REVIEW THREAD - POST ALL REVIEWS HERE (spoilers)

[ArmoredTrackLayer]

fallingstar said:

Even though like every film I've seen positive reviews [ and some suspicious ones saying it's the best film they've ever seen, bla, bla ] - what you've said there sounds very accurate to some of the reviews I've seen about this film.

It sounds like the type of film that might impress at first in some areas, but when you look back on it you realise how crap it is.

Did you ever think that everyone is giving it good reviews because its actually good? Do you really want to hate this film THAT much? See it and make your own conclusions, even though, even if you like it, I doubt you'll say that you do.

[uselessinfo]

HOLY CRAP! THAT WAS FRICKEN AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There were a few things they left out such as the black smoke & the flying machine, but it didn't ruin it at all.

But still, in some subtle ways, it was very similar to the book. The ferry scene, the "lightning riders", the escape from the city, the machine shot down in Boston, the reunion scene at Boston, the ruined house fiasco, the red weed, and of course UUULLLAAA!!!!!! All of these pay homage to the novel.

All in all, it's a jaw-dropping, bone-chilling, suspenseful work of cinema art. I think that, this time, a Director did justice to Well's story and still gave everyone something that makes them absolutly speechless. Bravo Speilberg, you have acheived your destiny!

[Slick2097]

It was good. The machine design was very good, looked very stable as though it would actually work. It had a basket.

I felt the social commentary let it down a tad "Are they terrorists?" ... c'mon please ...

They made the tripods multi purpose machines, removing the need for a handling machine, and they do have shields.

They made noises (I dont think it was an uullaa, sounded more like low rumbling two-tone sound to me).

A nice touch (and possibly the only concrete thing to tie it to the book) were the opening and closing monologues, which are direct copies from the book.

The highlight for me was the machines, they just looked right.

Its worth a watch, if you are after an accurate translation of the book then forget it, if you're looking for a film that vageuly follows the book but is still a good film in its own right then this will be the film for you.

One to buy on DVD I think.

Ste.

[timeship2]

slayer said:

I must have missed the street sign "VAN BURAN". Which part of the movie did they show it?

It was near the beginning. I can't remember exactly now, but Cruise was standing in front of it briefly. It's a very common street name. We have one in each of two Cities here for a start, but I still can't believe it was just a coincidence that it was used in this instance!

[Slick2097]

Its a common name as he was the eighth president of the united states

But I do think it was probably a nod to sylvia.

Ste.

[Zoë]

ok again I cant do long reviews but I'll just talk about what comes into my head.
Ok that pure and utter AMAZING!
The tripods, oh my god they were great, not how i pictured them at all, the little bendable leg feature I thought was good.
The aliens: they were a sort of cross between the alien from Roswell and 'Alien' (I thought). They were good though and when they were dead = E.T when he was sick.
I loved all the little homages to the 1953 version, it just made me smile when I noticed them.
I know it was allll amazing, but a really great scene was when Ray and everyone were just about to get on the boat and the tripod was standing on top of the hill.
Right from the start I had goosebumps, especially when Morgan Freeman was narrating - Good choice.
I thought that Dakota Fanning was great, shes so young and some of you I know hate her but im 16 and id probably act like that, screaming and all.
Tom Cruise is now in my good books, ive never really seen one of his films but I thought he played this character really well.
Ok I cant really think of anything else to say now except that that was one amazing movie, so upset i have to wait till tuesday to see it again.. Damn Live8 for taking me weekend.

[Curate]

Major spoilers ahead!

