War of the Worlds

"Who would have believed, in the last years of the Nineteenth Century, the Human affairs were being watched for the timeless worlds of Space"

Thus begins, on the record version least ways, the story of the War of the Worlds - by H. G. Wells.

To say that this is possibly (or should I say, most likely; probably), my all time favourite Sci-Fi story could just be the understatement of the day..

I have been enthralled by the whole image of an Alien invasion every since I can remember.

The Book, the films.... the whole thing as held a life long fascination. I hadn't realised until this morning (although I suspect I should have known better) the range of Internet resources for this epic. A general Information site, one for the latest Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise version.

As some of you may recall, a wee while ago I did post comment about this "fascination", just as they announced the making of the latest film. And it is this new film (or, more accurately, the DVD) that this posting is about.

 

Last night turned into a Lads night in, so too speak. My beloved wife and Daughter had gone out to a local Drama group production of something or other, so that left myself and my Son.

As the DVD had been sat on the TV top, for a couple of days, we gave the new , reasonably priced, home theatre system a whirl.

It was a good night in. Laughs (strangely), nattering about this and that.
How we thought the film caught the spirit of the book?
How was the acting?
Was it a half decent film in its own right?

I must be honest, I enjoyed the film more than I expected. I had got it into my mind that any Spielberg/Cruise combination was going to turn a good story into the usual Hollywood mistake.
And, to some extent it was - it was certainly a Hollywood adaption. Modern day US setting. Hummers, Attack Helicopters, Tanks. The Thunderchild section of the book (the attempt to escape the Martians by sea) was, sort of, turned into an attempted crossing on a ferry across the Hudson.

But ( and it is a good hefty BUT) the film was a pretty good watch. I enjoyed it. My lad enjoyed it. We gave it an 8.5 out of 10 (and it was a lot better, in my opinion least-ways, that the 1953, George Pal version - which I also like, but for differing reasons)