Film Snail

War of the Worlds
War of the Worlds

6.5

War of the Worlds

PG-13·2005·117m

Summary

Ray Ferrier is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. Soon after his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son and young daughter for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm touches down.

Cast

Tom Cruise

Tom Cruise

Ray Ferrier

Dakota Fanning

Dakota Fanning

Rachel Ferrier

Justin Chatwin

Justin Chatwin

Robbie Ferrier

Miranda Otto

Miranda Otto

Mary-Ann

Tim Robbins

Tim Robbins

Harlan Ogilvy

Rick Gonzalez

Rick Gonzalez

Vincent

Yul Vazquez

Yul Vazquez

Julio

Lenny Venito

Lenny Venito

Manny the Mechanic

Lisa Ann Walter

Lisa Ann Walter

Bartender

Ann Robinson

Ann Robinson

Grandmother

Gene Barry

Gene Barry

Grandfather

David Alan Basche

David Alan Basche

Tim

Roz Abrams

Roz Abrams

Herself

Camillia Monet

Camillia Monet

News Producer

Michael Brownlee

TV Reporter, Osaka

Marlon Young

Marlon Young

News Cameraman

John Eddins

John Eddins

News Van Driver

Peter Gerety

Peter Gerety

Hatch Boss / Load Manager

David Harbour

David Harbour

Dock Worker

Miguel Antonio Ferrer

Brazilian Neighbor

January LaVoy

January LaVoy

Brazilian Neighbor's Wife

Stephen Gevedon

Stephen Gevedon

Neighbor with Lawnmower

Julie White

Julie White

Woman

Marianne Ebert

Hysterical Woman

Rafael Sardina

Rafael Sardina

Mechanic's Assistant

Amy Ryan

Amy Ryan

Neighbor With Toddler

Ed Vassallo

Ed Vassallo

Intersection Guy

Michael Arthur

Michael Arthur

Intersection Guy

Danny Hoch

Danny Hoch

Intersection Guy Cop

Sharrieff Pugh

Sharrieff Pugh

Man Studying Street

Erika LaVonn

Photographer

Christopher Evan Welch

Christopher Evan Welch

Photographer

John Michael Bolger

John Michael Bolger

Man Holding Woman

Omar Jermaine

Man Holding Woman

Robert Cicchini

Robert Cicchini

Guy in Suit

Jim Hanna

Jim Hanna

Bus Driver

Tracy Howe

Tracy Howe

Crowd Onlooker

Adam Lazarre-White

Adam Lazarre-White

Crowd Onlooker

Vito D'Ambrosio

Vito D'Ambrosio

Crowd Onlooker

Laura Zoe Quist

Crowd Onlooker

Ana Maria Quintana

Ana Maria Quintana

Crowd Onlooker

Lorelei Llee

Crowd Onlooker

Mark Manley

Ferry Worker

John Scurti

John Scurti

Ferry Captain

Becky Ann Baker

Becky Ann Baker

Disaster Relief Volunteer

Mariann Mayberry

Mariann Mayberry

Mother

Ty Simpkins

Ty Simpkins

3 Year Old Boy

Jerry Walsh

Jerry Walsh

Smart Guy

Tommy Guiffre

Tommy Guiffre

National Guardsman

Daniel Franzese

Daniel Franzese

National Guardsman

Ed Schiff

Ed Schiff

Older Man

Ellen Barry

Woman from Upstate

Amy Hohn

Amy Hohn

Panicky Woman

Dan Ziskie

Informative Guy

David Conley

Ill-Informed Guy

Daniel Eric Gold

Daniel Eric Gold

Conspiracy Buff

Booker T. Washington

Conspiracy Debunker

Maggie Lacey

Maggie Lacey

Upset Mother

Eric Zuckerman

Eric Zuckerman

Doomsday Guy

Daniel A. Jacobs

Younger Man

Asha R. Nanavati

Woman in Crowd

Joaquin Perez-Campbell

Young Soldier in Tank

Dendrie Taylor

Dendrie Taylor

Well Meaning Mother

James DuMont

James DuMont

Well-Meaning Father

Travis Aaron Wade

Travis Aaron Wade

Soldier

Benny Ciaramello

Benny Ciaramello

Soldier

Ricky Luna

Ricky Luna

Soldier

Columbus Short

Columbus Short

Soldier

Kent Faulcon

Kent Faulcon

Soldier

Kevin Collins

Kevin Collins

Marine Major

Terry Thomas

Marine Major

Clay Bringhurst

Airforce Pilot

Jorge-Luis Pallo

Jorge-Luis Pallo

Army Private

Suanne Spoke

Suanne Spoke

Businesswoman

Kirsten Nelson

Kirsten Nelson

