War of the Worlds starring Tom Cruise

[avaunt]

Now THAT'S a political statement.<br /><br />Quite true.<br /><br />Sadly, it was also VERY MUCH A SELFISH SPOILER OF THE IMPORTANT PARTS OF THE MOVIE !<br /><br />Please fix it, if you can<br />

 

[spacefire]

interesting, didn't think about making the analogy with Iraq. <br /><br /><br />to stop the tripods, I can't understand why Old fashoined tactical nukes didn't work, dropped at their feet. You saw that th legs didn't have any shields, from the grenade scene. <br />There's no material in the universe that can withstand a nuclear blast.<br /><br /><br />Moral: Humans are stupiod, Aliens are ever more stupid, elect me as your ruler if you want to not eat ass for the rest of your lives! <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[aaron38]

Avaunt,<br /><br />I added a spoiler warning. Sorry, but I don't think it's selfish to discuss a film on a film discussion thread.<br /><br />I figured everyone reading this thread would have either already seen the film or would expect spoilers.<br /><br />I purposfully stayed away until I'd seen the film, to not read the spoilers.

 

[serak_the_preparer]

<i>Trouble is, some market research suits probably told Spielberg and the producers that an "old fashioned" looking Science Fiction film wouldn't sell to todays dumbed-down mass audience.</i><br /><br />You're probably right. Still, those suits should have taken a look at <i>Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow</i>. Or <i>Excalibur</i>. Or - going a little farther back in time - Biblical movies such as <i>The Robe</i> and <i>Ben Hur</i>. It can be done.<br /><br /><i>The only thing that would've got me to see this would be if it were a period piece.</i><br /><br />I agree that could have been interesting, even exciting, if handled properly.<br /><br />Ages ago, I recall seeing a science fiction movie which, I think, took place in London. A new tunnel is being dug for the London Underground, and they strike something their digging equipment is unable to so much as scratch: a black shiny metallic surface. It later turns out, of course, that the metallic surface belongs to a buried alien spacecraft. The aliens were telepathic, having the appearance of gigantic locusts - menacing, quite predatory and evil, as I recall. The sleeping evil is, of course, awoken and Earth must fend off an assault somewhat reminiscent of <i>War of the Worlds</i>.<br /><br />Anyway, I mention this old science fiction film since I now wonder if Spielberg has seen this movie and might have been drawn to the idea of an alien menace lurking just out of view on our Earth these many millennia, biding its time, awaiting the right trigger. My inclination is to suspect he grew up on a lot of the same science fiction fare to which I was also introduced decades ago.<br /><br />There's plenty of good untapped science fiction out there, however. Spielberg could have left this story untouched and brought something else entirely new to the screen. Instead, he chose to update a classic. That being done, he had two obvious options: (1) he could try to shoot the same movie Pal did, only better - the period

 

[avaunt]

ok mate. It is normal here, for people to discuss the film sort of thematically, and broadly, and then when they are going to give something away, to write SPOILERS.<br /><br />I bit a little loudly at you, because actually you said one thing too much for me, and now I won't be able to bear sitting in the movie. *shrug* I know you didn't mean it, and accept what you say about it being silly for me to have looked at such a thread. I guess I am a bit like that though.<br /><br /> All it needed was one new person like yourself, to come along not knowing the accidental rules we have sort of formed here.<br /><br />No hard feelings, I hope. <br /><br />( I WAS going, simply to reward Mr Cruise for the way he handled that bloke that squirted him. )

 

[flynn]

Serak_the_Preparer<br /><br />That'll be Quartermass and the pit. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[flynn]

*Spoiler*<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p><br />The aliens are shielded, unstoppable and eating people. Now we hear that a few have been stopped in Japan somehow. Now what is Japan? Home of the Kamakazee.<p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br /><br />Dunno, there is a connection there, especially in view with how cruise took one out, however when it was said I thought it was just meant to soung like a insane rant, kinda in the same vain as the book. Now I'm not so sure, you may be right. I hope not because that way its incredibly cheesy. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

indeed, that is Quatermass and the Pit (aka Five Billion Years to Earth), an excellent movie.<br /><br />saw War of the Worlds this weekend, definitely worth seeing, pretty intense but as pointed out by many here has many plot holes and elements which dont quite stand to serious scifi scrutiny.<br /><br />SPOILERS<br />- the kid should have died. skip the "happy" ending and really convey a true sense of loss<br /><br />- Iraq did come to mind, for the same reasons mentioned before: the occupation comment, although it predates Iraq, triggered the passing association right away. and justified suicide bombings as the solution to the alien invasion was likewise foremost on my mind. I took it further and speculated how the aliens would adapt to such tactics, had they not been killed by germs. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

