The War of the Worlds (1953) User Reviews

An Effective Sci-Fi Thriller

[Lechuguilla · 8/10 · 13 July 2003]

To be an effective thriller, a sci-fi film absolutely must impart to the viewer a sense of --- coldness, either the physical coldness of outer space or other worlds, or the emotional coldness of science.

Cedric Hardwicke's opening narrative in "The War Of The Worlds" is brutally cold, and the added images uninviting. The martian machines, vaguely resembling "legless swans", are both beautiful and terrifying. They move slowly, in a graceful but calculating manner. They warn of their approach with an eerie, unearthly "pinging" sound.

In the scene where the priest walks toward one of the "swans", the aliens do not impulsively open fire. Instead, they wait. The cruel "eye" peers down on the priest, studying him, in a foreboding prelude to his inevitable annihilation.

Other scenes in the first half also convey this needed sense of alien coldness. We can, therefore, forgive the film for its somewhat corny plot.

The film's second half is weaker because the aliens have to compete for screen time with Los Angeles mob scenes, a showy and irksome display of American military hardware, and dry narration of military war tactics. But even in this second half, suspense filters through, as we watch the heartless "swans" eject their heat rays on a helpless Los Angeles.

For sci-fi films made before "2001: A Space Odyssey", "The War Of The Worlds" is one of my three favorites, along with "Robinson Crusoe On Mars" and "Forbidden Planet".

Impressive Effects For the 1950s

[gavin6942 · 8/10 · 29 January 2015]

The film adaptation of the H.G. Wells story told on radio of the invasion of Earth by Martians.

So, you know, most of the backgrounds look like matte paintings, creating a set that is only about ten or twenty feet in depth. But that is unimportant. The colors, the impressive meteor and alien technology... few films -- maybe none -- were able to look so incredible in that era.

The story has been told multiple times, and most people are probably aware of the basics. But this version may be the best, far better than the Tom Cruise version fifty years later, and maybe even better than the original radio drama.

"What is that gizmo?"

[classicsoncall · 8/10 · 5 October 2006]

Just saw the film again today after a long time, and was actually somewhat surprised to see it in color; my first viewing must have been eons ago during the black and white TV era. As such, I found the alien ships to respond well to the Technicolor palate of 1953, as well as the destruction they caused in a spray of primary colors. Quite well done for the technology of the time.

I get a kick out of the reviewers who waylay the film for not sticking closer to the original H.G. Wells vision, as if they would have actually preferred to see the aliens battled with field artillery and cannon balls. The same goes for those who belittle the 2005 remake for not remaining truer to the Gene Barry version. Here's a clue to help one understand - it's entertainment.

The twist in the film of course is that this time out, we humans aren't the bad guys. The Martian invaders are hell bent for leather to conquer Earth and reinvigorate their dying civilization, and they ain't sharing. It really makes for some horrific destruction, starting with those three white flag wielding peacemakers reduced to ashes. Compare the symbolism here to that of "The Day The Earth Stood Still", where the alien rays made Earth weapons simply disappear. This is a film that works the psyche into a frenzy, as successive levels of power up to and including the atomic bomb have absolutely no effect on the Martians' progress. It couldn't be any plainer - there's no hope for mankind.

As grim as it all sounds, there are some lines that struck me as somewhat humorous, though I'm sure they weren't meant to be. The first was the "What is that gizmo?" line when the alien craft makes it's first appearance. The other nearly caused me to roar; it's when the crowds were getting ready to view the first A-Bomb blast like a sporting event. In the background, a voice announces - "Attention please, four minutes to bomb time"!

Keep an eye on Dr. Forrester (Gene Barry) during the street panic scene in Los Angeles as he frantically inquires about the Pacific Tech trucks. His face is bleeding and bruised, but after running across some deserted streets, another closeup shows his face is clear. Later on, he's shown with bruises on his face, but no bleeding.

OK, the film is dated, but it was made over fifty years ago. Watch almost ANY sci-fi film of the era, including many made into the 1960's, and there's virtually nothing that comes close in terms of special effects and effective story telling for the genre, and it works as a thriller as well. For that reason, it has it's special place in science fiction film history, even with the liberties taken on the original source material.

A Classic!

