War of the Worlds

Watching the new super-hyped, big budget Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise sci-fi spectacular, War of the Worlds, I felt strangely detached and uninvolved. Review by Andrew L. Urban: Meticulously set up with the human relationships to the fore, War Of The Worlds begins with a solid half hour or so in which Ray (Tom Cruise) is shown - rather heavy handedly - to be a hapless father with little connection to his children. ... Full Review

For the most part it is a wonderful film, both entertaining and extremely well made. The last half of the film starts to suffer, however. this keeps the film from the true greatness it could have had ... Full Review

Report this review The film was really crap... I predict that this film will enter the annals of film history (maybe I have spelt annals incorrectly... The scene in which Walberg speaks to a plastic plant is priceless. ... Full Review

But it's not the world-beater it could have been; Spielberg's "War of the Worlds" definitely wins its battle, but not the war. It's unfair to blame him for not making a different movie from this one -- just as it's unfair to critically dismiss this "War of the Worlds," as some will, because it's a big-bucks project that follows surefire formulas and because Cruise is a superstar of movies, tabloids and weird TV stunts. ... Full Review

Steven Spielberg, the director, is better than this.....Usually big budget summer movies fail to live up to the hype that surrounds their release.....Mr. Spielberg is a genius.....movies adapted from books are always bad (like remakes usually are), most adaptations are well done....He is the greatest storyteller of our time..... ... Full Review

Against this background, Cruise might well want to patch things up with the most powerful player in Hollywood. Spielberg thought the Chicago Film Festival tribute was the best ever, other than the one hosted by the American Film Institute. ... Full Review

Every story has a natural flow, and while tangents can add deeped characters and add intriguing background material, they can also become redundant when dumb chase sequences, lame intrigue, or banal conflicts are stretched over two and sometimes three ad breaks, leaving the denouement until the next night. ... Full Review

They still like their prestige dramas, period pieces and biopics.....That's partially the result of the breadth of titles released and partially this divide in perceived artistic merit, media interest, and moviegoing habits..... ... Full Review

He's obviously prone to take more chances with this politically charged thriller, which is sure to divide audiences because of some of its material. The film has already received criticism for its perceived "moral ambiguity. ... Full Review

Spielberg's best movie in years, War of the Worlds marks a true return to form for the director. A thoroughly exciting and enjoyable action/horror flick, War of the Worlds lives up to expectations. ... Full Review