War of the Worlds

WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005) - July 1, 2005
I didn't realize Steven Spielberg was even capable of making a movie this good anymore. This is easily his best film since Jurassic Park, and his first movie since then that doesn't feel oppressively overlong (it is perhaps a tad on the long side, but in this case that's a minor complaint). The scenes where the aliens attack, particularly the first one, are really well done and quite riveting. The characters aren't all that great, but they serve their purpose of moving the movie along from one big set-piece to the next. Steven Spielberg proves here that when he wants to be, he is still the master of big-screen spectacle. If only the stuff in between the action had been better, this could have been an instant classic. ***1/2