[BaronBl00d · 23 November 2004]

Somewhere out in the American West, a huge meteor-like projectile crashes in the soil. Everyone initially believes it to be nothing more than a meteor, but soon all learn it is really an investigative ship from the planet Mars out to destroy anything and everything in its path. This film directed by Byron Haskin, based on a script by Barre Lyndon, and produced by George Pal is one of the quintessential science fiction films of the 50's, otherwise known as the Golden Age of Science Fiction. Based on the novel of the same name by H. G. Wells, this film keeps the spirit of the book intact while changing some things like the setting. The book takes place primarily in and around London. All of the talents in this film help make The War of the Worlds an innovative, intelligent, and evocative film that tries to get one thinking about alien invaders and their intentions. The earthlings in this film are the good ones...trying to be friendly, yet, treated as nothing more than impediments in the Martians' way. So many scenes in this film are strong: the army fighting the Martian space ship while a man of God tries to make peace with the strangers, the old farmhouse, and the ending as the aliens attack Los Angelos. Acting is strong too as leads Gene Barry - doing a very good job as a scientist who just happens to be nearby - and Ann Robinson convincingly portray what life might be like in a world with such horrific news. But despite a first-rate script, solid direction from Haskin, and good acting, The War of the Worlds owes its greatest debt to producer George Pal. Pal knew how to put films like this together and was a driving force in the film's innovative and unique special effects. Who could forget those bright green Martian ships or that figure of a Martian?

A Decent 50's Sci-Fi Movie, But Somewhat Dated

[sddavis63 · 6/10 · 2 September 2010]

This is one of the few times when I've been glad that Hollywood decided to remake a "classic" movie. It's not that I thought this one was bad. It did, however, come across as very typical of the 1950's, and therefore very dated. It's a good story, and so it did need an update.

Standing on its own, this movie had both strengths and weaknesses. On the negative side first, the acting didn't come across as particularly noteworthy. Neither of the leads - Gene Barry as Dr. Forrester and Ann Robinson as Sylvia - really took command of this in my view. The story also had a few too many "cornball" moments. Just a couple: the happy coincidence that a group of scientists just happened to be fishing in the same area where the first Martian spacecraft landed, and the decision of Dr. Forrester to head off with Sylvia to a square dance shortly after. I was also disappointed that the movie didn't open with one of the better parts of the H.G. Wells story: the sighting of strange explosions on the surface of Mars that leads to suspense right off the top. Going right into the Martian landings (even though they were thought at first to be perhaps asteroids) seemed to be jumping into things too fast. On the scientific side of things, as the movie opened with a survey of the planets in our solar system and why only Earth was hospitable for the Martians, it became clear that someone should have checked some simple facts: it's declared that Jupiter is the closest planet to Mars when Earth is actually a lot closer to Mars than Jupiter.

On the positive side, the Martian ships are wonderfully portrayed, and I appreciated that this never became a "monster" movie. There are only a couple of very brief glimpses of the Martians themselves, which increased the sense of mystery about them. The movie establishes a real sense of hopelessness. After absolutely everything has been thrown at the Martians they're still going, and if you didn't know how the story ends, you'd wonder how they're possibly going to be stopped. As an adjunct to that, there are some very believable scenes of panic and looting as the Martian onslaught continues.

It's a decent 50's sci-fi effort, but it's also a very 50's sci-fi effort.

An Instant Classic

[Diodorino-Rotolo1 · 7/10 · 5 October 2006]

Okay, so it isn't exactly very faithful to the novel.

Okay, so the acting is questionable, and the forced love story between the characters Sylvia and Dr. Forrester is not very believable.

So what!

I think that 'The War of the Worlds' deserves a lot of praise, for not only being the first film adaption of the novel after forty-five years since it was first published, but for its great special effects. Although in our stupid world in which the computer dominates the special effects you see on screen, people would label the visuals in this film 'unconvincing', you still have to appreciate this film, which was made in a world where computers couldn't do squat for the film-making industry.

They were all done with miniatures, people!

I don't care what anybody thinks, I still think this is slightly better than Steven Spielberg's remake.

Intellects Vast, Cool, and Unsympathetic.

[rmax304823 · 7/10 · 6 December 2007]

This is a strange movie. For one thing, the lead scientist (Gene Barry) is allowed to wear eyeglasses, which at the time was considered demasculinizing. For another, we don't emerge from the interplanetary conflict victorious. We don't discover that the Martians dissolve in salt water or are allergic to second-hand smoke or peanuts. They die alright, but not because of -- but rather despite -- our every effort to eliminate them, including a nuclear bomb. For another, in some way this is a rarity -- a film that's an improvement over the book it's based on.

