Hey, just because I'm highly pissed off right now doesn't mean I'm always bitching. I still go out and have a good time from time to time, and I'll write about it here as always.
I took my youngest son out last night to see War of the Worlds, Spielberg's latest alien adventure. It's kind of ironic that Spielberg chose this one since the critters in War are not nearly as cuddly as E.T. In fact, they're downright nasty, looking to exterminate humanity in order to take over the planet. Which begs the question, how could critters who evolved under 1/3 the gravity, with little to know atmosphere to speak of, survive on a planet with a thick soupy atmosphere, 3 times the gravity, a lot higher temoeratures, and all that free water standing around?
But this is a science fiction film, so we'll ignore small quibbles like, you know, actual science, and just enjoy the movie.
And it is enjoyable, although bleak. It follows the H.G.Wells novel faithfully for the most part, and since it was a morality tale that reminds us that we are not lords of all creation, that bleakness is appropriate.
While the movie was OK, there were a few jarring elements that keep me from endorsing it whole heartedly. Dakota Fanning was annoying, not endearing. The John Williams score seemed recycled; in fact, the dominant theme comes straight out of The Empire Strikes Back, virtually unchanged. (It's the opening bars from the "Imperial Storm Troopers March.") And finally, for all you conspiracy theorists out there, the aliens look remarkably like the ones from ID4. Is Spielberg paying tribute to his forerunners, or does Hollywood know something they're not telling us?
6 out of 10
Posted by Rich at June 30, 2005 12:36 PM | TrackBack