I saw the new version of War of the Worlds last night. Overall I thought it was very good, although the ending seemed a bit hurried. The alien (can’t call ‘em martian anymore) tripods (war machines) are awesome, and you really get a sense of just how invincible they are.
I think Spielberg has taken a lot of cues from the book and the 1953 movie and mixed it all together really well. Of course, if you wanted to read the book, It’s in the public domain and you can get it free from Project Gutenberg. I’ve also got the double CD of Jeff Wayne’s musical version and have been listening to it all morning.
One thing: I know Spielberg wanted to make more of a ‘people and feelings’ movie but I would have liked to have seen a couple more battle sequences, perhaps one with a tripod and a warship, like the confrontation with the ironclad ‘Thunderchild’ on the album (pictured right).
July 12th, 2005 at 7:43 pm
I liked the film! I was a big fan of the 50′s flick, as well as Well’s book. Those tripods were pretty cool, though I’m sure I’m not alone in wondering why they’re EXACTLY the same as the tripods in Half-Life 2? The fog-horn sound effect and all! I’m not complaining though, I thought it was very cool, a flash back to my childhood.
July 13th, 2005 at 11:23 am
Hmm, Half-Life 2… I hadn’t though of that. They do look kind of similar. I’ve only seen screenshots – never got the game because of Valve’s stupid authentication system that requires an internet connection to unlock the game after you’ve bought it. I opted for Doom 3 and Far Cry instead.
July 13th, 2005 at 4:09 pm
Oh my god! You’ve not played HL2?? Go out and buy it now David, it’s amazing, awesome, it craps on Doom & Far-Cry from a very great height, and at considerable speed! It’s completely engaging and astonishing, the quality is something else.