H. G. Wells' novella had aliens landing all over England and building cylindrical walking tripods to use as "fighting machines." People were not just killed by their main weapon, "black smoke," but were eaten as well. And, as we should expect from a socialist like Wells, religion is just about absent from the book. The narrator DOES encounter a churchman but he goes mad and is eaten.

The film is smoother, splashier, and easier to follow for non-British audiences who might not know West Wokking from Stoke-on-Trent. And the flying -- or rather the GLIDING -- fighting machines are a vast improvement over Wells' giant, stumbling cylinders. These machines here are really creepy. And, although the Martians don't seem to eat anybody, they destroy everything and everybody in sight. We get barely a glimpse of them, just enough to know they are bipedal and bilaterally symmetrical, with suction cups on the ends of their three fingers, which, it has to be admitted, is a little outré. I mean, where do they live -- perched on smooth walls? Come to think of it, they lack a thumb too. That puts them in the same category as Mickey Mouse, doesn't it?

Gene Barry is the stalwart scientist. There is a girl in it for no particular narrative reason. When everyone is trying to escape Los Angeles before it is destroyed, two trucks and a bus are packed with electronic equipment that might be pieced together in such a way as to check the Martians' advance. Yet when the vehicles try to leave, they are confiscated by a hysterical mob. The mob throws out the scientists and their equipment and take off for parts far away. The mob members who knew what they were doing (if any of them knew) were in an interesting position called a "social trap." If you were in a position to save (1) all mankind or (2) your own lily-livered butt, which would you choose?

The religious element of the film probably has H. G. Wells spinning in his grave. Right off the bat, the beautiful young girl's uncle Mathew is a minister who tries to communicate with the creatures, tremulously approaches one of the machines, holding a Bible and reciting a familiar Psalm. ZAP. Barry's young girl friend was abandoned as a child and rescued by the Minister, who found her in a church doorway. There is a lot of ecumenical religious imagery in this film. In the end, with civilization being blasted away and falling down around their ears, the survivors hold each other inside a church -- just as the Martians begin to kick it. A holy choir swells up and the narrator, Cedric Hardwicke, tell us about the bacteria that "God in His wisdom" put upon the earth. I guess everybody would go along with much of that. I'd leave the bacteria alone instead of trying to kill them off by overusing antibiotics to make our cattle fatter and our chickens plumper for the short-term change.

At that, the General (Les Tremayne) who sees all military efforts fail, announces that they will now move to the mountains, establish a line of defense, and fight them from there. This is a smart move when a weak opponent faces a technologically superior one. What else can you do? It is what's called "guerilla warfare" and is waged by "freedom fighters" (if they're on our side) or "rebels" (if they're not).

I don't mean to suggest any solutions to these kinds of issues, or even that there ARE any solutions, but the movie itself, wittingly or otherwise, manages to raise them in model form. Wells was quite open about it. For him and his contemporaries, the behavior of the invading Martians is an analog of colonialism. Do we have the right to condemn the Martians when we ourselves move into a portion of another continent and claim it as our own? In any case -- ethics or no -- this is a good movie, full of zest and special effects. It's not a masterpiece. There are so few masterpieces, especially in genre movies. But the view is both cogent and satisfying. Watch it, if you haven't already.

One word: CLASSIC!

[Lang-John · 10/10 · 4 April 2004]

George Pal redeems himself after the appalling special effects from "When Worlds Collide" by giving us one of the best science fiction movies from the 1950's. Without the use of Industrial Light & Magic or THX, George Pal created the near-perfect illusion of flying swan-like Martian machines attacking the Earth. (Near-perfect because you can faintly see the wires) Ann Robinson gives a BRILLIANT performance as "The damsel in distress". Sandro Giglio (from "When Worlds Collide") returns as one of the scientists. Also Leith Stevens returns from "When Worlds Collide" to provide the music. You'll notice too that some of the footage from this movie comes from "When Worlds Collide". I must add...look for George Pal & Byron Haskins as the hobos listening to the radio.

