Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning and Tim Robbins in the Steven Spielberg movie ‘War of the Worlds’

A 21st century summer blockbuster that resurrected the 1898 H. G. Wells classic The War of the Worlds captures our focus with this review. Steven Spielberg directed War of the Worlds (2005), the movie modernized the science fiction story of a Martian invasion into an action film of a nature more contemporary than the original. Josh Friedman and David Koepp wrote the screenplay that became this film.

(From left, Dakota Fanning as Rachel Ferrier, Justin Chatwin as Robbie Ferrier, Miranda Otto as Mary Ann Ferrier and Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier in the Steven Spielberg movie War of the Worlds).

War of the Worlds opens with the story of Brooklyn, New York crane operator Ray Ferrier, his estranged children Rachel and Robbie, and Ray’s pregnant ex-wife Mary Ann exchanging custody of the children to Ray in Bayonne, New Jersey. The movie’s narrator informs us that intelligent extraterrestrials had been plotting against humanity, thus setting the stage for the story to come. With news that Mary Ann leaves to visit her parents in Boston, Massachusetts, the emergence of extraterrestrial war machines establish the parameters of the story that follows. Tom Cruise, Justin Chatwin, Dakota Fanning and Miranda Otto portrayed Ray, Robbie, Rachel and Mary Ann Ferrier, respectively. Morgan Freeman provided the narration.

(From left, Tim Robbins as Harlan Ogilvy, Tom Cruise as Ray Ferrier and Dakota Fanning as Rachel Ferrier in the Steven Spielberg movie War of the Worlds).

The introduction of the war machines occurred quickly and decisively, moving from the introduction of the core family we’d follow through the movie into the intense delivery of survival and action. The nature of the interpersonal communications between Ray and his kids grew much more direct and instructional with plans to protect this core unit of primary consideration. The visual and auditory introduction of the war machines, and Ray’s observance of this, quickly moves the story into an adrenaline overdrive for survival. Much happens from this point to the compelling side story of the creeping insanity of Harlan Ogilvy. Tim Robbins portrayed Ogilvy, whose home provides safe haven against horrors; The horrors Ogilvy experiences understandably bring upon his fate. The fate of these three, plus Robbie and Mary Ann, and humanity overall provides a solid science fiction movie experience.

(From left, director Steven Spielberg and actor Tom Cruise during the making of the Steven Spielberg movie War of the Worlds).

Clear entertainment value remains with the ability to watch a movie such as War of the Worlds multiple times. The moments of suspense and tension make for an entertaining adventure. I grant War of the Worlds as directed by Steven Spielberg 3.75-stars on a scale of 1-to-5.

Matt – Saturday, July 29, 2023

Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh in the Quentin Tarantino movie ‘The Hateful Eight’

Crime, drama and mystery are leading elements in the Wyoming set Quentin Tarantino written and directed movie The Hateful Eight (2015). Set in 1877 on the plains of the frontier west, the introduces us to the snowy plains with a mission to get to Red Rock, Wyoming that we will never manifest due to a series of vengeful, selfish humanity rife in the hallmark style of the film’s director and screenwriter.

(From left, Samuel L. Jackson as Major Marquis Warren and Walton Goggins as Chris Mannix in the Quentin Tarantino movie The Hateful Eight).

It’s on the plains, with three corpses stacked one atop another, that a stagecoach driven by O.B. Jackson encounters bounty hunter and Union veteran from the American Civil War, Major Marquis Warren, stranded. Horseless and stranded with the corpses, Warren seeks a ride on the coach. With bounty hunter John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth to ‘Crazy’ Daisy Domergue already on board and facing the same incoming blizzard, we are introduced to the tension of whether Warren will get a ride. Jackson, Warren, Ruth and Domergue were portrayed by James Parks, Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell and Jennifer Jason Leigh, respectively.

(From left, Kurt Russell as John ‘The Hangman’ Ruth, Jennifer Jason Leigh as ‘Crazy’ Daisy Domergue and Bruce Dern as General Sanford ‘Sandy’ Smithers in the Quentin Tarantino movie The Hateful Eight).

Warren and his cargo get a ride, as he bonded with Ruth over a personal letter Warren carries as purportedly written by former United States president Abraham Lincoln. A bit up the road, Chris Mannix, claiming to be Red Rock‘s new sheriff, joins them. The tension baked into Mannix joining this party rests with Mannix’s father, Erskine, having led Mannix’s Marauders, a Lost Cause of the Confederacy militia that fought on the opposite side of the American Civil War to Warren. Clear animosity between Warren and Mannix over clear disagreements based in racial indignance, not to mention a bounty among sympathizers of the confederacy on Warren’s head. Walton Goggins portrayed Chris Mannix.

(From left, Michael Madsen as Joe Gage, Demián Bichir as Señor Bob, Tim Roth as Oswaldo Mobray and Channing Tatum as Jody Domergue in the Quentin Tarantino movie The Hateful Eight).

Seeking shelter from the blizzard at Minnie’s Haberdashery, the stagecoach party finds Minnie Mink, ‘Sweet’ Dave Mink, Six-Horse Judy and Gemma nowhere to be found. Señor Bob, a Mexican by heritage, is tending the haberdashery in their place. The lodge, meanwhile, is found to be sheltering cowboy Joe Gage, hangman Oswaldo Mobray, and Confederate general Sanford ‘Sandy’ Smithers. Dana Gourrier, Gene Jones, Zoë Bell, Belinda Owino, Demián Bichir, Michael Madsen, Tim Roth and Bruce Dern portrayed Minnie, Dave, Judy, Gemma, Bob, Joe, Oswaldo and Sanford, respectively.

(From left, Dana Gourrier as Minnie Mink, Zoë Bell as Six-Horse Judy and Belinda Owino as Gemma in the Quentin Tarantino movie The Hateful Eight).

Several tensions unfold at the haberdashery, with extends well beyond the introduction to the folks at the accommodations. The fact that the door needs to be nailed shut is a sure sign that unusual happenings are afoot, with the introduction of Jody Domergue, as portrayed by Channing Tatum, not coming until after the scene including references to past events having occurred in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The sequencing of revelation worked well in maintaining much of the larger mystery of the movie.

(Screenwriter and director Quentin Tarantino on set of the Quentin Tarantino movie The Hateful Eight).

The poking at larger cultural tensions through individuals, including a social commentary in the process of telling a contemporary portrait of stylized violence, provide many of the over-the-top elements fans of Quentin Tarantino seek in his movies. It is in the delivery of these points, with a moderated gratuity in language when compared to other Tarantino movies at their full throated, that standout to me. I grant The Hateful Eight as presented by Quentin Tarantino 4.0-stars on a scale of one-to-five.

Matt – Saturday, May 13, 2023