The chances of anything coming from Mars are a million to one, so the song goes, but still they came. In Steven Spielberg’s reworking of H.G. Wells’ timeless classic, the war of the worlds has been moved to New York and the time is now. Deep underground, large tripedal machines come to life during extraordinary electrical storms. Piloted by aliens, they have not come to praise us, but destroy us. In the middle of this madness is Ray (Tom Cruise), a separated and ill-equipped father of two (Justin Chatwin and Dakota Fanning) whose goal is to get his kids back to their mother (Miranda Otto). But first, he has to outwit extra-terrestrial tripods and frankly, his chances aren’t that great. With global telecommunications wrecked and the military powerless to stop the invasion, what chance has everyman Ray?

Fans of the novel should be pleased with Spielberg’s efforts. War of the Worlds is spellbinding to watch while Cruise and Fanning stand tall among the effects, managing to deliver a robust character study of family in crisis, and Ray’s efforts to become a father. Surprisingly, this is not a reactionary’s fantasy in the face of terrorism, as touched on by Chatwin who, nostrils flaring, exhorts his father to “hit them back!”. It’s equally pleasing to find Wells’ larger narrative intact; teasing, thrilling and terrifying in suitable measure. That it lacks the lingering resonance of spectaculars like Lord of the Rings is not to damn it with faint tribute for on all fronts, War of the Worlds is a success.

// COLIN FRASER