ROTTEN TOMATOES: Critical Consensus: Aliens Invade, Critics Cheer

Critical Consensus: Aliens Invade, Critics Cheer

by Tim Ryan | June 28, 2005

Steven Spielberg has made a couple movies -- Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. -- about benevolent aliens who come in peace and gently help us to reflect on our place in the universe. This time, however, extraterrestrial life is a bit -- make that a LOT -- more foreboding. And the critics say that’s generally a good thing. Based upon H.G. Wells' sci-fi masterpiece (which caused a literal panic when Orson Welles did a radio play of the story in 1938), War of the Worlds is split between human characters and otherworldly conflict, and gets both right.
At 75 percent on the Tomatometer, the critics have praised the film's harrowing, spectacular special effects and fine performances by Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, and Tim Robbins. However, some have noted that the air goes out of the film as it draws to its conclusion.

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(1-19 of 19 posts) | Reply

the_game writes:
on Jun 28 2005 04:32 PM

This movie already looked great. With as many positive reviews I've seen I'm psyched for it now!!

(Reply to this)

jeanfc writes:
on Jun 28 2005 06:43 PM

The only negatives I've so far have to do with the ending - and quite honestly - too many people expect Independance Day type endings where the good guys win, all the bad guys get blown up, and everyone is happy.

The thing with War of the Worlds is that the Aliens aren't defeated by anything humans do - but by small little microbes. And being fateful to the original novel and movie, this happens quite suddently and without any flag waiving or other jingoistic nonsence.

(Reply to this)

Mean Willie writes:
on Jun 28 2005 06:56 PM

In reply to this comment (#823721)
[b]Hey,[/b]
Thanks for ruining the end. I mean it.

(Reply to this)

donna542004 writes:
on Jun 28 2005 07:23 PM

In reply to this comment (#823722)
[b]The Ending.[/b]
I already knew the ending. I have read the book and seen the movie and loved listening to the radiio show that they played on vintage radio. I use to love listing to the old radio shows, long before I was even born.
Donna A.

(Reply to this)

Count_Vertigo writes:
on Jun 29 2005 12:30 AM

[b]The End[/b]
Ok...anyone who is "surprised" by the end of War of the Worlds really needs to pick up a book or brush up on their pop culture. War of the Worlds has been around longer than anyone alive today, and has been presented in so many media forms that to not know what the ending is is almost like being surprised when the Titanic sank at the end of the movie. Wasn't anyone else required to read this book in junior high or high school English class?

(Reply to this)

sox1919 writes:
on Jun 29 2005 05:14 AM

In reply to this comment (#823724)
[b]Yeats.[/b]
I was too busy reading Kerouac, Fitzgerald, and Yeats in high school to give a damn about a sci-fi fantasy. While I did know the end for reasons you said, why post it for the masses to happen upon? It's an irresponsible posting and you know it.

Comparing it to Titanic is ridiculous. That's comparing a legitmate historic event like Sept. 11th to the end of The Great Gatsby. While the later is also part of pop culture, its not exactly mainstream now is it?

(Reply to this)

CrazyGhost78 writes:
on Jun 29 2005 07:45 AM

cant. freaking. wait. to. see. this. movie.

BUT I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL NEXT WEEK!

(Reply to this)

jeanfc writes:
on Jun 29 2005 12:11 PM

Sorry for those who did not know what the ending was, but Jesus - join the 21st century like the rest of us. If the "masses" (who ever the hell that is) are too clueless to know beforehand how this film ends, then I don't think we have to worry too much about them reading it on this little discussion board.

And although Kerouac, Fitzgerald, and Yeats are all great writters, the sci-fi literature you seem to dismiss so easily includes writters such as H.G. Wells, Jules Vernes and a host of other well known authors - not something that is done easily.

(Reply to this)

Dystopia Land writes:
on Jun 29 2005 03:36 PM

Why don't you just edit the ending out of your post?

(Reply to this)

Mean Willie writes:
on Jun 29 2005 04:12 PM

In reply to this comment (#823727)
Why don't you look at your post and think about how rude your acting. As if you know anything about me. Way to categorize humanity into "clever people who have read WotW" and "the uneducated masses". Edit your post.

