Runtime: 117 minutes
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto
From: Paramount/Dreamworks
A review done by request. Even before the Letterboxd mutual ask that I check this out in a comment for my review of the abominable new War of the Worlds that was released on Prime a few days ago, I was thinking it appropriate to see this. I closed out that review by admitting one shameful fact: I hadn’t seen any version of the story until then, let alone read the H.G. Wells novel.
The preceding two decades, mixed reviews have been heard, especially regarding the conclusion. Even then, the director plus the star was enough enticement for me. Despite growing up on his films as a kid, there hasn’t been that much new Spielberg viewed the past 30 years or so; another good reason for viewing. Regrettably, Tom Cruise as a parent who is constantly yelling at his annoying kids and he somehow doesn’t know his daughter has a peanut allergy since birth… that sunk the film and not even the quality direction, the general spectacle that still works today because it was led by a legendary director and not some buffoon like Michael Bay, and the score of John Williams was enough for me to love the movie.
In addition, I don’t know how everyone will feel about the obvious 9/11 allusions--I wasn’t offended by it and thank heavens no one known personally by me lost their lives on that day. However, for those that did or lived in NYC or DC on 9/11/01…
It’s not a movie I hated; the ending, on the other hand… thankfully at least Cruise and (especially) Dakota Fanning were solid in their parts and that helped me get through the movie when the slam-bang moments weren’t happening. It’s clear why the movie resonated w/ so many, especially if their initial viewing was in childhood and the aliens caused them to (figuratively) soil themselves w/ fright.
No hate on the person who recommended the movie; again, it wasn’t an experience I loathed. The idea of a personal look at a major tragedy and how different people would react to an unprecedented scenario is an intriguing one; personally, as a jaded person in their mid-40’s, I’ll stick with the Spielberg seen during my youth… the Indiana Jones movies, E.T., Jurassic Park, etc. As for the 50’s War of the Worlds… that will be reviewed somewhere closer to Halloween.
No comments:
Post a Comment