Businesswoman

Melody Garrett

Older Woman

Lauri Johnson

Lauri Johnson

Older Woman

Takayo Fischer

Takayo Fischer

Older Woman

Shanna Collins

Shanna Collins

Teenager

Elizabeth Jayne Hong

Elizabeth Jayne Hong

Teenager

Art Chudabala

Art Chudabala

Man in Basket

Jeffrey Hutchinson

Jeffrey Hutchinson

Man in Basket

Dempsey Pappion

Dempsey Pappion

Man in Basket

Chris Todd

Chris Todd

Man in Basket

Johnny Kastl

Johnny Kastl

Boston Soldier

Juan Carlos Hernández

Juan Carlos Hernández

Boston Soldier

Bruce W. Derdoski Jr.

Boston Soldier

John N. Morales

Boston Soldier

Morgan Freeman

Morgan Freeman

Narrator (voice)

Peter E. Tasciotti

Peter E. Tasciotti

Soldier (uncredited)

David Gere

David Gere

Survivor (uncredited)

James Boss

Refugee (uncredited)

Martin Dew

Martin Dew

Looter in Diner (uncredited)

Joe Duffy

Refugee fleeing Martians / Ferry passenger (uncredited)

Freddie Johnson

Boston Survivor (uncredited)

Anthony Jennings

Anthony Jennings

Amputee (uncredited)

Ingrid Johnson

Ray's Neighbor (uncredited)

Tanda Kerín

Woman in Crowd (uncredited)

Victor Magnusson

Child in Crowd (uncredited)

Robert O'Connor

Homeless Patron (uncredited)

Miho Nakamura

Passenger (uncredited)

Vladislav Kozlov

Survivor (uncredited)

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum

Boy in Church (uncredited)

Kyle S. Brown

Kyle S. Brown

Marine Rifleman (uncredited)

Benjamin Popolukus

Soldier (uncredited)

Jason Latief Anderson

Jason Latief Anderson

Refugee (uncredited)

Dustin Ardine

Refugee outside the Diner (uncredited)

Cass Asher

Soldier (uncredited)

Claudia Barroso

Portuguese Woman (uncredited)

Alan Kemper Armani

Survivor (uncredited)

Timothy Burd

Timothy Burd

Burned Victim (uncredited)

Paul Bunnell

Boston Survivor (uncredited)

Stella Croxon

Survivor Mother with Boy (uncredited)

Joseph DeBona

Joseph DeBona

Newark Deliveryman (uncredited)

Crew

Director

Steven Spielberg

Novel

H.G. Wells

Screenplay

Josh Friedman

Screenplay

David Koepp

Reviews

narrator56

narrator56

April 5, 2020

8

I enjoyed this entry into the HG Wells film library. The special effects are great (to this amateur anyway) and the acting and action more than adequate. Plus it stays near enough to the sci-fi genius of the author to satisfy the fans of the classic novel. I will say that I got a little tired of the son acting like such a teenager, but he and the Tom Cruise character both show some character growth by the end of the film. Tom is one of those actors who seems to be playing himself a lot, but I suspect there is a lot more work to it than that. I'm not sure Dustin Hoffman would have gotten his Academy Award for Rain Man if he had played off a lesser actor than Cruise.

I think there are a couple of scenes the movie could have done without, such as in the cellar with Cruise, his daughter and the man who lived there. It slowed the story down, changed the tenor of the drama, and didn't add a lot, in my view. But it is what it is and overall I found War of the Worlds to be entertaining. Good science fiction movies can be hard to find.

Media

Status:

Released

Original Language:

English

Budget:

$132,000,000.00

Revenue:

$603,873,119.00

Keywords

daughter
new jersey
post-traumatic stress disorder (ptsd)
airplane
based on novel or book
underground
dystopia
alien
survival
disaster
apocalypse
creature
alien invasion
cynical
nostalgic
disturbed
human subjugation
frantic
anxious
dreary
dramatic
suspenseful
intense
foreboding
frightened