(Reply to this)

darcko writes:
on Jun 29 2005 04:37 PM

i for one don't really care about the ending of a movie. for instance, i watched Titanic and Passion of the Christ completely knowing the ending and i still liked them because to me, the journey to get there is more worthwhile than actually getting there.

(Reply to this)

Twirlnhurl writes:
on Jun 29 2005 06:38 PM

I think jeanfc has a ligit arguement. Anyone who doesn't know the end of the war of the worlds must be living under a rock or something. The phrase 'war of the worlds' generally brings to mind the radio show and the panic caused by it, and the classic ending about everything we do to them does nothing, but the lowliest thing - germs - are able to defeat them. If they didn't know it from the book, previous movie, or radio show, they would have known it from basically any review they undoubtably read at this site... If anything needs to be changed in the original post, then maybe the word spoiler needs to be added, but it is mostly unnecessary.

(Reply to this)

filmfan7 writes:
on Jun 29 2005 09:07 PM

[b]Critics cheer?[/b]
Your "critical consensus" of Critics cheer!!! is inaccurate as the tomatometer has dropped to 71%.

The media paid to push this movie seems to be ignorong the dropping rating.

Even the positive reviews mention the problems in this movie. If this had been directed by George Lucas people would be talking about razzie awards for "War of the Worlds."

(Reply to this)

Roadhg67 writes:
on Jun 30 2005 12:14 AM

the complaints of the ending have nothing to do with the microbs... and everything that to do with what happens with the few characters that the movie focusees on... jesus... and who didn't know that they are killed by bacteria?

(Reply to this)

renodc writes:
on Jun 30 2005 10:44 AM

In reply to this comment (#823732)
[b]I Agree[/b]
I wouldn't call a score in the 70's exactly a cheer from the critics. It's a good movie, but Batman was better.

(Reply to this)

Saint_Angst writes:
on Jul 01 2005 08:47 PM

I really wanted to love this movie... My complaints don't come from the ending, but the blatently obvious references to 9/11 and the war on terrorism. Symbolism is fine, but when it's just all over the screen... not so much.

it was still great though. the special effects were the best I've ever seen, and the suspense was amazing

(Reply to this)

EIAC writes:
on Jul 02 2005 02:47 PM

In reply to this comment (#823735)
[b]shut up[/b]
They are not blantently obvious references, they are simularities. So please, for the love of god, drop the whole 9/11 thing. This movie has nothing to do with 9/11. Spielburg already saw to it that it was going to be 9/11 friendly, so if you see SIMULARITIES... thats all it is. Spielburg took out everything refering to 9/11. minus the twin towers in a photo, and god forbid we ever see the twin towers again.

(Reply to this)

darthrant writes:
on Jul 04 2005 04:50 PM

It's astonishing how ignorant some people can be. I, too, am familiar with the end of WotW, having seen the original, but believe it or not, some people don't know the ending; I work with some of them, in fact, and have refrained from telling them the ending that they might enjoy the movie better (one hopes). I find it rather arrogant to assume everyone should know the ending. Have those of you who feel such considered there may be younger people who have no idea this is a remake? Or even the breadth of H.G. Wells' work, other than what they may have seen in cinema?

And part of pop culture? Well... I don't think I would label it as such, but... as you will.

I agree with poster jeanfc (#377557) that the sci-fi genre has many fine authors that have certainly enriched my life, but I can say with authority WotW was certainly never assigned reading in any English class I took. And I would like to reinforce Twirlnhurl's suggestion (#377789) that the word 'Spoiler' should be added to such posts.

Show some consideration and class people: don't ruin a movie's ending because there may be those who aren't as knowledgable as yourself, or 'in the loop' as they say.

Thank you for your time.

(Reply to this)

jeremyd4 writes:
on Jul 05 2005 12:27 PM

I didn't know the ending... but I've seen it now so it's ok.

*SPOILERS*

Didn't the book suggest the aliens were killed off by our atmospheric pressure or something like that, instead of microbs/bacteria? Either way, for an advanced bunch of aliens, they are pretty stupid. The bacteria approach requires us to believe that since the aliens planted their tri-pods millions of years ago, evolution has dramatically changed everything and they are no longer immune to our world upon their return. HOW COULD THEY NOT REALISE THIS BUT RIDE LIGHTNING!!!

(Reply to this)

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