Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the ...
Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it.
Member since:01.06.2005
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"THIS IS NOT A WAR - ITS AN EXTERMINATION" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Tom Cruise, Steven Spielberg/Dream Works (aka God of the film world) and Paramount Pictures have got together to produce this film. This is going to be good, isn't it? With the epic " WAR OF THE WORLD" re-mastered I busted more than a gut to go and see this at the cinema. I was also given this special edition 2 disc DVD set as a Xmas prezzie from a friend this year. So what exactly did I get for my £6.95 cinema ticket and is the DVD any better?
I am not sure if HG Wells would be proud of his masterpiece. Relive the night Martians landed, mass-panicking a million people.
Read on and I will tell you my thoughts: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The story is based around Ray Ferrier and his children's fight to survive because on June 29th 2005, the Earth goes to war and Steven Spielberg releases his latest offering to us mortals.
The film began with Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) , a divorced dockworker and not so perfect father playing baseball with his son Robbie and daughter Rachel, in his backyard. His son is a wayward teenager and his nervous daughter about nine or ten. The news is on and the reporter is describing a freak storm that has just hit the Ukraine. Washing is blowing on the line and the sky comes over very grey.
Soon after his ex wife (played by Miranda Otto) drops off their children for a rare weekend with their father, a freak and powerful lightning storm begins. "Take care of our kids" is her parting words to her ex husband. "You have nothing to worry about" is his reply.
At
first Ray finds it fascinating and enjoys watching the spectacular light display, his young daughter isn't so keen. Later on in the film his daughter has numerous panic attacks, which isn't surprising considering the circumstances.
Anyway the storm progresses. The sound emitting from the heavens is unlike that of a storm and is quite frightening. I am surprised that no one questioned that sooner. Infact I find that sound really irritating, it's so false and wasn't researched enough. To hear the lightning in Dolby surround should be frightening and edge of the seat stuff, but it wasn't. Bit of a disappointment there.
Anyway back to the plot . At first Ray makes his children hide beneath the kitchen table but when his house is hit and the power goes down, he decides to get them below in the basement. The atmosphere between Ray and his son adds to the tension, this young lad just can't seem to accept his father and constantly goes against everything his dad says.
After a reprieve, Ray decides to go into town and investigate the damage. It's whilst he is standing in the high street that the road begins to crack beneath him. Very slowly cars disappear beneath the tarmac as buildings begin to crumble, bridges are over turned. Chaos isn't the word! People flee, power lines come down and there are casualties everywhere. Roads become blocked and Ray runs back to his house to collect his kids and get out quick. Ray has no idea what's going on but doesn't want to hang about any sooner.
Shortly after, the alien space ships appear out of the cracks and begin a tirade of fire on the population. The three legged war machines take off and fire at all and sundry below. Not even the army can bring them down. Birds take off in abundance; even they don't want to hang about.
Bundling his son and daughter into his car he fights for a way out of the town. His daughter is freaking and his son has to console her best he can. They make their way out of town and the roads become calmer. Ray drives to his ex -wife's house but the reprieve doesn't last long. The "storm" catches up with them and whilst in the basement again, a plane crashes into the place. Ray and his children are unhurt but get into the car again and drive off amongst the horrendous debris. His daughter has to blind folded in order to stop her seeing the wreckage inside her mothers house.
It's not too soon that whilst driving through another town, the residents start attacking Ray's jeep. It reminded me something from a scene in the Evil Dead. All the people desperate to get out of town and desperate for a set of wheels to take them there. A gunshot is fired, the windows are blown and Ray is forced to stop. As a result of him getting out, his jeep is taken and he is left on foot with his kids.
Scariest Moments I found the edge of the seat moment was when Ray and his children climb aboard a ferry that is just about to leave. It is full of passengers desperate to get away and those remaining are crying hysterically. As the boat pulls out of harbour, the remaining folk attack the ferry in order to try and climb aboard. As a result the ferry rolls over and in a scene similar to that of Titanic, many of them drown.
