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War of the Worlds

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War of the Worlds (2005)

73%
90%
70%
N/A
N/A
N/A
73 %
Reviews Counted: 242 Fresh: 177  Rotten:65 Average Rating: 6.9/10
 
Consensus: War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells' classic novel.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Rated: 12A

Runtime: 1 hr 57 mins

Theatrical Release: 01-07-2005

Synopsis: On June 29th, 2005, Earth goes to war. From Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures comes "War of the Worlds," directed by Steven Spielberg and starring international superstar Tom Cruise. A contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells's seminal classic, the sci-fi adventure thriller... On June 29th, 2005, Earth goes to war. From Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures comes "War of the Worlds," directed by Steven Spielberg and starring international superstar Tom Cruise. A contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells's seminal classic, the sci-fi adventure thriller reveals the extraordinary battle for the future of humankind through the eyes of one American family fighting to survive it. The film also stars Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin, and Tim Robbins. Cruise stars as Ray Ferrier, a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife (Miranda Otto) and her new husband drop off his teenage son Robbie (Justin Chatwin) and young daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning) for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down. Moments later, at an intersection near his house, Ray witnesses an extraordinary event that will change all their lives forever. A towering three-legged war machine emerges from deep beneath the earth and, before anyone can react, incinerates everything in sight. An ordinary day has suddenly become the most extraordinary event of their lifetimes - the first strike in a catastrophic alien attack on Earth. Ray scrambles to get his children away from this merciless new enemy, embarking on a journey that will take them across the ravaged countryside, where they become caught in the desperate tide of refugees fleeing from an extraterrestrial army of Tripods. But no matter where they run, there is no safety, no refuge … only Ray's unconquerable will to protect the ones he loves. Paramount Pictures and DreamWorks Pictures present an Amblin Entertainment/Cruise|Wagner Production, a Steven Spielberg film, "War of the Worlds." Directed by Steven Spielberg from a screenplay by Josh Friedman and David Koepp, based on the novel by H. G. Wells, the film is produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Colin Wilson. The executive producer is Paula Wagner. The film also stars Dakota Fanning, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin and Tim Robbins. This film has been rated PG-13 for Frightening Sequences of Sci-Fi Violence and Disturbing Images. Spielberg's core filmmaking team, which has collaborated with the director on numerous projects, is led by director of photography Janusz Kaminski, ASC, production designer Rick Carter, editor Michael Kahn, A.C.E., and costume designer Joanna Johnston. Music is composed by John Williams. Visual effects and animation is by Industrial Light & Magic, led by senior visual effects supervisor Dennis Muren and visual effects supervisor Pablo Helman. "War of the Worlds" opens worldwide on June 29, 2005. The film's official website is: www.waroftheworlds.com -- © DreamWorks Pictures [More]

Genre: Science-Fiction/Fantasy

Starring: Tom Cruise, Miranda Otto, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Justin Chatwin

Director: Steven Spielberg
Screenwriter: Josh Friedman, David Koepp
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Paula Wagner, Colin Wilson, Tom Cruise
Composer: John Williams

DVD Info

Release:

Oct 11, 2006

[DVD Details]

DVD Features:

  • Snap Case
  • Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85

Audio:

  • Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound - English
  • Dolby Digital DTS 5.1 Surround Sound - English
  • Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - English
  • Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo - French

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Ratings Image
N/A

The film succeeds as pure sensation, an exacting distillation of fear.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/24/06
Jessica Winter
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

Surprisingly dark for a blockbuster and delivers handsomely in terms of thrills and special effects.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/05/05
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image
4/5

A greatest-hits package from our greatest living entertainer, there is almost overmuch to admire here, but only the moments that aspire to post-9/11 relevance chill as well as thrill.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/05/05
Colin Kennedy
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
5/5

Steven Spielberg has delivered the blockbuster of the summer, a stunning sci-fi spectacular that’ll blow you away. Yes, I know I’m gushing, but War Of The Worlds really is that good.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/05/05
David Edwards
Daily Mirror [UK]
Ratings Image
5/5

The story may be sci-fi, but the product is a horror film, plain and simple: a brilliantly constructed scaring machine.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/05/05
Paul Arendt
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

How refreshing to see Spielberg rock the boat with nothing more shocking than pure old-fashioned fear

Full Review | comment Comment
07/05/05
James Christopher
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

Spielberg effortlessly centres on the human drama amid the astounding imagery. So it's a pity the adaptation of HG Wells' classic novel becomes so contrived.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/28/05
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Ratings Image
95/100

Event movies as brilliantly executed as War of The Worlds come by very, very rarely indeed. Easily one of the finest disaster movies of all time.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/28/05
Joe Utichi
FilmFocus
Ratings Image
3.5/4

great flick from spielberg

Full Review | comment Comment
03/02/08
Stefan Birgir Stefansson
sbs.is
Ratings Image
4/10

This is Spielberg at his unabashedly commercial worst %u2014 bland, unimaginative, and more interested in his bang than his brain.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/28/08
Brandon Fibbs
BrandonFibbs.com
Ratings Image
3/5

Spielberg blows stuff up better than anyone -- he proves himself the maestro of that by-now-degraded game.

Full Review | comment Comment
07/23/07
Rob Gonsalves
eFilmCritic.com
Ratings Image
2/4

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
07/14/07
Joe Lozito
Big Picture Big Sound
Ratings Image
4/4

Spielberg flips the E.T. script with this sci-fi flick which reverts to the pulp fiction notion of aliens as the enemies of earthlings.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/27/07
Kam Williams
Princeton Town Topics
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N/A

Spielberg's calculations turn out to be more prominent than any effects they could possibly produce, and the less pretentious 1953 version by producer George Pal emerges as more likable.

Full Review | comment Comment
06/08/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
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N/A

Reconfirms Spielberg as a master of action, here seamlessly integrating spectacular visual magic into the most mundane and familiar settings.

Full Review | comment Comment
02/26/07
Kevin Lally
Film Journal International
Ratings Image
3/4

Like disasters in real life, the film hits you in the gut with a vision of catastrophe, and leaves you to sort out what it all means.

Full Review | comment Comment
11/17/06
Peter T. Chattaway
Christianity Today
Ratings Image
3/4

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
10/30/06
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons
Ratings Image
5/10

The film is dark and bleak with little real sense of wonder--the thing that should be Spielberg's forte.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/29/06
Mark R. Leeper
rec.arts.movies.reviews
Ratings Image
3/4

so impressive in so many ways that it makes the frustration over its miserable final moments that much harder to bear

Full Review | comment Comment
10/14/06
Jay Antani
Perihelion Journal
Ratings Image
3.5/5

click to read review [Greek]

Full Review | comment Comment
09/10/06
Joseph Proimakis
Movies for the Masses
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