Well, I attended the 2:30pm showing at the Savoy cinema in Dublin's city centre. Not only does the Savoy have the biggest screen in Ireland, but it also has a delightful old world feel that tends to enhance the movie going experience - a nice wooden panelled lobby and velvet curtains in front of the screens. Far more character than the huge UGC multiplex down the road. It's cheaper too!
The cinema was less than half full, possibly due to the time of day, and I sat anxiously in the centre aisle watching the seemingly endless selection of adverts and movie trailers that played well past the feature start time. Mind you, I LOVED that 'King Kong' preview! That's the next BIG one I'm waiting on this year.
Finally 'War of the Worlds' began, the audience becoming dead quiet as Morgan Freeman's narration filled the auditorium. I liked the opening shot of the microscopic lifeforms in the drop of water - a nice piece of foreshadowing concerning the invaders' ultimate demise. The opening scenes played as straight drama, only the news report concerning the strange storms in the Ukraine speaking of the horrors that lay ahead. I liked the way Robbie had to do a project on the French occupation of Algeria - a nice nod to 19th century imperialism. I was kind of hoping for a more realistic feel to the dialogue, perhaps expecting an alien invasion variant on the wonderfully realistic BBC film 'Threads' ( a stunning nuclear war drama that everyone should see ), but the script always seemed like a movie to my ears and never became fully realistic as such. A pity, but no big deal. From the moment the first tripod appeared things became pretty intense and I was on the edge of my seat for the next hour and a half. The 'Ullas' ( well, the howls anyway ) were superbly done and not only reminded me of the mothership from 'Close Encounters', but also the noise made by the red tripods in the mid 80s series based on John Christopher's trilogy. The howls were suitably filled with menace and instigated a genuine feeling of dread. As others have stated before, the 12A rating was perhaps a little too lenient for the subject matter, and during the course of the film more than one screaming child had to be brought out into the safety of the lobby.
This was no 'ID4' - it was a far more powerful piece of moviemaking. There were no triumphant scenes of the military destroying advancing Martians ( as it was never stated where they were from, I'm going to call them Martians ), no wisecracks or one liners. As Ogilvy said, this is not a war - it's an extermination. It's the beginning of the rout of civilisation, of the massacre of mankind. Humanity is ultimately helpless - a harsh lesson concerning our insignificance in the universe. The ferry scene was gripping, although I think it could have done with a 'Thunderchild' moment. Then again, it seems that Spielberg was determined to make these invaders totally invincible. We hear about supposed victories in Japan, but who knows whether these stories are true or not? With mass communication down, did somebody swim across the Pacific with the news? With power shortages and mass panic, these people are just as helpless as Wells' Victorians.
The scenes set in Ogilvy's basement are superbly effective, especially the unseen murder of Olgilvy himself. The fact that it happens off screen only makes it more powerful. The Martian 'eye' was well conceived, although I thought the 50s version looked somewhat creepier. The Martians themselves could have been more sinister if only half glimpsed, but the design was reasonably good and the tripod leg arrangement was realistically animated. The red weed certainly lived up to my expectations and the connection with human blood only succeeded in making it even more sinister than in the novel. The shot of Ray opening the door to be faced with the weed growing on every scrap of ground is sure to become an iconic sci-fi image.
The ending did seem a little rushed though. I would have preferred it to be more like the book - perhaps with Ray and Rachel wandering alone into the ruins of Boston and hearing the dying 'Ullas' echoing throughout the dead streets. It was great to see the black birds circling above the hood though - a real image from the book brought to life. I had no problem with Robbie being still alive at the end - it simply mirrored the survival of the narrator's wife in the original text.
Although it deviated from the novel, I still think this was a superb take on the classic story and I'd give it well earned 9/10.
The definite adaptation of 'The War of the Worlds' remains Jeff Wayne's musical however.

[ben]

Well, greetings all. I`ve been a follower of this site for a very long time, but i`ve never had anything worthy to add to the already fine comments and submissions i have seen here. A review, however, I can deliver.

If I can say one thing of this film, its that I have no criticisms or things to add. With revenge of the sith, I had many suggestions of how I would have done things better (I post on Cavola and have a review of that film there). With this one, however, I feel that it could not be improved.

I`ve not seen a film like it, I would say, though the reimagined battlestar galactica has some similarities in the effect it tries to convey. This is, above all, a horror film. The usual ID4 approach has been thrown out the window and instead we are given a much more "unpleasant" offering...and I say that in high praise.

