War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds
Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.
N8 reviewedMay 25, 2025
The film had some truly excellent scenes, the initial attack and the ferry sequence really stood out. Overall, it was good, but two issues kept it from being great for me.
First, the aliens' invulnerable shields were a problem. The novel built suspense by showing humanity developing increasingly powerful weapons, occasionally bringing down a tripod, only for the aliens to upgrade or change tactics, culminating in the fleet's destruction. The movie misses those dashed glimpses of hope because the military's initial engagement immediately shows their weapons are useless.
Second, his son's appearance at the end felt tacked on, probably due to test audiences. That kid definitely died when he charged at the military.