War of the Worlds is based off of the book of the same name. Both depict a Martian invasion of Earth, as Mars is apparently dying and the Martians have chosen Earth as their new home, but need to conquer it first.
I read the original book before, which was written in the late 1800s and is set in late 1800s London. This newer, Steven Spielberg directed version is set in modern day New Jersey and tells the story of the invasion from the perspective of an American family, action hero Tom Cruise taking the role of the family’s father.
The movie is marred by a weak and unexciting ending and doesn’t explain the aftermath of the story. War of the Worlds is one of Spielberg’s, one of my favorite directors, disappointing movies. Having directed such famous movies as Jaws, E.T, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Schindler’s List and Saving Private Ryan, Spielberg unusually took a wrong turn in directing War of the Worlds.
In the end, Cruise, as an action star, can’t resist saving the day, as he single handedly takes out one or two Martian tripod machines, whereas the military with their machine guns, tanks, helicopters and special weapons couldn’t even take out one. Morgan Freeman though, does give a good performance though only as the narrator of the story.
Though very exciting, H.G Wells, the author of the book, would not recognize this take on his famous novel.
Grade: C
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