War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

No Tom Cruise was not alone in the background. His son who shouldn't have survived ran out and hugged him. Also if an alien race can produce lightning then I think they could learn to boil their water before drinking. Or at least send 1 guy to check if they place is ok. It was a cop out just like the movie Signs.

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According to the novel the Martians just never encountered bacteria on their own world, either it was eliminated eons ago or never developed and survived. The Mars of the book was dying and had been for a long time. The planet was much farther along its lifecycle than Earth, as it was smaller and further away from the Sun it had cooled faster and life had begun sooner.

So they just didn't know and could not, therefore, plan to deal with it.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Heh, I disagree with your analysis for 2 reasons:

1) It *IS* War of the Worlds. Although I've never read the book, I hear its a great adapation. It also very closely followed the original --- just from the POV of a "average guy" instead of that doctor/scientist.

2) It isn't *HIS* [Tom Cruise] movie, if anything its Speilbergs. I'd think that by now he has earned the right and respect for any of his movies to be worth watching.

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Well you are of course entitled to your opion, but I disagree with your disagreements.

It's too different to War of the Worlds for me; I have read the book, and the musical, and heard the radio adaptation. Loved 'em. Didn't like George Pal's film, particularly, and I don't think I'd like this either.

And while it's Speilberg's film, Cruise is heavily invested in the film; thats enough reason for me to boycott it. Not busting anyone else's chops for going to see it, but that's my decision.

Plus, after the last 15 minutes of AI, Spielberg's proven to me that anyone can make mistakes.



VB

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

It's a harrowing film, very good at what it does. Yeah, we all miss Thunderchild (my dad bitched at length, but structurally most of the elements are still there. The ending was rather abrupt, even though almost everyone was familiar with the story. The musical version, and the 1957 George Pal version were both handled better. The church ending of the Pal film was excellent, the Martians sickly groaning "ulllaaaa..." in the record was the coolest. This one just had Morgan Freeman jump in and read the end of the book for us. Could have been better in that regard.

The part about planning for millions of years and the ships being buried was not in any earlier version and was extremely flawed. Just how far would you have to bury something like that for it not to have been discovered over the past several centuries? Can't fault them for trying something different, I guess.

The war machines themselves were BAD ASS. Nuff said.

When the Martians died in the book, crows gathered around the ships and were picking at the bodies of the Martians hanging from the windows. Spielberg managed to bring the crows back, but with a slightly altered purpose.

The camera work was incredible. Nowadays, the camera itself has become a special effect. When the family is fleeing in the van, the camera sweeps along the winshield, following the conversation, down the side of the van, in through the rear driver's side window, slipping behind Dakota, back out the rear passenger side window and creeps along the driver's side toward the front of the van. Just as you're sure this is some blue screen trickery, Cruise swerves to the left to avoid something in the road, which pulls the whole van away from the camera far enough so you can see it is really driving on the road, then he swerves back close to the camera and the conversation continues, all without a single cut. How'd he do it?

Speilberg's last great film was "Saving Private Ryan". His more recent films have been largely experimental (The Terminal, Catch Me if You Can) so we were really holding out for the return of BIG Steve. This one was good, but certainly not on par with his best.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

The part about planning for millions of years and the ships being buried was not in any earlier version and was extremely flawed.

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One thing to remember here. No where in the movie does it state that they came from Mars. Nor does it state factually that they have been planning this for MILLIONS of years. They might not have been. No one really knows. The phrase "they have been planning this for a million years" was the utterings of a man who turns out to be quite crazy. I wouldn't treat a sentance that comes out of his mouth as gospel.

I do agree that having them buried there was a bit weak, as I agree I'd have thought they would have been detected at least by accident. But hey, as you said, the machines themselves were bad ass.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

So the mighty reimagining and adaptation billed 'The War of the Worlds' actually bears little resemblance to HG Wells novel at all.... Not even known as Martians?

Whilst I accept it looks like a good film, its starting to sound a little like I Robot (which I enjoyed as a movie, would have preferred if it had an original name...) in that it's got a few elements from the real work which are enough to cash in on the famous title.

I'm getting bored of Hollywood stealing names of great stories that I'd love to see in film.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Someone is making a true to book art house flick in the UK, i posted on it a while back.