As such, you watch this film with a slight aversion. The things in it are horrific, repulsive, shocking, appaling and sickening. Most horror films have lost the ability to horrify, but this left me feeling quite ill. Which is exactly as it should be. It was a film about men, women and children being farmed like bloody cattle and forced to clamber over eachothers bleeding corpses in the vain hope of survival.

Saving Private Ryan, by interesting contrast, though very effective in this element, loses some of it in the "war is madness" theme. It's like the guy on the beach landing, carrying his own severed limb....the madness of it gives you a safety zone of detachment. This film gives you no safety zone and that makes it very powerful indeed.

One of the real gems of this film is that it relies on the imagination of the viewer. You start to frighten yourself with anticipation of horrible things to come and this in turn leaves you vulnerable to the "sudden surprise" horror trick, which is used sparingly and thus effectively.

The film removes the sense of safety in other ways. Ogilvy starts as the savior, but becomes a danger...as does his house, even his gun and his axe. Each of these things changes from one element to another, as if the carpet was being slowly removed from under the viewers feet. You can see it happening, a wonderful piece of cinematic work.

You cannot even hide from the Tripods. Though they are massive they have a real sense of being all seeing. Hiding in a building won't save you, they shoot people through the roof...reminded me a lot of the run from the common and "the feeling of being toyed with as if any moment death would strike you down". I really did expect to see martians or probes at every turn...and when i did see them, i still wasnt ready for them.

***

Acting wise, i was impressed with Tom Cruise. I believed in his character and i felt his panic and horror. I liked the way that even Ogilvy, who was taking martians in his stride, had a major flip out when he saw the farming in progress.

Those kids...hehe, i really wanted to throttle them. It's so true of kids today that they just dont wise up to how serious things are. I really felt sorry for Ray having to look after them...i`ve been a teacher and I know that kids can indeed be like this. Good acting from them both.

***

I was very pleased to see red weed and the ULLA noise was perfect. Those touches go a long way and they added to the effect of the film rather than just being garnish.

***

One thing that did strike me was the sudden ending, but i`m going to say that I dont think it could have been done any other way. In fact, the sudden shock of the end complements the sudden shock of the start. Just as it began, seemingly without reason, so did the invasion end. Film fans seem to expect a "come down" period to films, again a comfort expectation. This way you are spat out of the cinema almost with the impression that the film is still going on...its very much live in your mind.

It was the film I had hoped for, but still it surprised and unnerved me. I couldnt ask for better.

[letitbleed]

I saw War of the Worlds. I've never been a Cruise fan, but I am now a Dakota Fanning fan. Keep your eye on her. This is a very visual movie. I believe this to be the most terrifying sci-fi invasion film to date. Tom Cruise is introduced as a on-the-go dockworker who's kiddos have to come to visit for the weekend while his recently remarried ex-wife vacations up in Boston with her yuppie in-laws. The movie is fast paced and special effects are some of the most intense I've ever witnessed. This isn't a "WAR" movie at all - definately not another Independence Day. It's a refugee movie. These aliens and their way of killing is the most horrific I've ever seen, from one chase to another - like clockwork. This movie also draws a lot of inspiration from the original book and I can name at least a dozen cross refrences. I really don't understand why people are getting so worked into a lather over what they perceive to be 9/11 refrences. The only thing that stood out to me is when Dakota Fanning screams out, "Is it the terrorists?!" as the freeway explodes behind her. This was not in bad taste. In fact, the sell-out audience erupted in laughter, and so did I. War of the Worlds is reminiscent of Titanic. A potentially blockbuster movie that is soiled, but not ruined, by a side storyline it's trying to interplay with the main plot, this time, Tom's parental skills, not to mention Tom's acting skills (lack of). The highlight? The invasion. The tripods, the sounds. Both creepy. The lowlight? Tom getting sucked into the sphincter. Overall: The action starts near the begining and it doesn't let up until the end. The first 60% of the movie is great. At 60%-75% it gets a little off color. 75%-85% into the movie, it redeems itself somewhat. Then 85% to the end it ruins itself again. Lame ending, which Spielberg seems to favor in his work. This hair-raising movie falls just short of it's full potential, but it is worth the price of admission, if you don't include buying popcorn.

