4 of 4

Even more distressing is the film's throwaway suggestion that we place our hopes in the possibility of a happy accident, instead of in the design of a benevolent creator. When it comes to offering comfort and perspective on violence, M. Night Shyamalan (Signs) is the superior storyteller.

My full review is at Looking Closer.

Christian film critics who survived the invasion have varying reports.

Christopher Lyon (Plugged In) says it's "classic Spielberg, but it's a much darker, scarier Spielberg. The brilliantly paced action sequences, hair-raising effects and detailed set pieces bring to mind his Jurassic Park, Minority Report or other classic adventures. But the tone of the film comes closer to the gritty, near-hopeless feelings deep inside Schindler's List and Saving Private Ryan. Our heroes slowly give in to despair. Don't expect the congenial diplomacy of Close Encounters or the good times and chest-thumping found in alien invasion flicks like Independence Day."

Michael Elliott (Movie Parables) says, "The images of violence and (somehow even more disturbingly) the aftermath of violence are graphic and most powerfully felt. … I would think that, depending upon one's personal experience during one of America's darkest days, elements of this film might stir up highly emotional and unpleasant memories."

Jeffrey Huston (Crosswalk) is enthusiastic. "War of the Worlds wraps with a surprising affirmation of man's God-ordained role as the ruling species on the planet (essentially saying as much), and its theme that men neither live nor die in vain is a stirring evocation of the firemen, policemen, and soldiers who defend us at our most harrowing hours. Spielberg is back at the top of his populist powers. … Destined to be his biggest box office smash since Jurassic Park, it's also equal to the artistic heights reached in Raiders of the Lost Ark and E.T."

Maurice Broaddus (Hollywood Jesus) is dissatisfied. "There is no sense of … awe like we had with a Jurassic Park. There's not the substance of a Minority Report. … There are more than a few Independence Day level implausibilities. The [resolution of the war] smacks of Deus ex Machina, not to mention the rest of the way too contrived ending."

But Frederica Matthewes-Green (a Christian critic writing for The National Review) says, "I didn't think it was possible to make movies like this any more. War of the Worlds is an almost perfectly realized movie of the classic aliens-attack type: satisfying, believable, and very, very scary."

Mainstream critics are quite pleased with the outcome of this War.

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) writes that the movie is "a dark, scary and distressingly violent thrill ride that delivers edge-of-your-seat excitement and knockout action sequences. Sure, it's basically a 1950s' B-movie dressed up with an A-movie cast, director and budget. And, yes, the script has problems … . But as summer popcorn fare it succeeds where so many other blockbusters have failed. It is also arguably the most impressive of Spielberg's recent films."

Jonathan Rodriguez (Christian Spotlight) is unimpressed. "What I have come to appreciate most about Steven Spielberg's films is the sense of wonder and awe they fill me with. Nothing can describe how I felt when I first saw the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park and most of his films have some new, exciting element that sets them apart from films made by less accomplished directors. But, that feeling is missing from War of the Worlds. The movie may just as well have been directed by the guy next door, and in that case, I probably wouldn't have bothered seeing it." He concludes that it is "a huge disappointment."

Felix Tallon (Relevant) agrees. "Except for the solid camera work and excellent performances, War of the Worlds might as well have been directed by someone else. … In so many ways, War of the Worlds shows a complete indifference for the basic rules of storytelling."

Andrew Coffin (World) says, "Family is always an important theme in Mr. Spielberg's films—but it's not always clear what he's trying to communicate, nor does he often find a way to rise above sap. But as a demonstration of Mr. Spielberg's enormous gifts in storytelling—he has a rare confidence in both himself and his audience—and as a refreshingly sincere attempt at summer blockbuster thrills, War of the Worlds is unlikely to be matched soon."

Denny Wayman and Hal Conklin (Cinema in Focus) write, "Although the resolution to the war is inherent in telling this story, the lack of coherence in the overall tale is unsatisfying. Suspenseful and dramatic, the tale loses our minds and souls as it focuses on tantalizing our eyes and ears with special effects. Unlike the radio program which made Wells's story so well known, this film will cause few of us to believe its premise or face our fears."

first page |  4 of 4

Related Elsewhere:

Top Ten Alien Invasion Movies	Printer view
With War of the Worlds opening this week, we decided to take a look back at some of the best films in which extraterrestrials decide to pay a visit to our planet—with the intent to do us harm.