SPOILERS continued<br /><br />"The aliens are shielded, unstoppable and eating people. Now we hear that a few have been stopped in Japan somehow. Now what is Japan? Home of the Kamakazee."<br /><br />I would have thought the aliens taking care of the middle east would have gotten bit first with that one (and make an harder political, non-PC statement if that was the intention).<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[spacefire]

maybe they didn't attack the middle east, since they figured that the rest of the world hates their guts, the aliens should make them their allies.<br />Been turning around in my head some similar ideas for a book, but decided to twist it and place Earthlings as the technologically advanced race that visits an alien world and causes discord. If I ever finish the book it will kick ass! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

more spoiling...<br /><br />or maybe the middle east is too dry for their bloody creepers, whatever those were <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[flynn]

or maybe it just didn't mention that they were in the Middle East, just as they didn't mention they were in India, Australia .... .... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[tom_hobbes]

Not many average Joes are too concerned with current events abroad at the best of times... <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[serak_the_preparer]

Flynn,<br /><br />Thanks!<br /><br />It was so long ago, I no longer feel I can accurately guage how good the movie was, but I remember it today, which says something. As I recall, it had an almost Lovecraftian feel to it. The threat posed by the aliens was as much a supernatural thing as anything else - at least, according to the faded memories I have.<br /><br />So I suppose if we ever do find a buried alien spacecraft, we should take it as read that there is a sign on it (even if we have trouble seeing it at first):<br /><br />'Handle With Care'<br /><img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" />

 

[lunatio_gordin]

I saw it today. it was really good, but Tom cruise was mediocre, IMO.<br />Some spoilers, now. (a word to people who haven't seen yet, maybe avoid clicking on the thread until you have. It's really hard not to get a spoiler if you're reading about a movie on the internet.)<br /><br /><br />Well, i don't know about the people in the cage, but i thought of the grenade way before them. Seemed pretty obvious. but i guess they don't watch many movies.<br />it also bothered me how everyone completely ignored the news reports, and that NO ONE in the entire city knew anything about EMPs, even though i imagine that's all the news talked about.<br />And It bothered me that they never used the word "martians" and they didn't say that they ran from the cold virus.<br />But really, i didn't notice the japanese kamikaze thing. that's pretty cool that you picked that out. But i did realize the occupation comment.<br />It was kind of sad watching how people behaved, i imagine in reality it would have been far worse... I thought the guy on the plane was a looter. there probably would have been a lot. Also, it seemed stupid of cruise's character to move TOWARDs population centers. Thing to do is get away, to an empty countryside, or hide out in mountains and caves. come on, did he really think he could get on the ferry?

 

[flynn]

The Aliens were pretty cheesey in Quartermass, no expense spared.<br /><br /><br /><br />Spoiler.<br />As for Cruise heading to Boston, I think his son hit the nail on the head, He was trying to get his kids to their mother to shed his responsibility. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[wmdragon]

"The Aliens were pretty cheesey in Quartermass, no expense spared."<br /><br />yup, stinky grasshoppers!<br /><br />question about War of the Worlds (spoiler):<br /><br />I missed parts of the dialogue when Cruise runs into the looting news crew. the woman said the cameraman had been saved by carrying the camera? what did she mean?<br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p> </p><p><font color="#993366"><em>The only laws of matter are those which our minds must fabricate, and the only laws of mind are fabricated for it by matter.</em> <br /> --- James Clerk Maxwell</font></p> </div>

 

[flynn]

SPOILER<br /><br /><br />The bloke had been deafend, I guess he was sheilded by the camera. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[spacefire]

I still think about parts of the movie. I was really impressed by it. I will probably buy it when it comes out on DVD, hope it has lots of nice extras.<br /><br /><br />Seems that in the War of the Worlds Universe Star Wars was never filmed. Otherwise, everyone would know that the way to stop giant walking machines is to fly around their feet with a long piece of wire!!! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p>http://asteroid-invasion.blogspot.com</p><p>http://www.solvengineer.com/asteroid-invasion.html </p><p> </p> </div>

 

[flynn]

Or set little 2' furry creatures get them for us. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[tom_hobbes]

Yeah, they better not try that sh!t on Endor...<img src="/images/icons/wink.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p><font size="2" color="#339966"> I wish I could remember<br /> But my selective memory<br /> Won't let me</font><font size="2" color="#99cc00"> </font><font size="3" color="#339966"><font size="2">- </font></font><font size="1" color="#339966">Mark Oliver Everett</font></p><p> </p> </div>

 

[flynn]

ROTFLMAO! <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[lunatio_gordin]

i know. it seemed REALLY obvious to go for the legs. as soon as the missiles hit and you could see the force field was only around the body, i was yelling at him to hit the legs.<br />Man, in our theater, everyone was YELLING REALLY LOUD and clapping during scenes. it was really annoying because the people were sitting in the same row as me...

 

[flynn]

I get sh***y if I can hear someone rattling pop-corn.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <font color="#800080">"All God does is watch us and kill us when we get boring. We must never, ever be boring" - <strong>Chuck Palahniuk</strong>.</font> </div>

 

[beartooth]

I don't know, I'm such a fan of the original book and 1950s 'B' movies I'd be disapointed if the film didn't employ Martians. <br /><br />You're right. Some things should be kept as they were.