[jackson]

just watched it, thought it was good. Abit of an abrupt ending, tim robbins was ace. music was good, tripods were tops aliens were a bit poo, dakota was good (never play cards with someone who has a first name the same as a city or state) the cruiser was average, all in all it hit the spot. ferry scene was ace, cant wait for the dvd cause i bet it has been cut to F*!k

[D.A.V.E]

RedWeed's Review

I saw War of the Worlds last night in Basingstoke, and I was amazed! Here is what I made of this brilliant movie...

Review: After following this movie, from its initial production, to release, one could say I was almost obsessed. That may be so. But the wait was well and truly worth it. Spielberg considers this the third in his "trilogy". First he have us "Close Encounters" back in the 70's, "E.T" in the eighties, and now, he's bringing us the War to end all Wars! No cute and cuddly aliens phoning home here. Based on the classic sci-fi novel by H.G Wells, the setting has moved from Victorian england, to New Jersey, USA today. Most people would think that would be highly ridiculous. I did. But after seeing it, I was left breathless.

This isn't your conventional alien invasion movie. The film is told through the eyes of Ferrier and his family, and surprisingly, the special effects take a back seat. Altho, the set pieces are dazzling, and the special effects ARE incredible. As soon as the first fighting machine emerges from the ground, you know you are about to experience a white-knuckle ride of emotions, fear and danger. The Tripods are huge, armed with heat-rays, and truly look like some huge mechanical animal. They stomp and blast their way across america, causing chaos, death and destruction. The scene involving a Ferry, and an underwater tripod is heart-stopping, and you see just how savage these invaders are. The designs are amazing, and you will be left breathless!

Which brings me to how graphic this movie actually is. This has to be, the most violent and disturbing film Spielberg has done. The body count is enough to rival a stallone movie, with countless deaths happening towards the beginning. I would definately advise a screening before you consider taking children to see it. Seeing dead bodies floating down a river in dozens is enough to frighten anyone, especially a child.

There are several elements of the book still kept in, so we do get to see some red weed! However, for the new movie, it has a grotesque way of being fertilised! I shall say no more.

My only Gripe, is Tim Robbins. Usually, a fantastic actor, I felt he was totally wasted in this movie. Firstly, he was called Ogilvy (who is an astonomer in the novel), who is an ex-paramedic/security guard who has gone mad and is lurking in his basement as the war wages on outside. But, it felt as though Spielberg had tried to cram so many elements of the book in, he came across as three characters in one! The Curate, The Artilleryman, and of course, Ogilvy. This made the character annoying, unbearable, but somehow, managed to capture the essence of insanity in a crisis.

There are plenty of nods to the 1953 George Pal "War of the Worlds" with a creepy basement scene involving a martian camera! And the ending is lifted straight from the original movie! Those who have read the book, or seen the '53 movie, will know how the film ends. It did feel rather rushed. One minute, we were faced with an exciting, action packed sequence, then it was all over. Fan's won't be disappointed, but for new-comers, the ending might feel a bit tacked-on, and not really do the rest of the movie any justice.

Over all, Spielberg has not disappointed, and Fans and newbies are sure to love the top-notch special effects, explosive action sequences, and the human emotion as refugees flee across the states to safety.

[maniacs]

I'd like to say the movie was nutse but it aint. Its VERY GOOD!

SPOILERS coming up!!!

However! The aliens are ID4 aliens out of their battlesuits. Just hack off a limb! I am shock SS allowed this or maybe he's never seen ID4.

I loved the way they played in the cellars, looking at the terra gear etc

Wilst the sheilds obviously exist in the movie we only see it working once so it doesn't truly ruin it for me like I thought it would.

