Out of this world. Review on War of the Worlds Movie

...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.

Morgan Freeman in War of the Worlds

What were some of the critics thinking? Did they calmly wait till the end of the movie and listen attentively to Morgan's words before they trashed Steven Spielberg's take on H.G. Wells' novel by the same name? No. 'Cause if they did, they would have understood the final outcome.

Starts off slowly but surely...

Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) lives and works as a dock worker in New York . His children, living with his estranged wife, Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and 10-year-old Rachel (Dakota Fanning) come to stay with him for a while. Leaving them in his care, his ex-wife Mary (Miranda Otto) leaves. Robbie is indifferent to Ray's attempts to rekindle family love however Rachel is sensitive. The three, however, are not aware of a fatal storm brewing outside their relationship.

Clouds darken, lightning strikes and the trouble begins...

Meanwhile, weather turns nasty in the city, winds blow furiously and a ear-splitting lightning strikes twenty-six times in one spot! The people, including Ray, rush to the scene of impact. What they see and what happens next will change their lives forever...

Mind-numbing chills

The dark forces have arrived with a mission to achieve - exterminate humanity. Spare none, leave no human residue behind. Cries of the innocent and conscience be damned. And how do these visitors survive amidst their relentless rampage? Suck the blood of man till the last drop!

Brilliant special effects

Vaporising the fleeing population, sucking their body fluids, buildings collapsing, planes crashing, overturning of bridges, vehicles being thrown around like toys, raging fire, earth tremors....every scene is absolutely gripping and horrifying. You can never truly relax in your seat until the end. Oh so Steven Spielberg!

The human touch

How often does one see a movie successfully balancing human touch with technological marvel? Did I feel that in Day After Tommorow? No. Did I feel that in Independence Day? No. In The Truman Show? lol, yes. In Titanic? sigh, yes. In War of the Worlds? yes, yes. You bet!

This movie, like the former two, moves your heart (emotions of love, rejection, sorrow, fear, self-preservation...) and mind (special effects).

The performances that matter

Never mind how many acceptance letters Tom Cruise may recieve for his Scientology belief or the public display of affection with his new girlfriend Katie Holmes. You know, I know and Tom knows that he is one of the most bankable Hollywood superstars in the world today. Having delivered a very sincere performance and holding a significant stake in the commercial success of this movie, this Top Gun star has the last laugh.

Dakota Fanning is unbelievable. This pretty girl reminds me of another gifted child actor, Haley Osment of The Sixth Sense fame. Where can she go, except up? I hope she remains unflustered by the fame & success and continue towards a possible fabulous career.

And how can we forget Tim Robbins, as a psychotic who temporarily shelters Ray and his children? He delivers a knockout performance. Wish he had a lengthier footage.

However, a question unanswered...

How did these other worldly forces arrive on earth? Why did they begin their mayhem now? Why not centuries earlier when they implanted the 'seeds of destruction' on earth for their war? Should I solve this puzzle myself, like Paheli? Or should I seek extraterrestrial help?!

Ultimately, the magic wand of Steven Spielberg

He did it with Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List and now...War of the Worlds. Where does he go from here? Will he rest on his laurels? Nah, that's wishful thinking, as usual. Either, the earth must swallow him alive or he falls prey to an alien abduction. Till then, his magic wand will survive. Till then, may his cinema continue to enthrall both man and curious onlookers from the worlds beyond.