I expected this film to be electrifying but it's just science fiction and after watching this,I don't think anything. This is a science-fiction film that was directed by Steven Spielberg.This story was written by H.G. Wells in 1898,after that this story was made into a Radio drama and people who listend to this thought that this information was real and panicked. In this story,the world is invaded by aliens.People are killed,cities are destroyed and the earth becomes a sea of blood.The main characters are members of a family,they run and run same as other people.Other people are caught and killed,one after another people are brutally murdered in other people's presence.In spite of this situation,they want to survive,so they steal,fight and kill other people.And the main characters aloso want to survive and hurt other people and aliens. The star is Tom Cruise,he plays a father who is a lower class and divorced from his wife.I think he is miscasted.Anyway I have to take my hat off to Dakota Fanning's performance,she plays a daughter of Tom Cruise and her emotional expressions are real,especially when people are seized with terror and fear.Her performance is admirable,in fact Spilberg said shi is experienced and other directors and casts also praise her as a child's role. This movie's CG technique is brilliant.The aliens' movement and the scene of blasting will give you the feeling of being at a live performance.That's just what one would expect of Steven Spilberg's work. I didn't enjoy this film.It is too dull,but I noticed people are weak and they have the instinct which think about only themselves at the end.Because of survival,thy can kill other people and overlook other people's death,easily. If the aliens come and start to destroy the world,what would we do?Same as this movie,would we run away.hope to live and fight against other people?Can we not do other things?If so,I think the most dreadful thing is conflict whit the feelings of wanting to live.Who is the real enemy,aliens or humans?

War of the Worlds (in this case) is a new version of the earlier film made (in the 1930's?). It is a good film, with above-average acting by Tom Cruise and good special effects.

I was a bit annoyed at the apperances of the US Army in the film though. If aliens invaded Earth to kill all humans, then ALL countries would respond with full military mobilisation and possibly even nuclear weapons. Fighting would be on a far larger scale.

Also, I hat the way Tom Cruise's character kept taking things into his own hands all the time, doing things by himself.

But complaints aside, this is a decent movie to watch.

Overall War of the worlds is not one for me. Tom Cruise is doing what he does best here, action hero with a bit of cherry pie mush. For the age of the film the special effects are good. Good points are Special effects. Sickly sweet at the end.

My complaints about this movie are minimal. Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning do fine acting jobs in this film, but I cannot get past their characters, for some reason.
Tom Cruise plays a divorced father of two and Dakota is his annoying daughter.
This film begins with Tom Cruises' characters children visiting him in his NJ home for the weekend.
When he goes out to find his son, who had stolen his mustang, he discovers that all automobiles just stopped working.
As he rounds the corner, there appears to be an earthquake, and the center of the intersection begins to erode at the street level.
Suddenly, a giant crater is formed in a perfect circle where the intersection used to be, building fronts collapse and onlookers are pertified.
A gigantic metal beast with 3 legs rises from the crater and stands 80 feet tall. People back away and stare at the beast with curious gazes untill a very loud and low, foghorn like noise is emitted from the "walker"
A loud "whining" noise, as that of a camera battery charging up is audible and small ports on the metal creature begin to open.

Discharges of brilliant light are shot from the tentacles of the enormous beast, they disintegrate the people in the crowd, leaving behind a fine white ash and article of clothing.

Mass histeria ensures as the masses flee the scene.

The rest of the movie follows Tom Cruises' character and his two children as they struggle through the madness and the sea of irrational people they come into contact with as they attempt to survive by evading the alien exterminators.
Thwe human element of this film is fantastic and often makes you, as the audience ask "what would I do in this situation"

A great movie, I just did not think that Tom Cruise was the right person for the part of the main character. Everytime I see Dakota Fanning, I am reminded of that pointless movie "Dreamer"

Tom Cruise actually does a great job in this movie and convincingly portrays a divorced single father of two. I was quite surprised at exactly how good this movie was when I saw it first. Almost everyone over the age of 18 knows or has heard of this famous Welles book/radio adaptation. Speilberg puts a refreshingly modern view on this 60-year-old script. Well worth viewing!

Unfortunetly War Of The Worlds is not in theaters anymore, which I think was the exiting thing about it. I rented it again when it was on video and it was not nearly as good as when I saw it in theaters. Also once you see it for the second time the suspense is gone because the beginning is the best part and after that you have nothing to look forward to.

What a film, i mean WHAT A FILM. This is the best film which i have seen and i recommend that you watch it. If you would like to see a film that will have your heart racing and enemies that will make your jaw drop then this is the film to watch. Non-stop action which will leave you looking out of your window when you get home (or if you are already at home). Tom Cruise and Dekota Fanning play their parts really well and i wouldn't fault them at all. If you havn't already gone out there to buy it then just give it a go and i promise that if it is action, thrillers and edge of your seat movies that you like watching then this one will not dissapoint.