Spectacular version based on H.G.Wells novel well directed by Byron Haskin and subsequently adapted by Spielberg

[ma-cortes · 7/10 · 19 July 2005]

The picture narrates how a scientific (Gene Barry) and his sweetheart (Anne Robinson) must confront an invincible and impassive alien invasion ; neither army , nor air force or bombs manage to defeat them . No mind how many weapons are used facing them , the death dealing with the flying crafts and horrible destruction are unalterable and imperturbable . The destroyed urbanizations , the deserted towns with the inhabitants getting away and the large lethal rays which emerge from aircrafts and the martians themselves, come joined and brought to life in astounding special effects and exciting spotlights .

It is based on H.G.Wells novel that stays as landmark in the sci-fi history . However , there have been made various changes , thus the war machines in the type of walking tripods have been substituted by creepy flying saucers . Equally has been changed the location of original novel since London 1890 year to California , in year 1953 . It's an overwhelming movie but there's also a sub-plot of the wonderful couple : Gene Barry and Robinson developing a agreeable love story.

The picture deals about the survival of human being , the basic issue results to be humanity fighting an extraordinary event : a terrible martian invasion . It's an imaginative treatment of the science fiction's classic by director Byron Haskin , and producer George Pal , making fulfilment justice to the nightmarish remarks of a interplanetary war . Exceptional and breathtaking special effects of destruction caused by aliens war machines were stunningly realized by Gordon Jenning . The motion picture was competently directed by the great filmmaker Byron Haskin . The yarn'll appeal to science fiction moviegoers , it is truly a classic movie . Rating : Above average . It's essential and indispensable watching.

Science-fiction at its best.

[vip_ebriega · 10/10 · 12 May 2007]

My Take: One of the first and very best version of H.G. Wells tale of alien invasion.

George Pal's adaptation of H. G. Wells "The War of the Worlds" is, without a shed of doubt, the most influential version of the tale. Not only is it highly acclaimed, but also made an unseen mark on Hollywood on how to do sci-fi films. Wells' story have introduced a number of inventive and prophetic material and stories that has forever changed scientists' minds about our future. George Pal, though, has also shared Wells' vision, with his wide imagination and great in-touch sense on the real world. Combining his and the great author's vision, this classic was born. And a vision of grandness it was. Never has the story been shown with mind-ticking interest in this George Pal wonder. Mix an awe sense of wonder, some chilling teeth and a feel of realism, you get a classic, that would set the pattern for many other filmmakers to come.

This acclaimed adaptation is followed by many other adaptations, usually with more budget to extend Wells' vision. But only this strikes the mark of being the best. Not only as an adaptation, but also as one of the best films ever made in the genre.

Rating: ***** out of 5.

Mr. Pal's Wild Ride

[tmg380 · 6/10 · 10 December 2009]

George Pal's "War of the Worlds" shouldn't work, but it does. Transplanting H.G. Wells' Martian invasion from the English Home Counties, circa 1898, to Southern California, early 1950s, seems ill-advised enough. But larding the story with religious sensibility must have set poor H.G. spinning in his grave. The movie's air of can-do American gumption and prayerful Christianity is about as far from the mental universe of the original novel as can well be imagined. One scene even includes a square dance! But no matter: "War of the Worlds" is good, clean sci-fi fun, happily unencumbered by Earnest Messages or Weighty Philosophical Considerations.

My favorite "War of the Worlds" moment comes just before the fighting begins. Observing the Martians' landing zone from a sandbagged bunker, General Mann (Les Tremayne) intones, "They'll probably move at dawn." Never has a film cliché been delivered with such perfect pitch! And sure enough, the fighting begins right on schedule with the incineration by heat ray of the saintly Pastor Collins (Lewis Martin). The troops surrounding the landing zone are routed with great slaughter, and the next thing you know, civilization itself is on the point of collapse. Not even the atom bomb, delivered by the US Air Force's Flying Wing, can arrest the progress of the invasion. In the end, of course, the Martians are defeated—by terrestrial germs, provided courtesy of God's wisdom.

The special effects? Okay, there's nothing special there, but their very crudity lends the movie a certain period charm. The acting? Gene Barry, Ann Robinson and the rest of the cast do well enough in their undemanding roles. Don't expect much in the way of character development—like the SF pulps from which it draws inspiration, "The War of the Worlds" isn't too interested in the inner lives of its characters. It's simplistic, sensational, shallow, wide-eyed, unintentionally funny in spots—and isn't that what we sometimes want in a movie? I'll take this one over the elephantine Spielberg/Cruise version any day.