Spoilers below ....


As for this movie, it basically is the same story, much truer to the book than the 1950's version. Aliens destroy everything in Tripods, and humans are reduced to insects. In order to make it work on an emotional level for a mass audience it had to be brought up to date, just as Orwell did with the radio play and Pal with the 50's movie.

The location, time and some of the plot points has been changed, thats about it. Many of the modernisation points were handled well. Themes of religon and man's supposed dominance were all there. I was massively cynical about this as well, I loved the book and musical, but after watching it, i just thought..wow.

The Thunderchild thing could have been factored into the whole ferry sequence, but that itself was phenomenal.

I saw it last night, came back on a massive high, it really rocked, it was an excellent Speilberg movie, i'd rate it up there with Close Encounters.You had the schamlzy family ending, but so much of the movie was harrowing on a Saving Pricate Ryan scale, the crowd scenes, his family being mobbed. etc

The camera work was great, and the kids, far from begin annoying (i sighed when I heard he put kids in it) were both fantastic, excellent foils for Cruise. I hate Cruise, but he did pull this off ok, not too much gurning and his potrayal as a flawed male role model was well done. I think it was down to the director rather than the actor.

As well as Batman thats two good movies this summer, not bad stuff!

It wasn't the movie I wanted to see, but came back very happy. I'd rather this than a flawed true adaption of the novel.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Yeah, I've seen the Pendragon advertising, though I'm not sure how real that's going to be... its due for release now, I believe! Infinium Labs Phantom, anyone? ;-)

It certainly sounds like a good film, I just would like to see something lavish that's not 'brought up to date' or 'interpreted' etc... I know that with the current system that ain't likely.

I wish we could make such films and have success in the UK, though I'm aware it isn't that easy.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

I saw the film today. The SFX were brilliant, and some of the scenes were quite harrowing. And both the aliens and the tripods they rode in were creepy.
I maybe wrong, but I don't think that they ever said outright in the film that the aliens came from Mars. And was that Morgan Freeman doing the voiceover at the beginning and the end?
One thing really annoyed me - and that was the little girl. She drove me crazy with her wihining and screaming and hysterics. More than once, I wished that someone would shake her until her teeth rattled and tell her to just shutup. The last time I got that annoyed about a child character was with the little child in "ET"
Has Spielberg got a thing for blonde girls who scream their heads off or something?
I am probably being too harsh - I'd probably be screaming mhy lungs out if it were me - but man did she annoy me.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Is Meaddrinker around still? Could you resize your photo so the page isn't stretched? IT's getting to be annoying having to scroll back and forth and back and forth just to read a sentence.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Hyp, try resizing your resolution...

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Is Meaddrinker around still? Could you resize your photo so the page isn't stretched? IT's getting to be annoying having to scroll back and forth and back and forth just to read a sentence.

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Would do, but I'm not hosting it and I cannot edit the post... apologies!

You could just look at each page at once rather than viewing all?

//only helpful suggestion I have

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

If I resize I think the print will be far too tiny for me to read.

I'll just skip the thread, that's o.k.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

No Tom Cruise was not alone in the background. His son who shouldn't have survived ran out and hugged him. Also if an alien race can produce lightning then I think they could learn to boil their water before drinking. Or at least send 1 guy to check if they place is ok. It was a cop out just like the movie Signs.

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According to the novel the Martians just never encountered bacteria on their own world, either it was eliminated eons ago or never developed and survived. The Mars of the book was dying and had been for a long time. The planet was much farther along its lifecycle than Earth, as it was smaller and further away from the Sun it had cooled faster and life had begun sooner.

So they just didn't know and could not, therefore, plan to deal with it.

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Ok that sounds fine with me. So they should have put some of that in the movie. I was having fun with the movie until the very end when it just finished suddenly. I left the theatre only remembering the crappy ending rather than the rest of the movie which was good. The death scenes of the aliens reminded me of the movie Mars Attacks.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

I am probably being too harsh - I'd probably be screaming mhy lungs out if it were me.

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Quite likely.

Still you have to give Dakota Fanning credit. She did an excellent job convincing us she was a child even though, as we all know, she's really a 35 year old midget.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Still you have to give Dakota Fanning credit. She did an excellent job convincing us she was a child even though, as we all know, she's really a 35 year old midget.