I saw the trailer for War Of The Worlds months ago and was really excited about the film! But being a busy/lazy girl, I've only finally got to see it a few weeks ago... so! First things first, the special effects are truly amazing! I think they have the visuals spot-on and are pretty much what I imagined when reading the book myself. Really impressed with this!

Of course they have to deviate from the book somewhat, hence the addition of the kids but I think Dakota Fanning is an excellent little actress and really did add to the film, unlike bumbling robbie, his irritating son (more on him in a moment). Tom Cruise himself was...well Tom Cruise and I did all the necessary checks regarding his performance...full head of shiny brown hair? Check....
The Hollywood-ised nature of it all meant also it was necessary for Tom Cruise to single-handedly destroy one of the machines but I expected as much and probably would be a little shell-shocked if some act of bravery wasn't demonstrated by our full follicled friend.

Suspense, action and a bit of eeek always makes for a good film and I thought when Robbie (his son who doesn't respect him blah blah) was roasted in fire along with several hundred military types and trucks by the aliens, that this would be less Hollywood than I thought. How wrong I was! It frankly annoyed me that he survived! This would've been such a good film if they didn't feel the need to put in the traditional 'everyones ok really' happy ending.

In summary, it is a good film (especially the special effects as is the case in all spielberg's efforts) and I recommend you watch it anyway. :)

War of The Worlds is an absolutely amazing remake of the original! The effects are my favourite bit of the movie because they seem so realistic!.

I definitely recommend this movie to everyone who is interested in watching it. Trust me, you don't want to miss it! Definitely 10/10 from me.

I thought with War of the Worlds I was going to see a Sci Fi film about an alien invation. This film is about an access visit that is going badly. Some aliens start to make life unpleasant so the Father +2 try to get to Mum. The teenage son is being a teenager. The pre teen fragile daughter is wise beyond her years. Dad can't cope with either of them and on top of that the place is overrun with Tripods.
The effects were good. Similar story to "The Day after Tommorow" but not as well done.

Based on the H.G. Wells classic book, War Of The Worlds is the story of Earth being invaded by aliens. In the original story, it is made clear that the invaders are from Mars and is seen from the perspective of a journalist in the United Kingdom. Steven Spielberg's effort is set in modern day America and the origin of the invaders is never made clear at all. Also in this version, the story is seen through the eyes of an estranged father (Tom Cruise) who is looking after his two children for the weekend. Story wise, that's all you need to know. From the moments the aliens start attacking, you are subjected to two hours of terror filled suspense and visually astonishing set pieces. The pace is relentless and every set piece is meticulously crafted with great detail paid to the backgounds and atmosphere. This folks, is film making at it's very best. Not only do the set pieces outstound but there are other scenes that grip you, using basic lighting, tight scripts and top performances. Fans of the story will see obvious recreations of key scenes from the original story. Such as the very talented Tim Robbins portraying two characters from the original story, in one. (The Parson and Artillery Man.) Mr Spielberg has added a very emotional element to this film. He could have left the amazing visuals carry the film but instead he has added some really gripping, emotional moments. One in particular where Cruise has to decide between trying to save the life of his daughter or son. Performance wise, it really can't be faulted. Cruise gives a sterling performance as the estranged dad, doing his best to protect his children from the surrounding calamities and Dakota Fanning as always, turns in a great performance as the terrified daughter. To sum up, I was not prepared for such a demonstration of astonishing film making. This is a lesson in how to make old school terror and the result will keep you glued to your chair. Not since Jaws, has Spielberg created such tension. A brilliant film.

I'll be honest - I couldn't wait for War Of The Worlds to come out. I was always a fan of the original book by H.G Wells, mainly for its sheer imagination and scope for a book that was scribed in late 19th Century England. Now to finally see it in its full glory was something I eagerly anticipated. And the fact that Spielberg was directing was just a nice sweetener (although this would have been a great project for James Cameron).

Ok, we all know Tom Cruise has shown his true colors as of late within the media and basically made a total jerk of himself, but there is still no denying that he is a good actor. And for a while this film makes you forget about his quest to shove Scientology and Katie Holmes down everyone's throat and actually believe he is playing a deadbeat father, trying to establish some kind of an emotional connection with his estranged kids.

Australian newcomer Miranda Otto proves that she is definitely another quality Aussie actress to watch out for in future films, and Dakota Fanning is also one hell of a talent, and delivers a truly terrifying performance as a frightened little girl, having to deal with the horror of her surroundings once the "Invaders" attack.

So did the film deliver? Yes and no. One would expect from Spielberg a focus on character more then anything else, and this is exactly what War of the Worlds does. It primarily focuses on one man, and his ability to deal with the situation that is unfolding before him. We, the audience go along for the ride, and see the events from a very close and personal perspective. Anyone looking for an Independence Day type film is ultimately going to be disappointed, because this is not that kind of film.