The second most is when the alien spacecraft crashes. The army are close by and the latch is released to the ship. The door opens and out flops an alien arm. The thing is obviously dead but it's the delay factor of the hatch opening and wondering what is coming out.
Special Effects Quite awesome, Spielberg still manages to create some impressive effects, though I wasn't too impressed with the sound quality of this DVD. The film is very "grey" but then I suppose with it being the end of the world you won't get blue skies. The original film in which Richard Burton narrated was equally as good considering how many years have passed between the two films.
Day after Tomorrow or War or the Worlds . If I had to choose it would be definitely "Day after Tomorrow " reigns supreme. After seeing this film I was so taken in by the plot, I couldn't sleep for a week and turned all my light bulbs off, as I became more eco friendly.
With War of the Worlds, I enjoyed reading the book far more than watching Tom Cruise run about like a headless chicken. I was just waiting for Katie Holmes to pop in with her enormous false cheesy smile. Then again that could have been her arm flopping out of the space ship. Even "Mars Attacks" was more realistic.
The ending . I am desperately trying not to give too much of the plot away and spoil it for those who haven't yet seen this DVD. Therefore I will bring this review to a close shortly. The aliens don't win though they do wreak havoc in our planet.
I was so excited about seeing this but really feel let down, it's not half as good as the trailer depicted. Save yourself some money and borrow a copy from a friend. Apart from Cruise it's not an all-star cast.
The Players: ++++++
Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier I am sure most people have heard of Tom, his list of films goes on forever, 38 I think off the top of my head. Miranda Otto as Mary Anne (the ex wife). She starred in Lord of the Rings but only has a few words to say in this movie. Dakota Fanning as Rachel, could be the next Drew Barrymore, watch this space. Tim Robins as Ogilvy (astronomer), Mystic River and Jacobs Ladder fame, Justin Chatwin (Robbie). Who?
Special Edition DVD disc 2 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scenes include: Revisiting the invasion The HG Wells LegacySteven Spielberg And The Original War Of The Worlds Designing The Enemy Tripods And Aliens Photo gallery Box Set is PAL and region 2. Dolby and Wide screen. Film Length 1 hour and 40 minutes Language is English
To Sum It All Up ~~~~~~~~~~
Sorry folks not as good the HG Wells classic. There were a large group of us seeing this and we left the cinema with the same mixed emotions. The DVD is not much better but Spielberg does deliver some memorable moments.
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
Production Year: 2004 - Science Fiction - Director: Alex Proyas - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Will Smith, Bridget Moynahan, Bruce Greenwood, James Cromwell, Chi McBride, Alan Tudyk
I didn't like the film either... would have been much better with the music from the original version.
blaupraust 20.01.2006 21:41
Sorry for the slightly low rating but theres nothing about the dvd content here, also seems to revolve around a walkthrough of the plot rather than opinions of it all, I didn't feel your opinion at the end quite balanced it out enough, still a good review anyhow. :o)
Soho_Black 18.01.2006 22:47
I'd like to know what you thought of the extras, if this is to be submitted as a DVD review.
An earth-shattering adventure, War of the Worlds reunites superstar Tom Cruise and Academy ... more
Award-winning director Steven Spielberg for one of the most awe-inspiring cinematic experiences of all time!A contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells' classic, the ...
Advantages: Masterful fear factor, no hero, great effects, emotionally intense, original Disadvantages: Bad ending, fear karma broken, most of the film let down by this
Advantages: AWESOME graphics, very well tailored, grabbing storyline, excellent environmental setting! Disadvantages: No-one understands where it's coming from! It's Based on the 1898 HG Wells Novel!!!
![War Of The Worlds [2 Disc Special Edition]-DVD](http://picnicb.ciao.com/uk/103542835.jpg "War Of The Worlds [2 Disc Special Edition]-DVD")
Jan 13th, 2006
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