Regular Price $12.98

Starring: Tom Cruise,  Dakota Fanning,  Miranda Otto,  Justin Chatwin,  Tim Robbins, 
Directed By: Steven Spielberg, 
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Release Date: 2005-06-29
Studio: Dreamworks Video
Format: AC-3,  Closed-captioned,  Color,  Dolby,  DTS Surround Sound,  Dubbed,  DVD-Video,  Full Screen,  Subtitled,  NTSC, 

Editorial Reviews and DVD Information about War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition)

Product Description
Dreamworks War of the Worlds (Full Screen)
Ray Ferrier is a working class man living in New Jersey. He's estranged from his family, his life isn't in order, and he's too caught up with himself. But the unthinkable and, ultimately, the unexpected happens to him in an extraordinary sense. His small town life is shaken violently by the arrival of destructive intruders: Aliens which have come en masse to destroy Earth. As they plow through the country in a wave of mass destruction and violence, Ray must come to the defense of his children. As the world must fend for itself by a new and very advanced enemynot of this world, it's inhabitants must save humanity from a far greater force that threatens to destroy it.
Starring: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin, Miranda Otto, Tim Robbins

Amazon.com
Despite super effects, a huge budget, and the cinematic pedigree of alien-happy Steven Spielberg, this take on H.G. Wells's novel is basically a horror film packaged as a sci-fi thrill ride. Instead of a mad slasher, however, Spielberg (along with writers Josh Friedman & David Koepp) utilizes aliens hell-bent on quickly destroying humanity, and the terrifying results that prey upon adult fears, especially in the post-9/11 world. The realistic results could be a new genre, the grim popcorn thriller; often you feel like you're watching Schindler's List more than Spielberg's other thrill-machine movies (Jaws, Jurassic Park). The film centers on Ray Ferrier, a divorced father (Tom Cruise, oh so comfortable) who witnesses one giant craft destroy his New Jersey town and soon is on the road with his teen son (Justin Chatwin) and preteen daughter (Dakota Fanning) in tow, trying to keep ahead of the invasion. The film is, of course, impeccably designed and produced by Spielberg's usual crew of A-class talent. The aliens are genuinely scary, even when the film--like the novel--spends a good chunk of time in a basement. Readers of the book (or viewers of the deft 1953 adaptation) will note the variation of whom and how the aliens come to Earth, which poses some logistical problems. The film opens and closes with narration from the novel read by Morgan Freeman, but Spielberg could have adapted Orson Welles's words from the famous Halloween Eve 1938 radio broadcast: "We couldn't soap all your windows and steal all your garden gates by tomorrow night, so we did the best next thing: we annihilated the world." --Doug Thomas

Customer Reviews for War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition)

A Screaming Nightmare
The real horror of this very minor Stephen Spielberg effort is the relentless, never-ending shrieking and screaming and whining of Dakota Fanning. She's the daughter of Tom Cruise who is forever cradling and holding the little shrieking brat. What most movie-goers certainly wanted was for Cruise to give her a good smack to shut her up. Equally as irritating is Cruise's creepy son who is so asinine and repellant that he's another character who needs a good smack or two. They have endless arguments, even when the alien monsters are literally at their heels. During the scene when the aliens are racing closer, the son screams at Tom for being a lousy father and therefore it's time for sonny boy to join the military. While this is going on, the shrieking daughter has wandered out into the woods where she sees bodies floating in the river and of course this gives the screamer a chance to exercise her lungs again.

The big basement scene was effectie with the monsters actually showing themselves--yet,again, the atmosphere of terror was dissipated when Cruise argues with the house owner over the owner's desire to fire upon the intruders. While the creepy aliens are moving all over the basement, the two men are still arguing and we all have the fierce desire to give Cruise a big slap on his boyish face.

The ending is so terrible that you watch it dumbfounded and asking yourself: can this be real? Although most of Boston has been devastated by the aliens, the sole remaining house just happens to be untouched and who should come bounding down the steps but Cruise's ex-wife and Tom's irritating brat of a son. Cruise stands dramatically still and awe_struck while the viewer has by now drifted off into a catatonic stupor>War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition)

Better than the Original
I was concerned that this movie might not be good because of some reviews. Now that I've seen it, I think their criticism is utter nonsense. This is a spectacular summer blockbuster type of movie. Everything you'd want is there: lots of big action scenes, great aliens, great story & acting, etc. I like it better than the original movie. Unlike most movies, I feel like I could watch & enjoy this one again. The alien death machines and their plan of attack were not strictly logical, but they were nightmarish and scary, which is even better. I wouldn't mind having one of those death machines to disintegrate some people I know :) I really disliked the teenage son. I was glad when it seemed like he died. Boy was he a jerk. Dakota Fanning wasn't as annoying as I thought she'd be. I loved how cold, intense, and merciless the aliens are. This movie rules. It's one of my favorite DVD's.
War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition)

very good invasion of the monsters flick
I have long been a fan of the 50s version of this novel, which brought frightening possibilities to my Cold-War era child's mind. To be honest, I saw little point in remaking such a perfect film (definitely 5 stars), so I balked at getting this one until the price was so low I could own rather than rent it for nearly the same price.

