War of The Worlds (2005) Is A Masterpiece

[Bballfan123]

SPOILER ALERT WATCH IT IF YOU HAVEN'T THIS IS FOR DISCUSSION OF THE MOVIE

Just watched this movie on Netflix, what an absolute masterpiece. Maybe it was too dark and people were expecting a lighter movie, but this FILM has BALLS. Incredibly interesting characters, visceral terrifying action, the scene in the basement??? Outstanding, gives me chills even on a rewatch. Not afraid to kill off characters, either.

This movie makes you FEEL scared, like aliens are greater than the humans. Maybe people didn't 'get it' at the time and wanted Tom to save the day, but almost 20 years later holy shit this movie is good.
Putting an entire feature film in sepia tone is a bold creative decision that aged like wine, it's depicting an alien invasion, of course that should give the viewer a sense of unreality.

I applaud the director for having the vision to make a legitimately scary alien movie without corny ass jokes every 5 seconds.

 

[AristotleAmadopolis]

I dunno if id use the word masterpiece…

 

[Texan6533]

Definitely underrated

 

[Bballfan123]

I dunno if id use the word masterpiece…

How many other big AAA hollywood movies in the past 20 years are legitimately scary? I can't think of many. It's also realistic with many of the main characters losing their minds from the stress of an alien invasion.

 

[Pittie Petey]

I watched it in theaters and didnt like it very much, hadnt seen it since then so I watched it last week on Netflix, still didnt like it very much
Too indy-ish for a Tom Cruise flick

 

[EyePatchMcCain]

Not enough bootstraps imo.

 

[dc007]

I thought it was really fun. I've watched it several times over the years and it's never boring.

 

[ICHEERTHEBULL]

Not sure about masterpiece but it is a great movie and doesn’t get the love it deserves

 

[Goon Dog]

I hated it. Too many storytelling shortcuts and I felt like they didn't really wrap up the ultimate solution and jumped straight to the ending. Just my personal opinion.

 

[moreorless87]

A lot of good set pieces but undermined by some pretty questionable drama.

 

[revoltub]

It's pretty good I but wouldnt call it a masterpiece

 

[Krixes]

It's a pretty good movie, Dakota Fanning screaming throughout the entire movie sucked though.

 

[AristotleAmadopolis]

Advanced alien race planning invasion of earth for awhile somehow did not do reconnaissance to understand that the environment is toxic…

 

[Bballfan123]

I hated it. Too many storytelling shortcuts and I felt like they didn't really wrap up the ultimate solution and jumped straight to the ending. Just my personal opinion.

I appreciate that creative decision, the world is being invaded by all powerful aliens, the herky-jerk story is exactly how such a thing would play out. Loose ends, things beyond our understanding/control. The fact that the entire movie is about the main characters hiding and being basically powerless to an overwhelming alien invasion is a breath of fresh air compared to the typical 'unlikely hero' narrative.

 

[Bballfan123]

Advanced alien race planning invasion of earth for awhile somehow did not do reconnaissance to understand that the environment is toxic…

America lost the war in Afghanistan, it's not that far fetched
More realistic to lose to an unknown combatant than have the aliens lose a straight up fight to the military a million years behind them technologically

 

[bjjHERRERA]

the scene where the family is fleeing in the van & the camera pans around, to the front, inside the van, back out, around again etc is pretty amazing - the editing & sound is why I love most speilberg work

 

[BigSexy444]

It was heading there until the end.

 

[moreorless87]

I appreciate that creative decision, the world is being invaded by all powerful aliens, the herky-jerk story is exactly how such a thing would play out. Loose ends, things beyond our understanding/control. The fact that the entire movie is about the main characters hiding and being basically powerless to an overwhelming alien invasion is a breath of fresh air compared to the typical 'unlikely hero' narrative.

I do think some of the thriller set peices are some of the best stuff Speilberg has done in the latter part of his career but again I find his atempts at drama and political significance really don't work that well.

 

[MoparOrNoCar]

I prefer the original on AM radio.

We'd snuggle up close to the fire with a cup of Ovaltine. Those were the days.

 

[ufcfan4]

Not a masterpiece in my view but a really good modern adaptation of a classic sci fi story for sure.

It has its drawbacks but Cruise is absolutely on point throughout the movie and Spielberg and the technical team’s work is pretty damn epic.

I don’t think Spielberg’s directed a better single sequence in the past two decades than the sequence where Cruise and the fellow citizens are rushing to gather around the site of the quaking, followed by the tripod emerging and the subsequent terror as people get vaporized by the lasers.

Such an effectively chilling scene. The film’s best set piece and the only complaint is that it sets the bar so high so early that nothing subsequent can really match it.

Still, an entertaining film for the duration. People tend to dislike the part with Robbins (perhaps because his character is too transparently nefarious from the start) but I sort of love that segment as well.