War of the Worlds seems, at first, like any other sci-fi action flick. However, despite the many cliches it employs, it quickly turns into something more than what it at first promises. The shift in tone, going from a predictable and somewhat goofy sci-fi extravaganza into a much darker setting, certainly helps in giving this movie its own flair.
Indeed, it was that tonal shift that really caught me off guard. This film, like many others like it, sets off by introducing us to a group of characters (in this case, a somewhat broken family) who we get to follow as they endure the trials and tribulations that the story has prepared for them. Typically, that group will face difficult choices and even experience loss. However, there is also an ever-present glow of hope that seems to follow them. It's that sense of hope and familiarity that often keeps the big-budget, sci-fi action blockbusters from feeling fresh and tense. Now, as I said, War of the Worlds starts off exactly like that. The only thing that really set it apart from the plethora of other films in its genre, was the interesting and original alien design. But then again, that's the least you would expect from a film like it. As the film started to pick up some pace and move through the oh so familiar early phases, it started to move into a different direction from what I was expecting. It quickly became evident that these otherwordly invaders had one, and only one goal. To get rid of the human population, for rather sinister purposes.
Now, this is where, typically, the brave soldier or some other hero comes forward and is either willing to sacrifice himself for the human race, or at least come up with a solution to overcome the invading forces. What follows, is an epic fight for the survival of the human race, which, predictably, ends in victory. War of the Worlds, however, didn't follow that roadmap. In fact, it took off in the completely opposite direction. Instead of giving glimpses of hope and heroics, it paints a picture of despair and unovercomeable fear. The hero of the story, who is supposed to be unfazed and fearless, can barely keep himself together. The triumphant moment when a path to victory is found never comes. And any sense of hope, however small it might be, is destroyed by an enemy that can't be beaten or even understood. When I began watching this film, I thought I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. However, that belief quickly turned out to be wrong. It is quite astonishing just how difficult this film was at times. Although I was certain, at least in my hopes, that this film, just like others in its genre, would end on a high note, towards the end I started to feel that maybe that might not be the case. So grim is the picture that War of the Worlds paints, that no matter how well I thought I knew the type of film it is, I too, like the characters, started to lose my hope for a happy ending. What's more, usually I'm the first to welcome a film that doesn't follow the usual tropes and is brave enough to propose a story that doesn't end well, but here, I desperately started to wish that there would, indeed, be that warm and familiar conclusion.
One of my absolute favourite things about this film was how intense it was at times. In particular, there is one sequence, which takes place in a basement, that kept me on the edge of my seat barely daring to take a breath. It's a sequence that comes without any warning, and it's one that keeps on going for far longer than you'd expect. It even goes as far as to give you a false sense of security only to throw you back into the silence and fear. It's these moments that really made War of the Worlds stand out for me. I'm usually a fan of these types of films, and I tend to enjoy them no matter how stupid and predictable they are. In fact, the reason I tend to like them so much is that they provide the ever satisfying and triumphant ending that always makes me smile. As such, I'm having a hard time placing this film into that genre of film. War of the Worlds, while seemingly an ordinary sci-fi action spectacle, offers so much more. It's much more grim and dark than I could've ever dared to expect. To some extent, it's even scary. The unrelentless tension and the hopeless picture it paints, make it a film quite unlike anything I have ever seen.
This is one of those films that I would recommend to someone who is tired of the often mindless and predictable alien invasion, sci-fi action genre. War of the Worlds gives an impression of a thriller, even horror, while still providing the ingredients that make these films so enjoyable and entertaining. While it wasn't the triumphant popcorn flick I was expecting it to be, it was fantastic in its own right. And no matter how grim and hopeless it was, I was unable to look away because of the, at times, unbearable tension.
Indeed, it was that tonal shift that really caught me off guard. This film, like many others like it, sets off by introducing us to a group of characters (in this case, a somewhat broken family) who we get to follow as they endure the trials and tribulations that the story has prepared for them. Typically, that group will face difficult choices and even experience loss. However, there is also an ever-present glow of hope that seems to follow them. It's that sense of hope and familiarity that often keeps the big-budget, sci-fi action blockbusters from feeling fresh and tense. Now, as I said, War of the Worlds starts off exactly like that. The only thing that really set it apart from the plethora of other films in its genre, was the interesting and original alien design. But then again, that's the least you would expect from a film like it. As the film started to pick up some pace and move through the oh so familiar early phases, it started to move into a different direction from what I was expecting. It quickly became evident that these otherwordly invaders had one, and only one goal. To get rid of the human population, for rather sinister purposes.
Now, this is where, typically, the brave soldier or some other hero comes forward and is either willing to sacrifice himself for the human race, or at least come up with a solution to overcome the invading forces. What follows, is an epic fight for the survival of the human race, which, predictably, ends in victory. War of the Worlds, however, didn't follow that roadmap. In fact, it took off in the completely opposite direction. Instead of giving glimpses of hope and heroics, it paints a picture of despair and unovercomeable fear. The hero of the story, who is supposed to be unfazed and fearless, can barely keep himself together. The triumphant moment when a path to victory is found never comes. And any sense of hope, however small it might be, is destroyed by an enemy that can't be beaten or even understood. When I began watching this film, I thought I knew exactly what I was getting myself into. However, that belief quickly turned out to be wrong. It is quite astonishing just how difficult this film was at times. Although I was certain, at least in my hopes, that this film, just like others in its genre, would end on a high note, towards the end I started to feel that maybe that might not be the case. So grim is the picture that War of the Worlds paints, that no matter how well I thought I knew the type of film it is, I too, like the characters, started to lose my hope for a happy ending. What's more, usually I'm the first to welcome a film that doesn't follow the usual tropes and is brave enough to propose a story that doesn't end well, but here, I desperately started to wish that there would, indeed, be that warm and familiar conclusion.
One of my absolute favourite things about this film was how intense it was at times. In particular, there is one sequence, which takes place in a basement, that kept me on the edge of my seat barely daring to take a breath. It's a sequence that comes without any warning, and it's one that keeps on going for far longer than you'd expect. It even goes as far as to give you a false sense of security only to throw you back into the silence and fear. It's these moments that really made War of the Worlds stand out for me. I'm usually a fan of these types of films, and I tend to enjoy them no matter how stupid and predictable they are. In fact, the reason I tend to like them so much is that they provide the ever satisfying and triumphant ending that always makes me smile. As such, I'm having a hard time placing this film into that genre of film. War of the Worlds, while seemingly an ordinary sci-fi action spectacle, offers so much more. It's much more grim and dark than I could've ever dared to expect. To some extent, it's even scary. The unrelentless tension and the hopeless picture it paints, make it a film quite unlike anything I have ever seen.
This is one of those films that I would recommend to someone who is tired of the often mindless and predictable alien invasion, sci-fi action genre. War of the Worlds gives an impression of a thriller, even horror, while still providing the ingredients that make these films so enjoyable and entertaining. While it wasn't the triumphant popcorn flick I was expecting it to be, it was fantastic in its own right. And no matter how grim and hopeless it was, I was unable to look away because of the, at times, unbearable tension.