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July 7, 2005
War of the Worlds
Really scary! It’s not as visually or thematically well-wrought as Speilberg’s Minority Report, the idea ultimately makes no sense and the last scene is completely stupid. Still, it’s compelling and brutal. There are no smart-ass one-liners, thank god. Just a lot of people frozen in silent terror when they’re not screaming and running away. In fact, one of the best things about it is that the “hero” spends the entire movie trying to avoid danger. At one point, he has to talk his son out of following the army who are aggressively fighting the invaders because he sees it as pointless. This movie has some terrifying, beautiful, nightmare-inducing images: a train completely engulfed in flames, speeding uncontrollably through a railroad crossing; a man clawing bare-handed through a car windshield; the clothing of people vaporized in mid-air fluttering to the ground. You can read into it whatever you like politically and current events-wise, it still boils down to a great visceral thrill ride by a master. Not a great Speilberg but, doubtless, the best blockbuster of the summer.
Posted by HighStrungLoner in Film at 2:04 AM
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