War of the Worlds (2005)

Maailmojen sota / Världarnas krig. US (c) 2005 Paramount Pictures. PC: Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Amblin Entertainment, Cruise/Wagner Productions. P: Kathleen Kennedy, Paula Wagner, Colin Wilson. D: Steven Spielberg. SC: Josh Friedman, David Koepp - based on the novel by H.G. Wells (1898). DP: Janusz Kaminski - 1,85:1. PD: Rick Carter, AD: Tony Fanning, Andrew Menzies, Edward Pisoni, Tom Warren, set dec.: Anne Kuljian. Visual effects and animation: Industrial Light and Magic. Models: Stan Winston Studios. More FX: Harlow Effects. M: John Williams. "Little Deuce Coupe" sung by Tom Cruise. S: Richard King. ED: Michael Kahn. Starring Tom Cruise (Ray Ferrier), Dakota Fanning (Rachel), Justin Chatwin (Robbie), Miranda Otto (Mary Ann), Tim Robbins (Harlan Ogilvy). MPAA 41830. 116'. Digital look. A Buena Vista International Finland release with Finnish / Swedish subtitles by Marko Hartama / Saliven Gustavson. Viewed on Friday, 22 July 2005, at Tennispalatsi 2, Helsinki. Spielberg's first true catastrophe film, and another dystopian scifi film from him. His first scifi films were Utopian: Close Encounters and E.T. were about benevolent contacts with life in outer space. Later his views darkened: Jurassic Park and A.I. warned about human tampering with life. This film is a continuation of the 1950s military scifi trend, which resurfaced in films such as Independence Day and Mars Attacks! For the first time in a Spielberg film the aliens are evil. An expert job technically, darkly stylish visually, well-paced in its storytelling. What makes the difference is the human core. The main characters are not idealized but flawed human beings. Tom Cruise is more interesting as the dysfunctional divorced father as in his Mission Impossible roles. He and his daughter and son all face the incredible and Spielberg and his team focus on their psychological development, which makes this film stand out from many other big budget catastrophe event pictures. They don't let the digital fireworks overwhelm the human story.