War of the Worlds is one of those films that has been redone over and over again in past decades. This particular incarnation of the science fiction classic is directed by well reknowned director Steven Spielberg, but has he done it any justice?

The action starts almost straight away following a brief introduction in which Tom Cruise's character and his kids (the younger which is played ably by Dakota Fanning). However, even at this stage we are given sketchy news reports in the background about a weather storm streaking accross the Ukraine.

Suddenly the weather has arrived and an initially intreagued Cruise soon finds himself hiding under a table with his daughter. Unlike many other films of this genre, we are not treated to multiple storylines and we thankfully never hear anything about the US president and the now cliched atomic bomb attacks upon the aliens.

One of the best things about this film, is that it is all told from the point of view of one man and his family, yet all the major points are covered aptly. Some scenes echoed of other Spielberg works, namely "Close Encounters" and "Jurassic Park" but this should not be seen as a bad thing.

The film had me nervously sitting on the edge of my seat despite knowing the basic plot quite well. I was unwilling to leave the cinema despite having a full bladder. This is a good film, though it will certainly scare younger viewers.

see also:
Star Wars: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, X Men: First Class, Avatar, Star Trek

User rating: 3.5 (2 votes) [rate this movie]
photo © Paramount Pictures.