The 1953 Paramount version of the H.G. Welles classic is story is a minor masterpiece of the sci-fi genre.

[scroggs · 9/10 · 6 October 2004]

A number of commentators here have registered complaints, making what I think are unfair comparisons of the film to much later and more technically sophisticated movies, and to Welles' original short novel. I intend to address some of these issues here. BEWARE, SPOILERS AHEAD.

The screenplay by Barré Lyndon updates and relocates the story to rural California in 1953, where a supposed meteorite crashes to earth near a small town. The choice of a modern day American location versus the original late Victorian England was made partly for budgetary reasons, staging a mass exodus from Los Angeles was certainly easier for a Hollywood studio to manage than an evacuation of London. However, updating the action to the age of nuclear weapons allowed the besieged Earthlings to confront the Martian invaders with a much more powerful array of weapons than anything dreamed of in 1898. Thus when the alien fighting machines prove invulnerable even to the most advanced nuclear explosives it is much more effective visually and dramatically than if they were being fired upon by the small and relatively crude horse-drawn cannons featured in the original story.

The central character is Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry), evidently a physicist with a major California-based university, who fills in the role given to the unnamed narrator of the original story. By making him a scientist the screenplay is able to economize on characters whose only job is to provide exposition, Forrester can be both the object of the viewer's sympathies and can instantly explain some of the more dramatic elements of Martian military technology, such as the fighting machines, which rather than flying actually walk on invisible legs of magnetic force, and the devastating anti-meson plasma weapon. The narrator of the original story has to rely on extraneous characters or post-invasion scientific analysis of Martian technology to supply similar important information to the reader. Dramatically the movie's solution is more satisfying since the references in Welles' text to post-war scholarship telegraph the ending (i.e. human civilization survives) whereas the movie version could have ended with mankind's extinction without internal contradiction. One particularly satisfying point about Forrester character is, brilliant as he is, he is not the lone authority with all the answers – he is part of a highly respected team of scientists from many disciplines who jointly tackle the problem of alien invasion.

Providing the romantic foil, which Hollywood always deems to be necessary in sci-fi films, is Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Richards), a graduate in Library Science (the most misnamed academic discipline ever). She has no parallel in the Welles text except perhaps the narrator's wife, who is only referred to obliquely and has no dramatic role except as an object of longing. Sylvia is mostly ornamentation, but she does provide emotional counterweight to Forrester's cool intellectualism and curiosity.

The original story has two important secondary characters, the artilleryman and the curate. Welles uses both as vehicles for his social commentary, employing the artilleryman as a symbol of a reformed European society (i.e. a rational, scientific meritocracy without class distinctions) while the curate functions to show the weakness of religiosity in the face of mortal peril (Welles was an avowed atheist). Not only is his curate is a despicable coward; he is also a parasite who endangers his fellow humans. The artilleryman comes off somewhat better, but he is shown to be lazy dreamer rather than a true visionary, perhaps this is Welles' veiled criticism of the socialist agitators of his day who offered themselves as spokesmen for the working class yet were notably shy of personal experience as workers themselves.

The movie has no parallels to the curate and the artilleryman, except for Sylvia's uncle Mathew, the minister of a local church. In keeping with George Pal's religious optimism (faith is always a central and positive force in his body of work) Uncle Mathew offers hope and kindly guidance to his flock in the face of imminent war, helping to organize and comfort the townspeople. He also shows a remarkable curiosity about the alien invaders – an unexpected and refreshing take on the clergy considering the usual Hollywood stereotype.

Much as been made about the fighting machines as a regrettable deviation from Welles' animated tripods. Personally I think the gliding metallic manta rays (designed by master prop artist Albert Nozaki) are an improvement. When Welles pictured his tripods he evidently didn't work out how they would move. When the movie was in preproduction the tripod concept was discarded as unworkable and visually unimpressive, even comical. Granted the supporting wires are too obvious and distracting in many scenes (perhaps with a larger budget they could have been matted out), yet their stately, inexorable movement and scanning swans necks do communicate a thoroughly alien technology with no reliance on the concept of the wheel, a point Welles makes in his narrative. UPDATE -- I have since learned that the original theatrical release prints using the Techicolor process effectively masked fighting machine support wires, ergo more kudos to "War of the Worlds". I've never seen this film in Techicolor, unfortunately. This makes me long for a re-mastered DVD or Blu-Ray which has the wires obscured digitally.

