War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds is a classic alien invasion flick from master visualist Steven Spielberg. With a chilling introduction narrating how aliens have been watching us, we lunge into this story full gear! Ray (Tom Cruise) is a divorcee, and it's pitiful to see him being treated poorly by his own kids and ex-spouse. He has a hard time dealing with all sorts of awkward demands and interactions from them. There are many hints at how rough the relationships are, like the example shown through the baseball pitch game, but what if you throw an alien invasion escapade into the mix? Wouldn't that be fun now?

Right off the bat, the panic is real and it's truly terrifying! Never-before-seen lightning is a good setup for the imminent danger! Tremors on the ground cracking the surrounding buildings plus giant scyphozoans-like aliens emerging from underneath with their siren blares and jet spits that evaporate people are well done! Spielberg has tried his best to capture scenarios that would exactly reflect how it will be like to live during a time as such, with the general public struggling to board the emergency ship serving as a solid instance. Army fighter planes and tanks involvement are aesthetically canned too.

With the major positives out of the way, it's time to address some of the shortcomings. In terms of lookalike, the casting is definitely on the money. However, the dynamics and conflicts between the kids and Ray are forced or weak, which could be due to lack of setup. Robbie's weird fascination to 'observe the warfare' comes out of nowhere; it's as if the teenager is in a constant trance mode. The part where the deserted mass attacks Ray's vehicle appears contrived - the violence seems to come out of nowhere either. The plot does improve once Ray meets the paranoid straggler Ogilvy (Tim Robbins). Alien's tentacle scanning the basement for human presence and them sending representatives down to check on stuffs are intense! To add fuel on fire, the back-and-forth tug between the protagonist and Ogilvy injects solid conflict into said proceeding. Ray asking her daughter to close her eyes and ears as he silences Ogilvy plus his plan to blow the alien up by detonating grenade are fantastic!

You could spot some beautiful transitions in the film editing. The saturated color correction gives the film a wet look and glare, which is uniquely suitable for the type of story being told. Camerawork is pristine - the oner where we follow Ray driving through chaos is riveting! Production design is magnificent, with the plane crash debris stage, blood pool and animal carcass being extraordinary! Visual effects for the destruction of bridges and houses are simply superb! The way the aliens have been designed deserves praise on its own! The tentacles, captive cage and red vein growth are amazing!