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Review by Seth Rogovoy
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(Film Review) WAR OF THE WORLDS
7.4.05
WAR OF THE WORLDS
Directed by Steven Spielberg
Starring: Tom Cruise
Bit Part: Tim Robbins
Noisy Child: Dakota Fanning
Music: John Williams
In WAR OF THE WORLDS, Steven Spielberg reminds us that he can make a mindless action entertainment when he wants to. Think JURASSIC PARK or JAWS, but with even less of the humor, character, or human drama attached to those films. Instead, in his remake of the turn of the century H.G. Wells story, Spielberg goes for the gusto -- big monsters (space aliens), massive destruction, and almost no characterization at all to get in the way.
For that, Spielberg chose just the right actor to be at the center of the film, and for two straight hours, the viewer experiences the war of the worlds at the side of Tom Cruise. This is both the movie's strength and weakness. It gains from Cruise's presence because, with nothing really to watch in the lead actor, a cipher if there ever was one, the viewer is freed to watch the rest of the film, to enjoy the sound, the effects, the destruction, and the horror. On the other hand, it's really annoying to spend two hours trying to avoid watching Tom Cruise when he's at the center of the action.
That being said, WAR OF THE WORLDS is one scary, noisy movie. Not loud noisy, but rather, grisly noisy -- this is a film whose sound is perhaps its strongest character (and seeing it at the TRIPLEX CINEMA in Great Barrington, Mass., which just this past week installed a new digital sound system, was great fun).
There are a few ideas gratuitously dropped into the film: there are echoes of 9/11, terrorism, and Iraq, and on some level the film works as an anti-war polemic. There are also some clever references to other films, including many other Spielberg films, but also KRAMER VS. KRAMER.
WAR OF THE WORLDS has been called a dark version of Spielberg's wonderfully sunny CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. It certainly lacks that film's wonder and passion -- the drive at the center of that film was one of art, whereas the drive here was simply one of fear. I suppose it was also one of survival, but then again, in the end, it's not about survival, but in a funny way, about the importance of washing your hands frequently. Not wanting to give too much away, I'll leave it at that.
This film doesn't really worry much about anything as long as Tom and his kids outwit the monsters, never mind that millions are dead and that bodies are floating down the river. Not only aren't we moved to care about those anonymous others, there is very little reason to care about Tom and his kids. But the little girl does scream nicely. Things are at a pretty poor pass when this is all the use that Spielberg can make for his talent and money.
7/5/2005
Tell me one good Hollywood movie that has come out in the past year?
I'm weary of the 'inside jokes' you speak of...the so called clever references to other films are just mindless. I am also unimpressed with film-makers who seem to be educated only on other movies and American pop culture.
I give blockbusters a pass.
7/5/2005
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