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I KNEW it!

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Still you have to give Dakota Fanning credit. She did an excellent job convincing us she was a child even though, as we all know, she's really a 35 year old midget.

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I KNEW it!

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look at her forehead when she smiles...

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

I refuse to heed the opinions of anyone who has not read the book and proceeds to attack the film. This version was much closer overall to the book than the 56 version.

While this film has some minor problems, it is by far one of Spielberg's best blockbusters and well worth seeing. There is more there than meets the eye. See it again and you will find things you didn't catch the first time. It is layered with quality and depth.

Cruise manages, due to Spielberg's brilliant direction, to stop being Cruise and become the average, lost man who honestly doesn't know what to do through most of the film.

The scenes that speak volumes and are brilliantly done stand as some of the best scenes in history. I agree with the critic that said this is probably the best performance Cruise has ever given.

And to anyone who refuses to see a film because it's a remake (regardless of how good it is) or because of some remarks by an actor in his personal life, then well, that's just silly. I've strongly taken issue with many things Mel Gibson has said, especially about gays, but that doesn't stop me from going to see his great performances or recognizing them as such. I can seperate the man from the role.

This film was a great comeback for Spielberg to what he once was, while incorporating who he has become. It was dark and held no punches. Should the son have survived? That's a matter of opinion. I personally believe it was Spielberg's way of saying, "I've put the audience through two hours of sheer hell and not held back the horror of it all, I can at least give them some bit of joy at the end."

Given that I also agree with the earlier review of the ending and how Cruise's character was once again alone in many ways, it still remains a layered and not so happy ending if you pay attention and look beneath the surface of what's happening.

This film will survive the test of time, I predict, and become a classic, revered by critics and audiences alike for decades. It is layers of passion and brilliance, not only in direction, but in performances, cinematography, and FX.

As to the ending, that's the way the book ends folks. Spielberg actually tried to give us a bit of excitement and sense of victory by letting the military guys fire on the one tripod. But the book just ends...they die, not because of our power or might, not because we outsmart them, but because in their arrogance they assumed they had the upper hand and something as small as a microbe no one thought of was what brought them down.

It is all so tenous, our existence, theirs, all of it. We never know what will bring the next great change...and in our arrogance we never believe anything can beat us.

Layers, folks....layers.

It is a story of the fragility of humanity, that it could all be over tomorrow, for everyone. Arrogant presumption, whether ours or an alien race's is folly.

CE

PS: jnk5y, that ending is how it ends...period. It isn't crappy, it says something...pay attention. And BTW, the Mars Attacks ending image was an homage to WotW. You need to learn before you speak on who borrowed or paid homage to whom.

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

BTW, the Pendragon version is a low budget, indie American (Canadian) adaptation (the actors are doing really bad British accents). The film looks very poorly acted and directed. Perhaps a good effort, but it will be easily forgotten, if it's really seen by anyone.

Spielberg and Cruise almost set the film in the time the novel is set, but ultimately decided to change it for believability and to make some image statements that wouldn't have worked if the film were set when the novel is.

That said, they still remained very true to the novel on most levels. Again, folks, you all should know by now that you cannot take a novel and make a film that's the novel identically translated to film. You capture the spirit of the book, but you cannot directly translate it. They are two different mediiums.

CE

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

And BTW, the Mars Attacks ending image was an homage to WotW. You need to learn before you speak on who borrowed or paid homage to whom.

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You mean Tom Jones boogying at Lake Tahoe with an eagle on his arm?

Re: War of the Worlds (SPOILERS)

Again, as to the ending, I still feel it had an abruptness to it that previous versions didn't have. Cruise survives the night and walking into Boston, sees a tripod leaning on a building. It might happen just that way, but stylistically it wasn't terribly dramatic. And yes, the armored attack on the other tripod was a blatant attempt to appease modern-day shoot-em-up moviegoers. The only thing missing was Robert Loggia croaking out "THE SHIELD IS DOWN, COMMENCE ATTACK".
I am biased, however, in that I am a huge fan of the 57 version. The ending in that one is damn near perfect, and I'd still give it a perfect rating if I couldn't see all those strings.