My final point is the appearance of the Martians themselves. In Welles' conception the Martians are essentially body-less heads, which make and use mechanical substitutes as needed. In place of arms and hands they have tentacles. From the standpoint of a Victorian layman's thinking influenced by Darwinism, the idea of evolution producing giant brains without a supporting suite of organs might be tenable. However, more advanced research would tend to discard that notion. The movie Martians are a much more alien and more plausible with their functional bodies, three-fingered (and thumb-less) hands, and their remarkable tripled-lensed eyes.

Overall I give the movie high marks. It has little of the social commentary of Welles' novel, but it is better sci-fi, a pioneering work in the context of its times.

New home for the Martians

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 27 February 2019]

The fertile imagination of author H.G. Wells who peered into the future and saw a lot of what came to pass and was purposefully vague enough about said developments. Vagueness allowed his work to be adapted for a 1953 version from Paramount of a book written in 1897.

The original novel was set in the United Kingdom and here it is in southern California. What was thought to be meteors turn out to be space ships from Mars containing Martians whose planet's resources are being depleted and look to a fertile earth as a new home.

No big stars were used in this film it all went to a budget for George Pal and it netted an uncontested Oscar for War Of The Worlds in 1953. In subsequent remakes said effects were copies.

Gene Barry and Ann Robinson head the cast as the scientists who have an idea what might be the Martian weakness. What happens to them in the end as blind panic at the thought of the end of humankind grips the masses is frightening indeed. A lot of familiar character players are all over the cast.

For the sake of the earth both in the novel and the film and incredible failsafe mechanism from Mother Nature is the planet savior.

War Of The Worlds is dated with the advance of new technology and once again a science fiction classic does not factor in the development of the computer which was just coming into being. It's still a classic and great entertainment.

An earlier bore of the worlds

[dkncd · 1/10 · 23 October 2007]

I decided to watch this version of "The War of the Worlds" after being unimpressed by Steven Spielberg's recent remake. It follows the same basic storyline of Martians attacking the Earth, but is amazingly even more boring than the recent remake.

This film does have two commendable points, the sharp narration of Cedric Hardwicke and the special effects, which are impressive for their time. Unfortunately special effects aren't a great benefit because the film has little story beyond the fact that aliens attack the Earth and no tension, which even the Spielberg remake had at points. The acting in this film is fine, but the characters are superficial and don't help make this film interesting. However, I did learn a valuable lesson from one of the lead characters: scientists tend to have handy Geiger counters ready in their car.

The scene where the preacher walked into the field was decent, but for the most part this film is consistently boring. The religious overtones near the end of the film are laughably over-the-top as the people of America seek to survive the Martians by clustering in churches and praying. This film does have one key advantage over the more recent version: it is only 85 minutes, so it comes to its abrupt ending much sooner. However, this film resulted in George Pal having free reign to adapt other H.G. Wells novels to film. Luckily this led to the production of "The Time Machine" (1960), which is an infinitely more interesting adaptation than this film.

the little men in lime green machines

[didi-5 · 15 April 2004]

HG Wells' futuristic novel responds well to the Technicolor splashed on it in this 50s B classic. Gene Barry over emotes in the lead now and then but the martian invasion is handled very well and the tension rises to the final scenes where the surviving populace huddle in the church as the buildings crash and burn around them.

'War of the Worlds' deserves its place as both a highly regarded novel and a well-remembered movie. Byron Haskin and George Pal did a great job in visualising the apocalyptic bits of Wells' text, while still making the end result enjoyable and interesting for the viewer.

Recommended for fans of intellectualised science fiction.

Watch out for those death rays!

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 28 June 2011]

This '50s adaptation of the H. G. Wells novel transplants the action from Victorian-era Britain to a contemporary Los Angeles, doing away with the mechanical tripods in favour of hovering alien ships with heat-rays designed to evaporate the enemy. As a fine example of '50s-era science fiction, there's little to dislike here, as it's a film that set the template for many other alien invasion flicks to come: there's a chisel-jawed hero (singer Gene Barry), a pretty heroine, an indomitable foe and absolutely tons of destruction rendered in a loving fashion.

