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“But there are no bacteria in Mars, and directly these invaders arrived, directly they drank and fed, our microscopic allies began to work their overthrow. Already when I watched them they were irrevocably doomed, dying and rotting even as they went to and fro. It was inevitable. By the toll of a billion deaths man has bought his birthright of the earth, and it is his against all comers; it would still be his were the Martians ten times as mighty as they are. For neither do men live nor die in vain.”[/sppoiler] Morgan Freeman reads this at the end of War of the Worlds. It’s a poignant and powerful narrative that illustrates that not only is Earth the sole responsibility of humans to gently caress up, but there are things both smaller and greater than us that are just waiting to take us out if we get too out of control. What’s even more amazing is it’s a near verbatim excerpt from H.G. Wells original novel, written 107 years ago! [spoiler] Though bacteria were first observed in the early 1600s, that Wells could forsee the role of microscopic killers so long ago is mind boggling. In the hands of Steven Spielberg, the modernized retelling of this movie works perfectly. As I type this, I’m still disoriented, blown away, and am reeling from the experience. War of the Worlds gave me that thrill ride feeling that a great special effects extravaganza is supposed to, but unlike so many disastro-explosivo-BANG movies as of late, you don’t have to be apologetic and use those lame “eh…just turn your brain off and enjoy it” excuse. This doesn’t feel like a remake, but like the movie that should have been made originally. I always thought the 1953 original dragged and was rather boring, just itching for that alien to actually show up. Spielberg’s take on the book kicks your rear end from the start and just doesn’t stop. What works so well in this movie is that there aren’t any rules laid out. Horrific things just start happening that don’t make any sense at all. Giant robotic tripods just come out of the ground and start loving things up. You’re as confused and disoriented as the people in the film. When crowds stagger down the street after chaotic events unfold, you’re right there with them, unable to comprehend how the hell something like this can happen. Some of the characters try to put it in the context of a terrorist attack, but when clothes start raining down from the sky because hundreds of people were just vaporized, nothing makes sense at all. The deaths in this movie are very real feeling and tragic. The CGI is done so well that it doesn’t look one bit of fake. I don’t know how many times I just mumbled, “Holy poo poo!” watching awful things happen to people. I’ve seen countless thousands of movie deaths, but Spielberg shows he’s the master of this sort of thing and makes it all new again. This was the thrill of watching Jaws and Raiders of the Lost Ark for the first time. Indepence Day Director, Roland Emerisch is probably going to hang himself in his closet after watching this one. Tom Cruise is an easy media target as of late, and perhaps deservedly so, but any goofy feelings about the guy evaporate as soon as the movie starts. Like him or not personally, the guy can act. And he carries the role of a divorced dad tasked with taking care of his teenage son and little daughter while the whole world is blowing to poo poo amazingly well. He’s a fallible character that is doing the best he can. Dakota Fanning is great, as Cruise’s daughter. She’s a scared little girl that is told to shut her eyes when the world turns to poo poo. The things she sees are enough to give permanent brain damage to any kid, but she’s appropriately tough, and when she keeps quiet in circumstances that would make any other kid have an aneurism, you can’t help but applaud her performance. Spielberg is able to craft situations for the actors that work so well. You can be amazed at Cruise running down the street while aliens blast the poo poo out of everyone around him, or equally scared while he and his kids are in a mini van with hundreds of people shaking it and trying to get in. Perhaps only James Cameron’s brilliant sinking of The Titanic comes close to the incredible stuff pulled off in this movie. The sound crew in this film easily deserve an Oscar. The unearthly buzzing moans that the alien ships make is scary as hell. Definitely see it in the theater with the best possible sound system. At one point, my entire row looked back because it sounded like the projector booth was collapsing on us. John Williams pulls out an all original masterpiece score as well that fills you with the proper sense of dread throughout. Every critic and fan I talked to at the screening loved this movie. And Mr. Spielberg, thanks for kicking my rear end! EDIT: I hate having to spoiler details from a book that's more than 100 years old, but I know someone's gonna bitch.
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Jun 29, 2005 02:29
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| # ¿ Apr 28, 2024 15:15 |
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