I hated the lightning idea. I was ok with it till that bloody reporter happened to have filmed the capsule - shardy like thing. WotF! I really preferd to get some awesome techno idea as to how the machines get there, rather than that they have been there for a million years or a thousand years. Hmmm!

I noticed several tributes to the pal movie. The obvious one is the eye. However I also noticed some dialogue.

' Once a storm begins no more news comes from that area!'

The dying martians hand just like the Pal version.

Did anyone notice the fence at the farmhouse. Just like the hill in 'Invaders form Mars'!

Dis anyone notice anything else that reminded them of other films.

[Marcus]

So... I saw it, and what can I, who in many senses hated Speilberg, say about this film?

Before it was released I was one of these films most avid haters, so, am I still?

No.

I eat my words on Speilberg. Though not all of them. Yes, I found things to complain about, but then, who wouldnt?

The excellent out numbered the poor. Right from the let go I was hooked. So...

Tom Cruise - Wow. Magnolia, Interview with the Vampire, Vanilla Sky, Rain Man... and now... War of the Worlds. His greatest roles, and his greatest films.

Dakota Fanning - Superb. Can I see why some found her annoying? Yes, I suppose I can. But she was the best actor in this. Better than Cruise or any of the others.

Justin Chatwin - Good. His role was small, and I wouldve like more clear up on his story, maybe have him return as the Artilleryman, and cut down the Ogilvy character into the Curate more. But, otherwise, superb. And it isnt the actors fault I didnt like his personal story much.

Tim Robbins - Possible the worst of the actors. In my opinion. I didnt like his mumbling, and wether it was the annoying group of children behind me, or just him I found it hard to tell what he was saying half of the time - he also didnt seem crazy, more like he was scarred - which I felt was wrong. But he was good none the less, afterall, with such a weighty cast being the worst isnt nessecarily a smear on his ability.

Now, story wise.

The Ending - I mention this now because I have a problem with it. Not its happiness, that I can live with, but why no montage? No final words that are more than how they lost. I always thought it should end talking about another invasion. Just like the novel. But apart from that, it was fine... although it wouldve been cool if Tom walking through Boston had been longer. Showing more disaster, destruction, and maybe play the end narration over this. But, okay. Ending was still good.

The Tripods - Hmmm... Well. Superb. But I didnt like the hood. I loved it from the front, but I thought the back of it, like the "Alien Queen" was a bit much, and made them look to big, and a little clumsy and unbalanced almost. But I was shocked that I liked them so much otherwise - after seeing those pictures of the phone game their basic design put me off a lot, but in this I liked them.

The Aliens - Wells is better. But after hearing so many negative comments about them on this forum, and IMDb etc, I gotta say I was pleasently surprised. Superb. And they atleast looked better than most we see.

Red Weed - Nice, very. Too brittle, it seemed to just snap, and I pictured it being more like elastic, not branch... but... that aside, I loved seeing it on the big screen. Amazing.

Heat Ray - Nice effect on people, but I didnt like that the clothes just floated away, that was very poorly done. I also didnt like when it started raining clothes, it wouldve had more effect if it had been dust from the bodies - but they already did that earlier with Tom. So, the Heat Ray was the most dissapointing. But otherwise, very cool.

I was also very dissapointed that we didnt get to observe the aliens more. See them with the handling machine, maybe? See them feeding more clearly.

Oh, and the muscular sucker like device, that pulls people into the tripod seemed a tad too CGI. But I see its point none the less. Very, very cool.

Overall I loved this film, and its the second best adaptation so far - Jeff Waynes musical being first. Its not patriotic, infact its not even pro-human during some scenes. And its in no way a disgrace to the story.

So, Fallingstar, my once peer in hatred for this film, if you havnt already - Go see it. You will love it.

ATL - Well, we didnt half get into a fuss over this did we? I still think that characters are sterotypical by the way, but otherwise, I proven wrong, and I salute Speilberg. I also salute you, you were right about this film, and I couldnt be more happy to say so.


