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By CityWar Of The Worlds
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War Of The WorldsThe Blockbuster of the Summer
2005-07-07
Article Written by: Sami Jo
What was originally a book by H.G. Wells and turned into a radio broadcast by Orson Welles, "War of the Worlds" makes it to the big screen for a second time. The remake, featuring Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier, may have instilled nearly the same amount of fear on screen as it did on the radio. Listeners of the 1938 broadcast were terrified because they did not realize what they were hearing was entertainment; they actually believed the world was being invaded by alien tripod fighting machines. While it's hard to have the exact same fear when sitting in a theater, from the moment Rachel Ferrier (Dakota Fanning) asks, "Is it the terrorists?" a sense of fear sits in your stomach until the end credits roll.
Selfish and barely-there father Ray Ferrier gets stuck with his kids, Rachel and Robbie (Justin Chatwin), for a weekend while his pregnant ex goes to visit her parents for the weekend with her new husband. A lightning storm hits, knocking the power out, stopping cars in their tracks, and even leaving watches and cell phones useless. Aliens equipped with weapons of mass destruction emerge from the ground and begin to kill everyone and destroy everything. Ray's goal is to get the kids safely back to their mother. On his journey, he finally realizes how much his kids mean to him and does everything he can to keep them safe, including taking on psycho-man Ogilvy (Tim Robbins).
While it's definitely a film where the ending is predictable before you even take your seat in the theater, Director Steven Spielberg takes you on a journey that isn't as predictable as you'd expect. While nothing will ever compare to the destruction of LA in "The Day After Tomorrow," Spielberg took his time destroying the city in New Jersey where Ray lived. Unlike like most big screen explosions that would be missed if a viewer blinked, the destruction took place slowly, allowing viewers to feel the sense of fear and uncertainty. Even though most of the film is computer generated, the parent/child and brother/sister relationships couldn't seem more real.
Tom Cruise steps into the father role well, but it was Dakota Fanning that once again stole the show. The 11 year-old is simply unstoppable. Her career will surely move forward immensely and hopefully she doesn't ever do the child star disappearance act. The film is suitable for both adults and teens with a rating of PG-13. For those of you who go and see it, the rain we've been having lately will seem a relief by the time you exit the theater. The film will surely become the blockbuster hit of the summer and has the potential to be the next "Independence Day." The film leaves me with one final thought: What would the world really do if all cell phones and cars just stopped working?
