War of the Worlds Review

War of the Worlds

Release Date: 29th June 2005 - Australia

Production Companies

Paramount Pictures

DreamWorks Pictures 

Amblin Entertainment

Cruise/Wagner Productions

Distribution 

Paramount Pictures Australia 

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 116 minutes


Budget: $132,000,000

Box Office Gross: $603,873,119 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary 

Separated from his first

wife, Mary Ann, and

estranged from his two

children, whom he has

custody of on weekends,

Ray Ferrier works as a

longshoreman in New

Jersey. On one such visit,

looking after the children

becomes a little more

complicated when Ray

discovers that a fleet of

death-ray robot spaceships

has appeared nearby

following a series of

strange lightning storms in

his neighbourhood. The

fleet is part of the first wave

of a full-scale alien invasion

of Earth. Moving his

children from New York

to Boston to find safety

with Mary Ann's parents,

Ray must learn to be the

protector and provider he

never was in his marriage.

Cast

Tom Cruise - Ray Ferrier

Dakota Fanning - Rachel Ferrier

Miranda Otto - Mary Ann

Justin Chatwin - Robbie

Tim Robbins - Harlan Oglivy

Yul Vazquez - Julio

Lenny Venito - Manny the Mechanic

Ann Robinson - Grandmother (Cameo)

Gene Barry - Grandfather (Cameo)

David Alan Basche - Tim

Roz Abrams - Herself (Cameo)

Camilla Sanes - News Producer

Amy Ryan - Neighbour with Toddler

David Harbour - Dock Worker

Danny Hoch - Policeman

Morgan Freeman - Narrator (Voice)

Columbus Short - Soldier

Ty Simpkins - 3-Year-Old Boy

Channing Tatum - Boy in Church (Uncredited)

Dee Bradley Baker - Alien Vocals (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Steven Spielberg

Based on the Novel - H.G. Wells

Screenplay - Josh Friedman

and David Koepp

Script Supervisor - Ana Maria Quintana

Executive Producer - Paula Wagner
Producers - Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson

Casting Directors - Terri Taylor and Debra Zane

Military Technical Advisor - J. Todd Breasseale
Production Designer - Rick Carter

Concept Designer - Doug Chiang

Concept Illustrators - James Clyne

and Christopher Baker

Supervising Art Director - Tony Fanning
Art Directors - Doug J, Meerdink,

Andrew Menzies and Norman Newberry

Assistant Art Directors - Curt Beech,

Easton Smith, Lori Rowbotham Grant,

Paul Sonski and Todd Cherniawsky

Storyboard Artist - David Lowery

Set Decorator - Anne Kuljian

Property Master - Doug Harlocker

Weapons Armorer - Steve Karnes
Costume Designer - Joanna Johnston

Makeup Department Head - Lois Burwell
Director of Photography - Janusz Kaminski

Camera Operators - Mitch Dubin

and George Billinger III

Unit Production Managers - David Witz

and Jonathan Filley

Production Supervisor - Jason McGatlin

Production Coordinator - Candice Campos

First Assistant Director - Adam Somner

Second Unit Director/Stunt Coordinator - Vic Armstrong
Special Effects Coordinator - Daniel Sudick

Special Effects Coordinator: Stan Winston

Studio - Shane Mahan

Special Effects Supervisors - David Blitstein
and Gintar Repecka

Effects Supervisors: Stan Winston Studio -

Lindsay MacGowan and Alan Scott

Practical Effects Supervisors: ILM - Robbie Clot

and Geoff Heron

Senior Visual Effects Supervisor - Dennis Muren
Visual Effects Supervisor - Ricardo Ramos
Visual Effects Supervisor - Pablo Helman

Visual Effects Supervisors: New Deal Studios - 

Ian Hunter and Matthew Gratzner

Additional Visual Effects Supervisors: ILM -

Edward Hirsh and Kim Liberi

Visual Effects Producer - Cari Thomas
Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Christian Alzmann

