War Of The Worlds

The famous book by H.G. Wells that reached more fame when developed into a radio show, has numerous times been adapted to various movies, TV series and even comics, has received another toast. Steven Spielberg decided to give the decidedly popular story another treatment, with Tom Cruise as the frontman in a role which does not depict him as a hero in the ususal Hollywood-style sense, well, at least, in comparison to most of his previous movies.
Tom Cruise plays a divorcee given the kids for the weekend while the mother and her new husband go to Boston; just in time to catch a live show of the aliens attacking and annihilating all humans in sight. The plot follows not the hero, or the military, or whatever scientific whiz that usually is part of the resistance towards alien invasion, but it follows Tom Cruise's character during attacks (and sometimes oh-so-too-lucky escapes from alien encounters) and travelling, hiding as refugees from the aliens. The movie, light M. Night Shaymalan's Signs starring Mel Gibson, takes the story of alien invasion as a background to the drama that unfolds in the movie. In that sense, the movie is more to a story of how humans are pushed to their limits of sanity and energy while handling a disaster, which in this movie happens to be alien invasion. We see the breakdown of mental guard, layer by layer, as things deteriorate; we see the human energy level, physical and mental, deplete and refresh in the character's eyes, and we see the ultimate grief and desparation of normally sane men and woman in any other circumstance.
Steven Spielberg's spin on the legendary story offers us something different from the wars and explosions galore of latest movies, and provides us with a human drama and thriller all at once, without giving the aliens the larger spotlight like in other movies.
Of course, this movie is a disappointment for those who expected an action-packed adventure movie, with Tom Cruise as the lead no less.