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An intense science fiction film based on the iconic novel of H.G. Wells , War of the Worlds is a blockbuster from Steven Spielberg with a bit more edge than you might expect. While it falters in the latter stages, what comes before is a relentless spectacle of terror, thrills and race for survival.

Ray Ferrier( Tom Cruise) works as a longshoreman in New Jersey who has weekend off . His ex wife Mary Ann( Miranda Otto), who has now moved on and is pregnant , entrusts their kids Robbie( Justin Chatwin) and Rachel(Dakota Fanning),  with him for the weekend while she goes to visit her family. Robbie is a sullen teenager who resents how his father has never been there , while Rachel is caught in between a sense of maturity and her own young, impressionable years. Nothing much happens at first in his home, apart from animosity between Ray and Robbie. Then a freak lightning storm hits , that knocks out lots of power nearby. After the storm finishes, Ray goes to investigate the impact of the strange phenomena .  Ray along with others witnesses as the ground breaks and an alien tripod emerges , followed by others. The aliens are definitely not friendly as they immediately begin eradicating humans via incineration. Ray just about survives this onslaught and he returns home. He takes Robbie and Rachel in a nearby car, heading towards Boston because that’s where Mary Ann is. Though this is going to be far from easy as the alien visitors gather dangerous momentum with their horrifying invasion, sending humans into terrified and frenzied chaos in the process. As the aliens begin either exterminating humans or abducting them, it’s up to Ray to protect Rachel and Robbie and get them to safety as they engage in a battle for survival against the extraterrestrial threat.

At the helm of War of the Worlds is Steven Spielberg, who delves into the dark nature of invasion while not forgetting how to leave us both in awe and terrified. We all know that he can do thrilling spectacle , but one thing that often gets overlooked with him is his handle over suspense and tension.  He keeps the film going at a propulsive pace, occasionally stopping for some emotional respite, then cranks it back up as the chase continues, throwing our characters into increasingly nerve-wracking and heart-stopping moments. War of the Worlds is surprisingly bleak for a Spielberg film, which I noticed in this most recent watch of it. It’s definitely thrilling and provides moments of awe, but there’s a genuine darkness that permeates throughout and a certain mournful, haunted tone to it. The family drama at the centre is well rendered, with Ray being forced into being a good parent after years of being a disappointment. While the 50’s film of the same name reflected the uncertainty of the world then in relation to a threat of nuclear war , this version reflects the world in the wake of 9/11 and the parallels/ references really hit home in terms of how it examines people in tragedy and their desperation. We see humans panicking and at times regressing to primal viciousness in order to survive. War of the Worlds is not often seen as a horror movie, but it damn sure has elements and scenes that wouldn’t be out of place in one. From the original emergence of the Tripods as victims become vaporised by the to the superbly directed attack on refugees on a ferry( not forgetting a floating necropolis down a river witnessed by a terrified Rachel ) , War of the Worlds delivers in the terror and jaw-dropping department  . One scene in particular really stands out is the basement scene. In it, Ray and Rachel have taken refuge in the shelter of a man slowly becoming unhinged from everything he’s seen . The trio have to evade an alien probe that sneakily appears searching the basement while trying to make as little noise as possible ; it’s all rendered with a masterful use of effects, sound and scene geography all on display . It’s a claustrophobic  and suspenseful scene of cat and mouse that is a highlight of nail-biting terror as the snake like probe investigates for life and the three characters have to keep moving to new hiding places before anything bad can occur.

The unusual visual style stands the movie in good stead. Through the moody cinematography of the always talented Janusz Kaminski and Spielberg’s vision, the high key lighting of the start fades to something more grim and grainy as attack and death fill the screen. The contrast is pretty well done as we are somewhat lulled into a false sense of security when it’s bright, then it gets eerily dark as the invasion hits. War of the Worlds is sadly undone by a rather abrupt and questionable ending. Which is a real shame because what comes before is a very intense thrill ride with seriousness and horror on its mind. A whole lot of atmosphere is generated by the score of Spielberg regular John Williams.  It’s all rather spine-tingling and tension building before unleashing full on action and danger, which  ideally goes alongside the slow realisation of how startling and nerve shaking the invasion is . It’s one of his lesser known scores, but it should be better regarded as it suits the film excellently with its effortless sense of thrills and terror.

Tom Cruise heads proceedings, shedding his action guy persona to play a regular guy in the middle of an extraterrestrial threat. Cruise is very convincing as a nonchalant , deadbeat dad who is galvanised into desperate measures to protect his estranged kids. It’s a welcome reminder that Tom Cruise can be more than just an action star ; the guy can legitimately act when given the chance to. Dakota Fanning and her character of Rachel in this film often get ragged on in many quarters, which I think is rather unfair. Sure she is required to scream quite a bit, but I think people forget that she is a child in the situation of terror and how they’d react faced with such relentless trauma. And apart from the screaming which gets noticed , the young Dakota Fanning displays yet again a striking maturity of a young girl thrown into a horrifying situation. Fanning gets the sense of terror, wide eyed wonder and vulnerability across and more than holds her own against older co-stars. Plus, it’s through her eyes that we often witness the destruction of humanity and she plays that excellently. Justin Chatwin nails the surly and angsty personality of the teenage son, but after a while the character and his choices begin to grate. Tim Robbins, although only in a handful of scenes , makes the most of playing an unpredictable character who has lost all sense of reality and is capricious to an alarming degree. Miranda Otto has a largely thankless part that bookends the film, but doesn’t show off her considerable acting skills. Morgan Freeman provides narration for the beginning and end of the film; as always he delivers the goods. Possessing one of the most engaging voices on film, his wise tones, tinged with a sense of weight and gravity, perfectly fit when needed.

So while it’s ultimately let down by an abrupt ending that feels out of place, War of the Worlds is still a darn effective science fiction thriller that has startling set pieces and shows Spielberg delving into blockbuster entertainment in a darker way than one may usual think.