Apart from the Alien Invaders, what makes this film so frightening is that we see it from a point of view that this could happen anytime tomorrow or the next day. Spielberg injects a healthy dose of realism into the film that makes it really believable. Mankind going about his daily business without even knowing or slightly aware that another race of beings has been watching us evolve and has been studying us, and ultimately wants our planet, and sometime TODAY they plan to launch their worldwide invasion.

What about the aliens? Who are they? And where do they come from? In the original book, we know quite early on that they are from Mars, and have planned an Earth invasion because of the unliveable conditions on Mars. What's great about this is that Wells even talked about the moral and philosophical aspects of an alien invasion. For instance, how can man be angry with our occupiers, as we have always done the same thing here on Earth? Invading nations and exterminating entire races. Naturally these points are not mentioned in the film, but they do make some great reading.

Spielberg symbolically hints that the invaders might be from Mars, but you never actually know where they are from. Unfortunately there are also some major gaps and plot holes regarding the invasion, and it would have been nice to have been told some more detail about our new alien friends. Various points are briefly mentioned about their technology and their method of attack, but once you start thinking about it, it actually raises more questions. And you quickly realise that Spielberg decided to leave out, what could have been some very satisfying points to the overall plot. I won't mention any spoilers here, but you will eventually figure out what I'm referencing to. Of course once you start to think about these plot holes you must also remember that Spielberg was really trying to make a human story here, not an alien one. The attack on earth and the Tripod machines are simply a backdrop to the story.

What about those Tripods? Do we get to see what the aliens look like? The answer is a resounding yes! In fact the aliens don't look CGI at all, which is a nice relief, even though they are totally CGI, and it's clear that their technology and weapons reflects their evolution as a species. This is one area that Spielberg (with the help of visual effects juggernaut ILM) really excels.

The Tripods are menacing and otherworldly, yet it's clearly shown that they're machines, and wait till you see what comes out of these machines. Occasionally you can catch glimpses of what appears to be alien glyphs engraved on the side of the tripods, symbolizing a registration mark of some kind or maybe a trademark? It's little details like this that make Spielberg such a master filmmaker, his attention to detail. It's also obvious that life in outer space is something Spielberg thinks about a lot, and is totally fascinated with, and after all it is probably the greatest question we as a species in this universe have...Are we alone? Well if there are beings like this somewhere out there in space, (which I personally believe there probably are, yet they're too far away to invade us) I'd say we'd probably like it better if we were alone, because these suckers have no regard for us whatsoever, they are purely here to exterminate us and take our planet so that their own species may survive.

You've probably heard by now in other reviews or from family and friends about people's dissatisfaction with the ending? Well, without giving too much away, it does explain what happens from a narrative point of view. So to the average moviegoer looking for a good popcorn flick, they'll walk away with a brief but clear understanding of how they aliens fail. Yet to people who know the story, it appears Spielberg rushed the ending, with a very generalized description of what happened. Either Spielberg was trying to crunch this down into a 2-hour movie or he ran out of money. Neither are probably the answers, as the special effects alone would have cost more than the national debt, but at times you feel like it was rushed. If War of the Worlds was much more grander and epic than this really could have been one of the greatest Science Fiction movies ever made, but as it stands it's just a very good movie, and nothing much more than that. Unfortunately the ending is also were the typical Spielberg cheese starts to slip in, although It's not enough to totally offend, but it can make you cringe at times.

Keep in mind these are really all trivial points I've highlighted as no movie is perfect, and it's always going to happen when you've got such a loved and revered topic such as this. It happened with Star Wars, and War of the Worlds is really no different. There's always going to be fans that don't appreciate what Spielberg was trying to convey. At the end of the day, these will not take anything away from the movie. War of the Worlds is still a lot of fun, visually stunning and a truly frightening tale delivered to us by one of the greatest film makers of our time...it just could have been a lot better.

War Of The Worlds starts as Tom Cruise arrives home to look after his children because his ex-wife is going away with her husband. At the start we can tell that his kids favour there stepfather over him and that he doesn't have much control over them. Until a storm strikes 27 bolts of lighting and machines rise out of the ground set on destroying the world. I can't explain anymore because it would ruin the film. But its brilliant and definitely shouldn't be a 12a because it is quite disturbing.

I saw the preview of War Of The Worlds last night. It was fantastic! - One of the best movies I have seen for a long time. It starts straight into action with news stories of storms and is soon into full swing of the invasion. I won't spoil the plot but it's a gripping science fiction with non-stop action from beginning to end. As a regular cinema-goer I was major impressed with the impact of the plot, actor's roles and it was jam packed with special effects.
The War Of The Worlds is rated at a 12A which I think is very 15s borderline - it sacred me never mind kids!

War Of The Worlds is what going to the movies is all about, being entertained. In a big way. Cruise is really really good, as is Dakota fanning. Spielberg's movie making here is incredible.