[MOPO] 2 bits worth of War of the Worlds

[JR]

Violating my normal procedures, I popped for first run tickets tonight to WAR OF THE WORLDS. My reaction? Well, it's pretty strange... depending on what specific scene or sequence, I can completely agree with *everything* that has been said on this list about this picture -- both the positive and the negative!   Which is to say:   I thought the first two-thirds of the picture a flamin' masterpiece. Just about everyone over 11 years old should see it. It is dynamite film-making and creates visual and emotional effects I don't think any other film has ever achieved to this extent. Extremely well done all around (provided you suspend your disbelief and go along with the basic idea. If you're going to nit pick the internal logic of what's going on, you might as well save your money and turn back at the theater door, Roger Ebert).   And I'm not just talking about the effects. I think the acting and writing in the first two-thirds are fine, equal to any film around this year in or out of the sci-fi genre.   Then comes the last third, and while it is still great, a few things do start to go a little awry. But you know, now that I think back on when I read the original novel by H.G. Wells (written in 1898) I do recall that the same thing happened when I got to the last third of the book. It became a bit disjointed, a little preachy, slightly distracting and seemed to break the flow a bit, even though I could see that it was necessary to the continuation of the plot. Even so, somehow I just didn't like that part of the book as much as the first two thirds. Same thing happens for me in Spielberg's film (which holds remarkably true to the book, even though the time-frame has been moved up 100 years and relocated from Victorian England to modern day New Jersey and the single-man protagonist is now joined in his perilous flight by a teenaged son and 12-year old daughter).   For me, those scenes in the last basement went on too long. They got pretty hard to swallow at some points, even with one's disbelief fully suspended. And Cruise's acting, which was fine at first, does finally crack under the strain and he does deliver some truly overdone moments. The rest of the cast continues to hold up -- and in all fairness, Cruise is carrying the main load for almost 2 hours -- it is his face we see so very much of the time. But still, one can only do so much with wide-eyed terror-stricken panic. At some point you've got to start mixing in some grim determination... some calculation and resolve... or even just plain fatigue. Something more. If you don't, you are in danger of becoming a self-caricature. By the end of the film, Cruise gets perilously close to this a couple of times (but just a couple). I blame Spielberg for not catching this and reigning him in or helping him expand the psychological and emotional range a bit. That's his responsibility as director and although he has done a magnificent job overall, I think he slipped up in this area just a touch.   The ending? Brilliant --and perfectly in line with Well's original -- and then blemished (only a little) because Spielberg just couldn't resist one final splash of pixie dust.   Whew... it's hard to write a review without giving away too much. What the heck... if you don't know by now : Its about a really, truly, extremely bad alien invasion in which all of humanity is nearly wiped out. Hey, go see this thing on the big screen with the big sound and all... it's the best show in town!   --JR   Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.