I know my review concentrated on the negative, but thats really because the posistive is so amazingly obvious. Go. See it. Enjoy it. Be upset it isnt in the 1900's. Be ecstatic that its so damn good.

Best alien invasion film ever. And the best of the War of the Worlds films Ive seen. Asylums, which I have too see, not withholding.

[ben]

Cut the film some slack, all you negative people. At this rate, God himself could walk the earth and people here would be complaining that he wasnt divine enough or that his outfit was no good.

I mean, come on, this is a bloody good film and with pendragon we were shown just what the term "badly done" actually meant.

Spielburg, even Cruise have jumped through hoops of molten fire to meet our expectations...dont knock them, just savour the majesty of a job well done.

Go watch "Battlefield Earth" and then feel shame for being even remotely critical of what is, essentially, the best war of the worlds film we are ever likely to have been given in our lifetimes.

There are bad alien invasion type movies out there and in no stretch of the imagination does any nuance of WOTW fall into the same level as Battlefield Earth, the Pendragon film or the other horde that creep and skitter out there in TV land.

Dont punish the man for doing the impossible and actually giving us the film we wanted.

This film was *Good*.

[AlmicheV]

I'm afraid that overall I was disappointed with the film. Mainly because it was written too much from the Tom Cruise characters point of view. There were some great moments of suspense and excitement built up - but then failed to deliver. The sequence in which Rays son wants to go and fight is a good example. I would have loved to see the battle on the other side of the hill, and the scene builds up to it - even showing soldiers saying the weapons were having no effect. And that's why I was disappointed, all build up to no result. Very frustrating.

The tripods I thought were brilliant. Very imposing and frightening in design, and the siren/howl was spot on. But I so wanted to see more of them actually destroying things. Because then I think the power of the invasion would have been heightened .The sequence with Ogilvy was very spooky. Tim Robbins was great. And the feeding scene was creepy - just as it is in the book. The way people are hauled from the basket into the tripod was also creepy.

But as I say, overall I feel we should have seen more of the tripods presence on the earth. I feel that Spielberg tried too hard to avoid making another Independence Day. Although having done that he then makes the aliens look like the ones from ID. Everyone I went with commented on it. They just weren't frightening. And the ending was very rushed.

So yeah - frustrating.

[chickenstu]

Hey guys! First time posting! The War Of The Worlds has been my favourite book since I was 12 years old. I'm 27 now, so I'm pretty sure you can imagine, that's a long old time! Over the years, I've watched the 1950's film, listened to the album etc, etc and have always wanted a new film to be made of it. Spielberg is my favourite film-maker, so when I heard he was doing it I was understandably ecstatic! I was a bit dissapointed that it was being relocated to present day America (I always wanted to see a version set in 19th century England like the novel, but I've got the other film version to look forward to I guess).
Well, I finally saw it and what can I say? BRILLIANT. Spielberg has not let us down. Despite the changing of setting and locale, I was happy (and quite surprised) to see how faithful the film was to the original source novel. The visual effects were stunning, and the Tripods, my word, the Tripods!
They looked just how I imagined they would look since I was a young lad of 12! To finally see them rendered on the screen in that way was a real treat.
I loved the scene of Tom Cruise running away from the destruction when all his neighbours were being vapourised around him. This evoked the panic and terror from the original novel in a fierce and vicerous manner, and is pretty much exactly the way I envisioned this scene in my head when I read it (except for the horses and carriages of course).
The only downpoint of the film I guess was the scene in the basement with Ogilvy (ironically, my favourite part of the book). The expertly built up tension kind of deflated at that point, but once they were out of the basement the film picked up again for me.
The adding and changing of certain characters didn't really bother me. Ray Ferrier was a far more rounded character than as described in HG Wells' book (The Narrator is simply that: A narrator, and it's difficult to engage with him emotionally).
By giving him a name, and two children, it was far easier to empathise with the character and understand his plight a lot more, and I think it added to, rather than subtacted from Wells' original idea.
I know a lot of people have criticised the film's ending (as per usual with Spielberg films) but I didn't see a problem with it at all. The ending kept the spirit of the original novel's ending - and the theme of a happy re-union with loved ones after so much destruction.
All in all, it was a great version of the story. The additions to the story helped, rather than hindered. Over all, I was very happy with it and I can't wait to see it again. And the Pendragon Pictures Production for that matter. Anyone know what's going on with that by the way?

