Written by James M. Tate / 4/26/2012 / 1 Comment / action , based on literature , fifties , science-fiction
THE ORIGINAL WAR OF THE WORLDS
year: 1953 rating: ***1/2 |
Ingénue Ann Robinson, as Sylvia, provides the right amount of breathy starry-eyed reaction. The best scene involves the duo hiding in a cottage while a metallic tentacle with multi-colored eyes enters like a serpent.
Director Bryon Haskin wields spooky shadows to make up for what Spielberg over-saturated with overblown computer effects. But that doesn’t mean the monstrous aliens destroying towns with laser beams don’t look cool here, effectively establishing a world about to be pummeled to oblivion. Through use of expository narration and makeshift scientific dialogue, suspense builds with a “Six days they will have taken over the world” warning – but our story quickly ends with a memorable shot of Barry and Robinson clutching each other within a dusty church.
This is an exciting and fun disaster flick that Spielberg grew up adoring – he’s used the character name “Sylvia” several times in homage of his favorite scream queen Robinson – but he could have learned something from it. No matter how bad things get, the audience should have at least a little hope. What’s the purpose of an inevitable victory if you don’t enjoy the struggle to get there?
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