FILMBRATS - REVIEWS

Aliens come down from outer space and attempt a hostile takeover of our planet. They have big ships whose force fields destroy any projectiles before they even come close to the vessels, comprehensively sweeping probes so that there’s no place to hide, and deadly laser weapons that will vaporize you upon contact. But Director Steven Spielberg wants you to believe that’s just a side story. The real focus of attention is on a somewhat deadbeat dad who is forced to grow up instantly in order to save his kids (that he’s watching for the weekend) from these horrible attacks on our society. But he obviously isn’t growing much, because his ultimate goal is to travel from New Jersey to Boston where the mother is hopefully staying. Everything will be fine if we can just get you kids to mommy.

Unfortunately, putting family first doesn’t exactly get the entertainment sparks flying as much as giant alien creatures with ray guns demolishing the planet. A big part of the problem is the way the relationships were handled on screen. The script, written by Josh “Chain Reaction” Friedman and the hit and miss David Koepp, tries to establish way too much backstory within the first ten minutes without actually revealing any of it. There’s so much allusion in the set-up that you almost feel like you miss something. In fact, the whole movie up to the alien invasion is extremely boring and poorly constructed to the point of being laughable…but not in the way they intended. Here’s a little tip for the filmmakers, comic relief should come after tense moments. Don’t blow your wads at the beginning. Then add to all of this a couple of the dad’s buddies that come out of nowhere while he roams the streets. They hang around just long enough to get screen time they can brag to their friends about, but they don’t serve any purpose and it was off-putting to inexplicably see them and have them vanish.

There are all kinds of horrible plot points or holes to be found here. For instance, the lightning storm that plants the alien ships underground disrupts all electrical and almost every mechanical device. However, a few shots later, you can clearly see a man using a working camcorder. Oh, and Ray, the dad (played by Tom Cruise), apparently knows how to get a car up and running, but no other mechanics can ever figure it out? I love the convenient paths the stalled cars and rubble form for him, too. And don’t even get me started on the ending. Look, there’s a difference between a mindless action flick that allows you to become immersed in the fun and excitement of what’s going on and a stupid action flick that all but forces you to point out all the crappy flaws that draw you out of having a good time. This is just pure and simple sloppiness.

One last little burst of hate before I spout off the good attributes of the film – the son character pissed me off. Robbie, played by Justin Chatwin (“Superbabies: Baby Geniuses 2”), was simply a stereotypical ball of teenage angst without direction or true motivation. He was the embodiment of frustration, not only for his generation (supposedly), but also for us poor creatures watching him be an irrational tool. The rest of the acting was actually pretty good. I’m not a Cruise hater, and I think he did here what he does best, and that is staying natural. His performance is largely low key but still includes those rare bursts of awkward over-emotion that keeps him from truly being recognized as a great actor. Dakota Fanning reinforces the theory that she’s really just a robot or alien sent here to act. She’s too grown up for her age, both in her abilities and for this character. I’d have much preferred a Jonathan Lipnicki/”Jerry Maguire” type innocent than an eleven-going-on-forty-year-old kid. But, she’s a good young actress who gives another strong performance here. Morgan Freeman also enters the fray as the narrator that book ends the whole thing. As the go to voice of God (“Bruce Almighty,” “March of the Penguins”), he wraps the whole thing up for you nice and neat, although despite my vocal request, he does not tell you what the hell happened to the son after he joins the army by literally chasing them down and hopping on their truck.

The special effects were pretty good. The gritty atmosphere lent itself well to all the dust and debris, which helped cover up any computer generated eyesores. There were a few obvious green screen compositions, but for the most part, it looked smooth. The destruction and action was virtually non-stop (except for when they were trapped in a basement trying to escape a few waves of scanning devices) and it was a blast to watch. You can’t go wrong with vaporizing humans. I wanted more of that. I wanted to see this type of damage and invasion on the larger scale. After all, it is “War of the Worlds,” not “War of Ray’s Family.”

The movie is about on par with “The Day After Tomorrow.” The both have the lame, pointless storyline about a father on a meaningless quest to reach another family member. And they both deal with the destruction of the world, yet glance over that very subject (which brings people into the theater to begin with). If you want to see a modern alien invasion picture that deals with the family side of things more effectively, then go see “Signs.” If you’re looking for more on the action adventure side, then “Independence Day” would be where it’s at. As far as this war goes, become a conscientious objector.

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