WAR OF THE WORLDS

I WAS GOING TO MENTION THE GREAT PRODUCTION VALUES OF THIS FILM, BUT WHEN I MENTION PRODUCTION VALUES, IT IS CODE TO THOSE WHO KNOW ME, THAT THE FILM WAS NOT THAT GOOD.
I SYMPATHIZE WITH THE MAKERS OF THIS MOVIE. THEIR PROBLEM IS, IF YOU SHOW CREATURES FROM SPACE KILLING BUNCHES OF PEOPLE, IT HAS NO MEANING.
IF ONE MAN IS KILLED STANDING ON A MOTEL BALCONY OR DRIVING ON A STREET IN DALLAS, IT IMPACTS US. IF THOUSANDS ARE KILLED BY A TIDAL WAVE IN THE PACIFIC, WE DON'T FULLY CONNECT WITH THE LOST - WE NEED A NAME, A FACE, TO BRING THE TRAGEDY CLOSER TO HOME.
THEY GAVE TOM CRUISE, WHO WE ALL KNOW, A FAMILY; HOW THIS FAMILY ENDURES THE ALIEN ATTACK IS PAINTED AGAINST THE PANORAMA OF THE WORLD AND SPECIFICALLY, NORTHEASTERN AMERICA, BEING UNDER ATTACK.
NOW, THIS HAS TO BE DONE, YOU CAN'T MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT WAR WORLD II - BUT YOU CAN MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT GENERAL PATTON IN WWII OR PRIVATE RYAN IN
WWII - WE NEED THOSE FACES AND NAMES TO IDENTIFY WITH AND ROOT FOR.
THE MAJOR MISTAKE IN TITANIC, WAS THE STORY THEY TOLD WAS OF A GIRL HAVING TO MARRY A BILLIONAIRE THAT SHE WAS NOT HOT TO TROT WITH - I WOULD MARRY A BILLIONAIRE OF EITHER GENDER AND FIND A BILLION WAYS TO GRIN AND
BEAR IT.
THIS WAS A FOOLISH CHOICE OF STORY LINE TO FOCUS ON, GIVEN THE ALMOST 3000 PEOPLE ON THE SHIP, THEY COULD HAVE USED TO PERSONALIZE THE TERROR OF THAT EVENT, WHY PICK A FOOLISH, SELFISH GIRL, NO ONE COULD RELATE TO?
I THINK THEY PICKED THE WRONG FAMILY TO FOCUS ON IN THIS FILM -- TOM WAS THE CENTERPIECE AND THAT WORKED, BUT I HATED HIS KIDS AND WANTED TO SEE THEM DIE AND ALLOW THE STORY TO WIDEN OUT AND INVOLVE MORE PEOPLE. THESE WHINY
KIDS TURNED ME OFF, BUT MY DISLIKE FOR THEM IS SO PERSONAL, THAT I AM, MOST LIKELY BEING UNFAIR TO THE FILM -- IF YOU LIKE THE KIDS, YOU WILL ROOT FOR THEM AND LIKE THE STORY, MORE THAN I DID.
EVEN FOR A SCI-FI STORY, THE ADVENTURES THIS ONE FAMILY HAS ARE TOO CONTRIVED AND TOO FARFETCHED, THEY HAD TO EXPERIENCE EVERYTHING, SINCE IT IS THRU THEIR EYES THAT WE ARE SEEING THE ATTACK. IT WOULD HAVE WORKED BETTER IF MORE PEOPLE WERE INVOLVED AND ABLE TO SPREAD THE STORY OUT AMONG THEM, INSTEAD OF EVERYTHING HAPPENING TO THESE THREE PEOPLE -- SUPERMAN WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING THRU SOME OF THE TRIALS THEY FACE ON THEIR JOURNEY AND THE JOURNEY IS RATHER SILLY. IF IT IS HURRICANE SEASON, I ALTER MY ORIGINAL PLANS TO VISIT THE BAHAMAS. THESE PEOPLE TRAVEL WHERE THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT.
***************************************************************************************
EVERYONE SHOULD SEE THIS PICTURE FOR THE MAGNIFICENT SPECIAL EFFECTS - THE SPECIAL EFFECTS ARE WORTH THE PRICE OF ADMISSION - EVEN THOUGH I DID NOT LIKE THE "HEROES," STILL, I WOULD NOT MISS THIS PICTURE AND I WOULD NOT MISS IT ON THE WIDE THEATRE SCREEN - NO REAL MOVIE FAN WOULD WAIT FOR DVD TO SEE THIS FILM. IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS ON THE WIDE SCREEN, WHAT MOVIE WOULD YOU GO TO SEE IN A THEATRE?
I PREFER THE 1953 VERSION OF THE STORY, STARRING GENE BARRY, WHO MAKES A 1O SECOND CAMEO APPEARANCE AT THE END OF THIS 2005 FILM. THAT FILM FOLLOWED THE STORY FROM THE VIEWPOINT OF A SCIENTIST WORKING WITH THE MILITARY TO FIND A WEAPON TO USE ON THE ALIENS. TOM CRUISE AND STEVEN SPIELBERG HAVE TRIED TO PERSONALIZE IT WITH THE FAMILY THEME AND IF THE KIDS WERE WRITTEN BETTER, IT WOULD HAVE WORKED BETTER
AGAIN, I THINK YOU SHOULD SEE THE FILM AND HOPEFULLY YOU WON'T HATE THE KIDS LIKE I DID, BUT IF YOU DO, YOU CAN STILL ROOT FOR A TREE TO
FALL ON THEM .
**************************************************************************************
DAKOTA FANNING IS THE LITTLE GIRL FROM, MAN ON FIRE, WITH DENZEL WASHINGTON, WHO PLAYED HER BODYGUARD IN MEXICO. THIS GIRL SHOT HER LOAD IN THAT FILM - SHE WAS NOT A GOOD CHOICE TO TRY TO ONCE AGAIN BE
THE DAMSEL IN DISTRESS.
CASTING HER TO PLAY THE SAME ROLE WAS NOT A GOOD IDEA - SHE IS A ONE TRICK PONY IN THIS SITUATION - BUT HEY, AGAIN, I DISLIKED HER CHARACTER'S FAILURE TO SNAP OUT OF IT AND GET WITH THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION, BUT I EXPECT TO BE ALONE IN THIS VIEW - MOST WILL SEE HER IN A SYMPATHETIC LIGHT.
************************************************************************************
SPOILER --- DON'T READ THIS UNTIL AFTER YOU SEE THE FILM.
************************************************************************************
SPIELBERG HAS ALMOST TURNED THIS INTO A CHILDREN'S STORY - AND YOU WILL REALIZE THAT IN THE LAST 90 SECONDS - WHICH IS NICE FOR KIDS, BUT DOES NOT WORK FOR ADULTS.