I can't help but feel that producer George Pal had a big influence on this film. From watching Pal's later movies as director, it's clear that he was blessed with two qualities: first a sense of imagination, which led him to make all manner of films with wondrous subject matters (such as ATLANTIS, THE LOST CONTINENT and my personal favourite, THE TIME MACHINE), and second a real command of special effects and an ability to integrate them into the storyline. The special effects in WAR OF THE WORLDS are wonderful and still hold up today, and the snake-like heads of those alien ships were still enough to provoke a shudder or two in this viewer.

Spielberg made the inevitable remake but that film – alternatively ponderous, sentimental and stupid – can't hold a torch to this well-remembered classic.

Probably the quintessential alien-attack film from the 1950s...

[moonspinner55 · 6/10 · 18 March 2008]

"What IS that gizmo?" Residents of a rustic town near Los Angeles have their square dance interrupted after a meteor lands in their backyard and produces aliens from Mars. H.G. Wells' story, originally (and infamously) turned into a radio show which caused widespread panic in the U.S. upon its airing, gets the sleek, handsome George Pal treatment, with exciting action and frantic human drama filmed in eye-popping color. The Martians, freezing on their planet and looking for a warmer climate, have no pity for us Earthlings, and the initial violence is cruel and unsettling. For about three-quarters of the first hour, this science-fiction package provides gripping entertainment (with folksy characters and even some joshing humor)--but once the country goes to war, we lose much of that early spirit. The hardware is beautifully designed and displayed (courtesy of the large special effects team, who won an Oscar), and the pungent commentary on the human race turning animalistic in the face of destruction is still extremely relevant. But I missed the close-knit intimacy of the first act, which leaks away too soon to make room for more wide-scale concerns. Remade in 2005. **1/2 from ****

A bit dated but still very good

[davidbeland · 7/10 · 26 August 2013]

All right, here i am again on my "fed up with CGI & remakes" odyssey.

I can barely remember the first time i saw this film because i was 5 or 6 years old back then, in the 80's. The thing i remember very well though is that i had nightmares because of this film, waking up in the middle of the night rushing to the windows with apprehensions, great memories!

Of course the effects looks dated but the sounds engineering is very effective in my opinion. One thing i like from movies of this era is that everything is straight forward, fast transitions, extra flamboyant dialogues, no fluff, perhaps not enough i might add. The montage and editing seems rushed and rough compare to today's blockbusters but it didn't bothered me at all, i've even found it refreshing and it made me realize once again how generic most of the movies are these days.

The acting is a bit stiff but it was totally expected considering the standards of the epoch, everything is black & white including the emotions, no place for ambiguity. Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry) always have the answer to everything right away, no doubt ever, he knows all and i've found that hilarious and even charming.

I had a great time watching this classic and i'm now ready for the 2005 version. That's very big shoes to fill so i have low expectations...

In one word: classic!

One word describes this classic - VIVID

[matt-96 · 9/10 · 2 May 2000]

For it's day; and, even this day, this is classic, almost perfect, masterpiece. Brilliant design work on the alien ships, incredible sound effects, and sharp, vivid colors. Pacing in this film is tight, and Barry's performance as a scientist in giddy awe of the alien's capabilities is masterful. Finally, the realism of the story telling is unrivalled in most modern science fiction films. All right, it's not true to Wells' original, but what's wrong with updating the story, especially when it is this effective.

Good Period Piece

[skallisjr · 7/10 · 19 April 2005]

I first saw this when it was released, I was in high school, and was immersed in science fiction. I thought it was so good, I convinced my father to see it.

Overall, it's a good film, entertaining, and with a prologue embellished with a Chesley Bonestell tour of the Solar System. For its time, the special effects were good, and it was relatively easy to suspend disbelief.

I still like the film. I have it on both VHS and DVD.

(Minor spoilers) One thing that was frequently present in early science fiction stories was present in the film. When the "skeleton ray" weapon is used for the first time, Dr. Forrester takes a single look at it and comes out with a detailed technical explanation of its mechanics! Also, when the Martian TV camera is carried to the lab, it's "hooked up to an epidiascope" so that the earthmen can get a Martian's point of view. An epidiascope is a passive optical projector: they might as well have hooked it up to a slide projector.

Interestingly, a YB-49 Flying Wing was used to try to nuke the Martians. That really dates the film, since that bomber was passed over to the B-36. However, it looked more like the Martian craft than any other aircraft. (Why to people say they look like swans? Check out Manta rays.) There have been far worse films. This one's still enjoyable.

