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The War of the Worlds (1953) G 85 min Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller A small town in California is attacked by Martians, beginning a worldwide invasion. Earth is under attack in the chilling Cold War classic 'The War of the Worlds' (1953). In one of the greatest science fiction films of all time, invaders from another world target a small California town with autonomous probes and laser disintegration rays.
The entertainment landscape is not exactly hurting for adaptations of H.G. Wells’ alien invasion novel. We’ve got em’, from the 1938 radio drama that basically pranked the world into a panic, to Steven Spielberg‘s underrated 2005 take that saw Tom Cruise sprinting through the apocalypse. It’s a great story, and every era of human life has been linked with our general existential fear about our place in the universe. But the basic bones of Wells’ tale have also mostly been kept the same through every adaptation: Extraterrestrial life arrives on Earth in their towering three-legged fighting machines, utterly effs humanity’s day up, and are eventually defeated by the planet’s invisible pathogens. This is what makes the latest adaptation from Howard Overman—it debuted in France and now makes its way to the U.S. Via Epix—an intriguing watch, if not always an entertaining one.
Overman takes the grand sci-fi tale down to the most human level possible, trading set pieces and laser beams for a quiet contemplation of what happens after we get shot down the food chain. Image via EpixBut really, the show is often only passively interested in the invasion itself. Through the five episodes I screened, the show morphs into a sci-fi version of The Walking Dead—your mileage may vary on whether that’s a positive or a negative—in the sense that the monstrous inciting incident is an excuse to tell individual human stories. A mother named Sarah Gresham ( Sarah Gresham) tries to stay strong for her young son Tom ( Ty Tennant) and blind daughter Emily ( Daisy Edgar-Jones). Byrne’s Ward attempts to track down his missing son with his ex-wife, Helen ( Elizabeth McGovern). A criminal, Kariem ( Bayo Gbadamosi), only alive because of a robbery gone wrong, tries for a second chance in the end-times.The performances are wonderful—Edgar-Jones, in particular, is great, especially as Emily deals with a strange connection to the alien signal—but the show brings these characters together at a glacial pace.
I cannot stress enough how subdued this adaptation is, and when it’s not exactly working it’s drier than asphalt with a grey color palette to match. There’s nothing wrong with quiet contemplation, and the various avenues through which War of the Worlds deals with trauma are often heartwrenching, but there’s also a difference between exploring grief and stewing in it. Image via EpixThe benefit of all that quiet, though, is that it does amplify the bigger moments. I’m not sure how long you’ll stick around, but the premiere episode is a must-watch for the sheer panic-attack hysteria of the invasion itself.
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It’s a rapid-cut, sweat-inducing freakout on a large scale pulled off to perfection by director Gilles Coulier. From that point on, War of the Worlds’ horror elements are much smaller, but equally effective.
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You don’t see the robot dogs in full until deep into the series; mostly it’s mechanical clanks from around a shadowy corner or a quick flash above a roof-top. (The machines also have a retractable cattle gun-esque rod that extends from its “face”, which I choose to believe is a shout-out to Alien.)Overall, this take on War of the Worlds isn’t the most heart-pumping but it does take the material to places it’s never been. That “war” between worlds has always been more like a slaughter. Overman’s version of the story is less about fighting back against an enemy than it is just trying to salvage something worth saving from the wreckage.Rating: ★★★ Good — Proceed with cautious optimismWar of the Worlds premieres on Epix on Sunday, February 16.
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Quotes first lines: voiceoverIn the First World War, and for the first time in the history of man, nations combined to fight against nations using the crude weapons of those days. The Second World War involved every continent on the globe, and men turned to science for new devices of warfare, which reached an unparalleled peak in their capacity for destruction. And now, fought with the terrible weapons of super-science, menacing all mankind and every creature on the Earth comes the War of the Worlds.». 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. 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!
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