. soil, I'll bet you get exactly that.
Sometimes I wonder if the media doesn't over-exagerate. For example, when something blows up, it's automatically blamed on terrorism. Point in case, the factory that blew up the other day. You see media reports that terrorists were responsible the moment after it happened. What happened to the days when the media was even afraid to *name* who was at fault? I recall CNN being afraid to blame 9-11 on Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda after the bombings took place. Anymore, journalists leap at the opportunity to integrate terrorism into their reports.
Regardless, it should be interesting to see how the audiences take to the movie tommorrow.
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6-28-2005 @ 9:06PM
Tyler J. Smith said...
Friday, September 14th. Excuse me.
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6-29-2005 @ 10:58PM
Rick from Fayetteville NC said...
I love all of Spielberg's movie and this one is no different. At times I had flashback as a kid and remebered why I loved movies so much, but there were also some times where it started geting a little boring, I think the last thing a family is thinking about while getting attacked by aliens is why dad wasn't around there whole lives, but overall the movie gets a A- could all the pros outweight the cons.
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6-30-2005 @ 10:51AM
Jane C said...
INTENSE is the word that comes to mind...This was a truly intense movie...the only "flaw" was the ending--but, if you are a fan of Spielberg movies, he LIKES the happy ending...remember the wookies? ;-)
That said, I highly recommend seeing this film; it IS too intense for children under 13...I am sure that they would have nightmares. The CGI in this movie is well crafted and the movie did a great job of staying true to the book and the original movie.
I was not disappointed. The bad reviews I have read seem to be written by "kids" who would have preferred to be watching "White Chicks" or some other mindless, tasteless film.
This was nonstop excitement, tempered with a story of a deadbeat Dad...be ready to come out of the theatre shaken and THINKING...we know it could never really happen....or COULD it?? ;-)) Go see it...it's worth the ticket price!
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6-30-2005 @ 10:55AM
Jane C said...
OOOPS...make that 9 out of ten stars...Casablanca gets 10!
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7-03-2005 @ 2:53PM
Jackie said...
I took my 12 year old daughter to see War of the Worlds today, It is rated 12A in the UK (children under 12 may see the movie if accompanied by an adult) 10 mins in ok a little scared 25 mins in i took my daughter out of the theater hysterical with FEAR the certification board has this WRONG NO child under 15 should see this movie in my opinion
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