In contrast to the recent Spielberg War of the Worlds, this one has a clearer plot. The scientist on vacation learns of one of the earliest invaders, and brings back data to his colleagues. He and they try to take action against the invaders, and one even discovers a hint as to how they could be defeated (the sample of the aliens' blood). The more recent film bypasses this completely, and just has the protagonist running away with his children.

War of the Worlds (1953)

[jagonzo · 10/10 · 6 January 2008]

I agree, Speilbergs remake was a disappointment. Here's what I think was wrong with the movie: 1. The dysfunctional family crap should not have been introduced into a science fiction movie. 2. Who wants to watch a movie with some ill mannered children. I went to see a science fiction movie not a movie about a smart mouth kid and a burnout making their dad's life difficult while he's trying to save their lives. 2. The basement scene with Tim Robbins never seemed to end.

The original movie is over 50 years old now but it still a great movie. In the original movie I wanted the characters to survive and triumph over the aliens but with the remake I wanted the movie to end.

Storytelling VS Special Effects

[lushgreen_2003 · 7/10 · 4 July 2006]

This original screen adaptation of H.G. Wells' classic story of interplanetary war offers plenty of special effects, and floating spaceships of death. While dated by todays standards, the effects do not detract from this film, which offers a multitude of readings into the general mindset of America during the 1950s when paranoia and the possibility of nuclear annihilation by the reds was at its highest. Though the medium's technological limitations change certain aspects of the novel, the overall themes remain. An exploration of humanity's vulnerabilities and ultimate fears that is still applicable to our contemporary world.

Sci-fi classic

[SnoopyStyle · 8/10 · 12 January 2015]

Martians have used up the resources of their planet and they're looking for other planets. A suspected meteor lands outside the Californian town of Linda Rosa. People have gathered to put out the fire and then to enjoy the sight. Noted atomic scientist Dr. Clayton Forrester who is fishing nearby comes to take a look. Sylvia van Buren teaches library science at USC. They decide to go back to town and wait for the meteor to cool down. The Martians war machine activates and starts its killing spree. Other landings occur around the world.

It is an iconic sci-fi and a marvel of its era. It is still a compelling narrative today. The special effects are fun. The miniatures are terrific. The design of the aliens are timeless. What is even better is the sound design. The alien sounds and the weapons fire are truly memorable. There is a lot of stock footage used. The wires are very much visible. Nevertheless this is not some cheap B-movie. They use some real action effects and stunts. They have lots of extras and the two leads are acceptable as actors. The battle in L.A. is no small matter. The prevalence of the religious tone is something different from the material and more fitting for the time.

I love 50s sci-fi, but this one seems overrated

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 23 May 2006]

I am a HUGE fan of 50s sci-fi. I love these movies and think most of them are highly underrated, as too many people are put off by less than perfect special effects. However, I am pretty forgiving in this area, as you simply can't compare 50s effects with modern ones--you need to put them in context for what was available for that time. And, in this regard I gotta admit this is one of the better ones as far as effects go.

On the other hand, another important thing I consider for sci-fi is entertainment and lasting value of the film. Well, in this regard, this movie falls pretty flat. While the first half of the film is well done and reasonably interesting, the final conclusion is completely LAME--just as the Earth is about to be destroyed, the aliens catch a cold and die! Talk about a silly and anti-climatic ending!!! This made me feel pretty stupid for having wasted my time with the film.

I really think the high scores might be influenced by the social importance of this H. G. Wells story--you know, how Orson Welles created a lot of havoc with his radio adaptation of WAR OF THE WORLDS. But, if you ignore this and rate the movie purely on aesthetics and entertainment, a 5 seems like a reasonable score.

Freaked Me Out

[dvanwormer23 · 24 November 2004]

Cheesy, Yes! But...

Probably the creepiest and most horrifying scenes in Filmdom was when the Martian crept up behind our heroine and clamped its tarsier-like fingers on her shoulder.

She freaked, but not immediately. She paused. Reacted to that touch. Slowly turned her head around and LOOKED at the offending appendages.

This entire moment of horror and violation took about four to six seconds.

Her mind - finally - comprehended it. IT had touched her.

Then she lost it.

One of the best screams in film history. Great acting and just overwhelming.

For that one scene, I love this movie. Creepy as hell!