'War of the Worlds' has great effects, no soul

Orson Welles scared the country witless with his now infamous Halloween radio play that was taken seriously by the public in 1938 as war was brewing in Europe.

In the 1950s, when the original film version was made, it was the Communists and “the bomb” we were afraid of.

With his update of “War of the Worlds,” director Steven Spielberg is playing off the rampant terror and malaise that holds the post 9/11 world in its sway: the threat of more terrorist attacks. This film is the most blatantly 9/11-related piece of work to date and is also one of Spielberg’s least satisfying films. I was going to say “worst” but that’s not really the case. Taken as a series of unrelated scenes – and speaking from a technical perspective – “War of the Worlds” is state-of-the-art.

But a series of scenes does not a movie make, and Spielberg strays widely from his form. It’s a joyless film, and we really don’t care much about, or for, any of the characters.

Tom Cruise is Ray Ferrier, a divorced New Jersey dockworker who keeps his two kids on weekends. On the weekend featured in the film, a big storm brews over Bayonne. The usual meteorological patterns are somewhat askew. The wind is blowing toward the storm and as lightning hits the same spot about 28 times, there’s no accompanying thunder.

When the storm subsides, cars, trains, watches – pretty much everything mechanical – stops working.

Ray and everyone else in the immediate vicinity begin moving toward ground zero. When they get there, the earth starts to rumble and a huge mechanical device burrows its way up out of the ground. The thing goes on a rampage and begins zapping people as they flee in a justifiable panic. It’s soon discovered that there are hundreds more of these tripod giants all around the globe.

“Is it the terrorists?” screams Ray’s daughter Rachel. Poor Dakota Fanning. The best young actress around is reduced to wooden lines and far too many hysterical screams. And she gives the second best performance in the film.

Tim Robbins gets top honors, but despite the fact he’s great, his character – a crazed survivalist who is hell-bent on fighting the aliens – and the entire scenario involving him are completely superfluous.

Ray, Rachel and Ray’s son, Robbie, head out for Boston in the only vehicle anywhere on the East Coast that is running. The scariest scenes in the film are when human nature takes over and a mob attacks the van.

The trip to Boston – that’s where the kids’ mom and stepdad are – is an ugly one and we learn more about the aliens and the purpose of the invasion. The problem is, none of it makes sense. We learn that this attack has been planned for millions of years, but to what end? Are the aliens sucking human blood and spewing it back out on the land for a purpose, or are they just getting some kicks?

After nearly two hours of explosions, mayhem, destruction and lots of bloodsucking, “War of the Worlds” abruptly ends with something less than a whimper.

Wait for the DVD and ogle the special effects. In the meantime, seek out a copy of the 1953 film version. It makes sense and has a soul.

Jim Wunderle owns Wunderle Sound Services and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.

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