Visual Effects Directors of Photography: ILM -

Martin Rosenberg and Kim Marks

Digital Production Supervisor: ILM -

Curt I. Miyashiro

TD Supervisor: ILM - Michael Di Como

Compositing Supervisor: ILM - Marshall Richard Krasser

Sequence Supervisors: ILM - Robert Marinic,

Pat Brennan, Jay Cooper, Raul Essig,

Erik Krumrey, Nigel Sumner and Jeff Sutherland
Creature Designers: ILM - Ryan Church,

Carlos Huante and Sangjun Lee
Model/Miniature Supervisor: ILM - Steve Gawley

Digital Model Supervisors: ILM -

Michael Koperwas and Russell Paul

Senior Model Makers: ILM - Charlie Bailey,

Don Bies, Brian Dewe, Robert M. Edwards

and Lorne Peterson
Animation Supervisor: ILM - Randal M. Dutra

Associate Animation Supervisors: ILM -

Jenn Emberly and Tim Harrington
Editor - Michael Kahn

Previsualization Supervisor - Daniel P. Gregoire

Assistant Editors - Sam Seig, Mike Cuevas,

Michael T. Wilson, Mark George Gillard and

Craig Hayes

Supervising Sound Editor/Sound Designer -

Richard King

Additional Sound Design and Editing -

Michael Babcock, Aaron Glascock and

Hamilton Sterling

Additional Sound Design: Skywalker Sound -

Randy Thom

Assistant Sound Designer: Skywalker Sound -

Will Files

Sound Effects Recordists - John P. Fasal

and Eric Potter

Sound Editor: Skywalker Sound - Richard Hymns

Sound Effects Editor: Skywalker Sound -

Addison Teague

Sound Mixer - Ron Judkins

Re-Recording Mixers - Andy Nelson

and Anna Behlmer

Additional Sound Mixing - Elliott Tyson

and Doug Hemphill

Supervising Foley Artist - Gary A. Hecker
Music - John Williams

Music Scoring Mixer - Shawn Murphy


Awards

2006 Academy Awards
Best Sound Mixing - Andy Nelson, Anna Behlmer
and Ron Judkins (Nominated)
Best Sound Editing - Richard King (Nominated)
Best Visual Effects - Dennis Muren,

Pablo Helman, Randal M. Dutra and

Daniel Sudick (Nominated)

Review
If anyone thought of a movie based on a novel by the original master of science-fiction, H.G. Wells, most people would choose THE WAR OF THE WORLDS, a story so compelling that it's adapted into an infamous radio broadcast by Orson Welles and two films, such as the beloved 1953 classic and the modern 2005 remake. Before this new interpretation, I had already seen the original. It wasn't until several years later I got to experience the remake.

One observation is the vast difference in its special effects, which have been outdated since CGI came into the scene in the late 70s. Steven Spielberg, known to have produced Hollywood's cinematic treasures, directed a version that isn't his best movie, despite its intention to do justice to the original novel. He did a good job delivering the suspense and drama that its dark tone makes Close Encounters and E.T. look tame in comparison. The film is nowhere as unique and reaches a rushed ending. It comes with a reveal similar to the cheap twist ending of Signs by M. Night Shyamalan, and it works better on paper.

Aside from Morgan Freeman's narration, the lead and supporting actors who followed Spielberg's direction are young Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins and Tom Cruise. They limit their creativity in their cast roles very seriously. Dakota was a bright young child star, and while she did fine, she'll probably do less screaming as it becomes annoying in certain scenes. Tom Cruise never went cruise control, and he was one of the main actors who could fit right into this remake in the lead role of a divorcee. The visuals were extraordinary in this movie and were more than to set the scene in being massively produced.

It was never the best remake, nor does it catch the suspension of disbelief seen in the original interpretation. It's best that I re-watch the 50s classic rather than rediscover the horrors of this average movie. For those keen to watch this movie, you'll only see it once.

Star rating: (5/10) Average

Back to Home