When we played it, I was very happy with the new adaptation. Cruise is really good as a flawed, struggling divorcee: he can scarcely cope with real life as it is, and suddenly he is confronted with a truly terrifying menace. His children are also excellent actors, in particular the rebellious son who goes his own way and uncannily resembles Cruise. There is also Tim Robbins, whose defiant ranting is such a convincing counter-poise to the cautious Cruise as survivor.

Of course, the special effects are simply spectacular, and as in so many contemporary films almost a distraction from the plot. I particularly liked the aliens' attempt to re-make the ecology of Earth in their grizzly manner.

Warmly recommended. This is a better than average remake that sticks to the book's original themes and the acting is outstanding. There is a wonderful theme of man at his worst throughout the film, but it is also excellent hard scifi with innumerable unexplained details that the viewer's imagination can fill in.War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition)

Too little "War", Too much Real "World".
I can't say that I love this movie, although parts of this movie are pretty awesome.

The whole story is told from Cruise's viewpoint. But imagine if they had done more besides that, and had given us awesome shots of overall distruction, with tripods laying waste to all areas of the planet. Now that would have been a sci-fi fanboy's wet dream. But No! Instead, Steven S. throws in all the corny schmaltz that he is famous for, thereby diluting the whole thing. So what we get is, while the war is going on in the background, we have the father and son arguing in the foreground. Corny!

The whole basement scene just doesn't hold up to repeat viewings, and I definitely skip to the next chapter on that one. The basement scene, however, does give us the chance to see the alien tentacle and the aliens themselves, but the film seems to hit a speedbump in the basement and the film just slows to a crawl.

And of course, we have the happy ending tacked on at the end, which seems completely out of place with the rest of the movie. Spoiler question: If the son ran into the battle and the whole place erupted into flames distroying the Army, just how the heck did he show up at the end? Pretty dumb, and lame too. Besides, that darn kid is so annoying - I wish one of the tripods had picked him up and made blood fertilizer out of him.

And speaking of annoying, that darn Dakota Fanning just screams throughout the whole darn movie, and just gives you a headache. There is nothing more annoying than a screaming child. Man, I wish a tripod had gotten ahold of her as well, just so she would finally shut the heck up.

People generally agree that the ending is anti-climactic, but I do have to point out that we get not one, but two climaxes before that ending: when Ray single-handedly brings down a tripod, and again when the Army does the same. Still, if the movie had guts, the teenage boy would have been toast at the end.

Everyone has already pointed out the working camcorder in the beginning. But here's another one: Why did the tripod put a guy on the ground to stick their alien needle into him, when they could have done the same in their basket directly under the tripod? I guess the tripod just wanted to give Steven S. a Kodak moment. And of course, we can see the blood travelling up the tentacle. Can anyone say Gratuitous Shocking moment?

But though it all, I still like this film. And what a juxtaposition to 9/11. If you watch this movie, then go to YouTube and watch videos of the real 9/11, you will see where S.S. completely lifted moments from that national tragedy.

I'm no Cruise fan, but I like him here. He's better playing a jerk, maybe because it's not such a stretch for him.

And nice to see the stars of the original WOTW in a quick shot as the in-laws at the end.

I don't love it, but man, I sure do seem to enjoy sticking it in my dvd player every now and then and watching parts of it with the volume at full.

War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition)

At least he doesn't jump up and down on the aliens couch!!!
"I'm in love!!!"
"I'm in love!!!"
"I'm in love!!!"
Too bad Oprah didn't have a laser from the movie.
BAAM!!!
Oh yeah, the movie?
It was pretty good, Tom even avoids acting like a complete moron.
It's a little short on story but big on special effects.
But for a popcorn movie, you really can't do any better than this.
The fx are just amazing, yes I know, good fx don't make a good movie.
FX aside, it's still a pretty good movie.
The acting is good, the script is good, and well, I already went on and on about the fx.
Do yourself a favor and rent this with a big tub of popcorn.
Sit back and enjoy the explosions.
Recommended!War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition)

Customers who bought War of the Worlds (Full Screen Edition) also bought:

Featured DVD's

• Action & Adventure
• Anime & Manga
• Art House & International
• Classics
• Comedy
• Cult Movies

• Drama
• Gay & Lesbian
• Horror
• Kids & Family
• Musicals