[EvilNerfherder]

Welcome, Chickenstu.
The Pendragon film is out...
See the Pendragon section for.. erm.. reviews.

[smitty97]

Well,
I finally got to go see this last night with me dad, ( a keen WOTW fan himself).
Both of us were, pardon the pun, blown away by the film.
I agree with many, the ending could have done with another 5 or 10 minutes of breakdown, showing the machines starting to become "fallible" during fight sequences, I would also have loved to see that one TC first notices fallen actually topple, even so, it was a great visual set-piece.
I loved that even at the end, the tripod was trying to bring the heat ray to bear but failing. This made me wonder though about the red liquid that fell out of the tripod.
We saw the aliens happily pottering about the basement, but the liquid falling out of the tripod amde me think the pilot was somehow cocooned in this fluid within the "cockpit". Either that, or it wsa part of the machine, which itself may have been bio-mechanical, so not only was the 'driver' failing to get the heat ray to bear, but the machine, being part bio-matter, was having trouble obeying. It seems from certain shots that the machines are at least partly organic.

Dakotas screaming annoyed me, but then, the point I guess was, she was a very odd child with some therapy in the making anyway, with her "personal space" and all.

I'm very much hoping for a directors cut DVD with extended ending and other goodies, but either way, it's on my list of must have films.
Dad thought it was great as well, it's the first time he's seen a major effects film on the Cinema since Planet Of The Apes back in the 70's - I don't think he took his eyes off the screen for a second until the credits
Guess I'm gonna have to start taking him to see he big guns from now on, he looked like a kid in the candy store when the King Kong trailer played! ;D

[punkye]

I saw it last night and there's very little I can add to the amount of praise already garnered in this thread. This film is like 9/11, the Asian tsunami, the Titanic, the Hindenberg, Hiroshima and the first ten minutes of Saving Private Ryan combined and intensified.

I took my girlfriend to see it, and unfortunately our viewing experience was hampered by the truly obnoxious old people behind us. They talked nonstop through the entire thing, one woman even had the nerve to use her cell phone to call a friend and tell them how cuuuuuuute Dakota Fanning is - if you ask me, she looks like the Invaders with those big bulging eyes of hers. My girlfriend came very close to turning around and telling them to knock it off. But we were polite and respected our elders, even when they were making snide comments about us. My girlfriend doesn't always handle gore real well, and during the scene where the Invaders drained the one guys blood she gasped and buried her face in my shoulder, and these people behind us started talking about how "teenagers are so rude." and made kissy-face noises. I love how we, a couple of teenagers, were much more mature and polite than these adults.

At first I was not particularly keen on the design of the Martians, and while I still feel the octopoid design of Wells would have been best, these ones have kind of grown on me. Except the heads. I don't like the Independence Day heads.

And riding the lightning down - which of the writers is the Metallica fan?

All in all I give it 9.75 out of 10.

[Lensman]

I give this film ***1/2 out of ****. It's one of the most suspenseful films I've ever seen. And that's not just me. It was remarkable how quiet the audience was during this film, and I note one person posted he got so caught up in the film that, for the first time ever, he forgot to eat his popcorn!

I'm not gonna post a detailed review; "Curate" has already posted most of what I would have said. I personally -- SPOILER ALERT -- would have preferred the teenage son have not reappeared at the end; I think the loss of one family member would have underscored the sense of those left being survivors. Not to mention which-- characters in fiction should *earn* their fate. That kid, by his actions, did not earn the right to live. He should have died.

And I'll echo what many have said: I really enjoyed all the references to the '53 film, as well as the mostly-straight-from-the-book, framing voice-overs by Morgan Freeman.