SYNOPSIS:
A contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells's classic, the sci-fi
thriller reveals the extraordinary battle for the future of
humankind through the eyes of one American family. Fleeing from
an extraterrestrial army of killer Tripods that annihilate everything
in their path. Ray Ferrier races to keep his family safe.
MOVIE
REVIEW :
After
dabbling in the drama/comedy genres ("Catch me if you
can" and "The Terminal"), Steven Spielberg
is back at what he does best, creating what is commonly known
as a summer blockbuster. Released in June 2005, “War
of the Worlds” is a loose adaptation of H.G. Wells’s
renowned science-fiction classic.
Seen through the eyes of Ray Ferrier (Cruise), a “less-than-perfect”
divorcee who has problems in being a responsible father to
his kids. So by confining this small family in a huge disastrous
scenario, Spielberg and screenwriter David Koepp (both has
worked on Jurassic Park and it’s sequel previously)
successfully blend action, science fiction and family values
into one.
As
if to contrary his matinee good look, Cruise has the tendency
to play characters with flaws, liked the cold-blooded killer
in “Collateral” or the guilt-ridden cop in “Minority
Report”. Despite frequent negative news about him in
the media, Cruise’s immersion and passion about acting
is undeniable. In “War of the Worlds”, his character
is not the typical American Hero, he begins to bond and protect
his kids only through the grueling process of escaping from
the Aliens. And Dakota Fanning who plays his daughter, Rachael
is no doubt one of the most talented young actress in Hollywood
today.
There’s
no better director than Spielberg who is so adept at developing
a buildup so strong that once Morgan Freeman’s prologue
fades out, the ominous atmospheric will consume you. By combining
state of the arts visual effects from ILM and carefully trigged
physical effects, the menacing tripods are as realism as they
can get. Not to give anything away, the harrowing score by
John Williams companying the whole sequence with Ray running
away from the killing machines to the family’s escape
on the mini-wagon will glue you to the seats.
It’s
fortunate that Spielberg and Koepp’s stand from the
start is to avoid blowing up familiar global landmarks as
shown in “Independence Day” and “Armageddon”,
an overused pyrotechnics show-off by Hollywood. The angle
is strongly focused on Ray and his kids. However, things start
to go to a halt with the introduction of Tim Robbins’
character, a paranoid man who sheltered Ray and his daughter
in his barn during one of the attacks. The struggle for survivability
ensured even in the company of our own fellow men and perhaps
this is what Spielberg is trying to bring across.
Taking
a cue from the 1953 “The War of the Worlds” and
update it with modern touches, “War of the Worlds”
succeeds in bringing the beloved classic literary to a new
level. It’s an amazing thrilling and must-have experience
for your home entertainment.
SPECIAL
FEATURES :
NIL
AUDIO/VISUAL:
Perhaps
this is one of the reasons why this is a barebone disc, it
comes with both Dolby Digital 5.1. and DTS 5.1 soundtrack.
Toggle between the two and experience the different bass levels
or if you don't possess a fancy system, just stick to the
usual DD 5.1. The sound mix is particularly strong for this
title, it's time for the surround and rear speakers for a
thorough workout. Dialogues are of high clarity as well.
Visually,
there is a balance level of blue and dark hues. Grainy at
times but this is perhaps due to Spielberg's longtime cinematographer
favourite style of discoloring the film stock. Nevertheless,
it's still a recommendable transfer in terms of audio and
visual.
MOVIE
RATING:
DVD
RATING :
Review
by Linus Tee
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