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 Post subject: War of the Worlds...Two Thumbs Down
PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 1:29 pm 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2005 7:01 pm
Posts: 1259
Location: UK
(eveofthewar: Pity they couldn't even get the correct picture for their review, check out the link below!!!)

MEMO TO SPIELBERG: TOM CRUISE + SCARY ALIENS DOES NOT EQUAL GOOD MOVIE

The $120 million dollar film War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, and Miranda Otto fails to impress. Steven Spielberg does everything technically right with this movie--the aliens are frightening, and the machines are spectacular, but where this movie goes wrong is the story itself. This movie was hyped up to be one of the best movies of the summer--Tom Cruise when asked, described the movie as "Spielberg at his best." Well if that's really true, then it's all downhill from here.

The characters are all one-dimensional: Tom Cruise plays the deadbeat dad; Dakota Fanning at first seems to be playing a precocious youngster, but as soon as the aliens hit, randomly becomes a kind of "Lois Lane" of the film--constantly being picked up, grabbed, pushed out of harm's way, and frankly at quite the expense of the annoyed audience member; Justin Chatwin plays the rebellious teenager who refuses to accept Tom Cruise as a father figure.

The beginning of this movie actually seems very promising. Relationships began to be established among the characters, and as the audience member, knowing what was about to happen to these characters made it all the more interesting. But it's obvious when this movie starts going downhill: when the aliens arrive. All the writing goes for a dive into the mud right when it's needed most: when the action begins. The entire movie quickly becomes a dull, irritating, and redundant game of "duck here," "jump there," "grab Dakota here," "steal a car there." If you want to see a movie where this is done (and a million times more effectively, might I add), go see Jurassic Park, because War of the Worlds will have you leaving the theater wondering why Tom Cruise gets paid 30 million a film, and why Steven Spielberg is the biggest director in Hollywood.

Not to give away what happens in the ending (which by the way is jaw-droppingly silly largely due to a random cameo by none other than Mr. Morgan Freeman), but none of the characters change, there is no motive revealed for the aliens, there's no real explanation for why the aliens have been planning an invasion since the dawn of time, and yet let themselves go out because of a flaw as stupid as not realizing things don't stand too good on three legs, and we're not really told how Justin Chatwin's character somehow miraculously escapes an explosion that not even the tanks survived.

This is one of those mindless action films where we have a lot of spectacle but no substance. The ultimate problem with this movie is that it is completely soulless. Seeing this movie is like watching Hilary Duff try to sing Aretha Franklin's "Natural Woman." It looks pretty, but ultimately there's nothing there.



http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/07/12/203759.php


Lee
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http://www.eveofthewar.co.uk
"The War Of The Worlds Website"

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 Post subject: Re: War of the Worlds...Two Thumbs Down
PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 8:57 pm 
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Super Member

Joined: Wed Feb 16, 2005 6:16 pm
Posts: 115
Location: Boston
eveofthewar wrote:
(eveofthewar: Pity they couldn't even get the correct picture for their review, check out the link below!!!)


Obviously not a big fan of Cruise, in any capacity, either. Yes, amusing that the reviewer used the Hines cover art. Does this suggest conflation?

Also apprarent is the reviewer's "need" to have all questions answered by a movie. A "good" movie leaves no questions? I guess he/she expects all movies to explain all details and tie up all loose ends.

Personally, I didn't have a problem with not knowing everything, omnisciently. The story was told from the main character's point of view. A terrified Tasmanian, fleeing ahead of the Black Line of British soldiers, probably had no clue who the invaders were, what they wanted there, or anything about how sailing ships worked. It really didn't matter. Flee or die. The Black Line was not out to explain itself to the natives.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 11:30 pm 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:00 pm
Posts: 2870
Location: Liverpool, UK
That review says the characters don't change but surely they do. Ray and his kids form a new relationship by the end of the film. Ray asks for a hug from his son at the begining which is ignored, at the end the son gives him a hug without being asked. Ray kills a man in cold blood, that changes a man. We don't see the pay off of these changes because the film ends, but unless your pretty stupid, you know they have all changed.


Bah bah black sheap April diamond spheres, Rigsby, Rigsby, Eight sided Pears.


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 13, 2005 11:39 pm 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:31 pm
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Quote:
Tom Cruise gets paid 30 million a film, and why Steven Spielberg is the biggest director in Hollywood.

Sounds like sour grapes to me.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 1:32 am 
Tripod King

Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:07 am
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Location: west-central Pennsylvanai
I stand vindicated (as author of the "The Pendragon Film Was Better" thread).


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 11:50 am 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:00 pm
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I've seen both films and you don't stand vindicated at all. In fact you stand in a great big puddle of stupidity.


Bah bah black sheap April diamond spheres, Rigsby, Rigsby, Eight sided Pears.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 3:48 pm 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Sun May 29, 2005 5:02 pm
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Location: Ridderkerk, the Netherlands
[-( Uh oh... here's trouble!


The Tempest is an advanced assault vehicle, which carries two heavy Heat-Rays and a Canister Launcher.
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PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 4:39 pm 
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Tripod King

Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 3:11 pm
Posts: 252
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Loz wrote:
I've seen both films and you don't stand vindicated at all. In fact you stand in a great big puddle of stupidity.

Slightly harsh...

But then the truth so often hurts.


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 14, 2005 10:41 pm 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:31 pm
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McTodd wrote:
Slightly harsh...

But then the truth so often hurts.
=D> :lol: =D> :lol: =D> :lol:


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 15, 2005 3:54 pm 
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Tripod King

Joined: Fri Feb 18, 2005 9:43 am
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Steady on there lads...It's only a movie!


"SUCH POWER EXISTS?"


Last edited by Klaatu on Mon Jul 18, 2005 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 2:23 am 
Tripod King

Joined: Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:07 am
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Location: west-central Pennsylvanai
Don't worry; I've been on enough boards to be used to being attacked by inferior minds.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 10:05 am 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Sun Feb 13, 2005 10:00 pm
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Alland wrote:
Don't worry; I've been on enough boards to be used to being attacked by inferior minds.


Sounds a bit egotistical.


Bah bah black sheap April diamond spheres, Rigsby, Rigsby, Eight sided Pears.


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 16, 2005 6:17 pm 
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Martian War Lord

Joined: Mon Jan 17, 2005 10:31 pm
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Location: N.Humberside.UK
Alland wrote:
Don't worry; I've been on enough boards to be used to being attacked by inferior minds.

Maybe that should tell you something about your lack of people skills, you have a natural way of p*ssing people off, as soon as you open your mouth(post a message).
You like to insult people and then act all hurt when they retaliate.


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