War of the Worlds

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War of the Worlds

PG-13

Released Jun 29, 2005

1h 56m

Sci-Fi

Adventure

Action

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Popcornmeter

76%

Tomatometer

264 Reviews

42%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Dockworker Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) struggles to build a positive relationship with his two children, Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). When his ex-wife, Mary Ann (Miranda Otto), drops them off at Ferrier's house, it seems as though it will be just another tension-filled weekend. However, when electromagnetic pulses of lightning strike the area, the strange event turns out to be the beginning of an alien invasion, and Ferrier must now protect his children as they seek refuge.

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Critics Consensus

Steven Spielberg's adaptation of War of the Worlds delivers on the thrill and paranoia of H.G. Wells' classic novel while impressively updating the action and effects for modern audiences.

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Wendy Ide

Times (UK)

This superior popcorn flick revels in the unabashed joy of blowing stuff into oblivion.

Jul 5, 2022

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Nell Minow

Beliefnet

The story is affecting, the action scenes are thrilling, the issues are resonant.

Rated: B+

Aug 15, 2013

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Spielberg's calculations turn out to be more prominent than any effects they could possibly produce, and the less pretentious 1953 version by producer George Pal emerges as more likable.

Jun 8, 2007

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Alan Jones

Radio Times

The first (and much the superior) hour is a masterclass in escalating tension, with grandiose and brilliantly executed sequences following in rapid succession.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 12, 2024

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Highly influential, ever innovative, and full of emotion and slick formal trickery, the film lives up to the precise definition of what "Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds" should be.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 5, 2022

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James Croot

The Post NZ

Cruise is in fine dramatic form and Spielberg's journey to the dark side is superbly realised.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 29, 2022

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Jacob H

Very good movie. Lots of action scenes

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/18/25

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Katrina B

A classic good solid alien movie

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/07/25

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Clare M

Too far-fetched to be enjoyable. You're constantly asking yourself 'why?' and lose track of the story. Like why didn't the crashed jet destroy the entire house but left pictures still neatly on a wall. Why didnt the crashed jet contain bodies. Why did the tripods spend so much time searching an empty field when rampaging populated areas was the main theme. Why was Boston pefectly untouched. Why didn't Robbie die after running into a mass explosion. Also there's some bad cutting. A lady with blonde hair in the diner suddenly disappears. Why? The constant screaming of Rachel is also very annoying. She screams relentlessly through almost every scene and you feel like saying 'cut it out!' You just feel glad that all the aliens got the Covid virus.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

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21 - Priyan B

Decent sci-fi thriller. Rating: 6.1/10

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/25

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James B

An absolute masterpiece of a film war of the worlds delivers stunning CGI and a great plot with some iconic scenes. Steve Spielberg's film does the novel justice and is probably the best war of the worlds film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/24/25

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Benjamin H

War of the Worlds is a suspenseful and action packed Spielberg movie that provides great visual effects and a riveting lead performance by Tom Cruise. In terms of narrative, it is a bit messy and thinly drawn in certain places, and there are certain decisions that didn't really work for me, but all in all this was an enjoyable watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/16/25

Full Review

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Steven Spielberg

Director

Tom Cruise

Ray Ferrier

Dakota Fanning

Rachel Ferrier

Miranda Otto

Mary Ann

Justin Chatwin

Robbie

Tim Robbins

Harlan Ogilvy

War of the Worlds: Official Clip - No Shield

2:13

War of the Worlds: Official Clip - Ferry Disaster

2:07

War of the Worlds: Official Clip - Probing the Basement

2:13

War of the Worlds: Official Clip - The War Begins

2:11

War of the Worlds: Official Clip - Fight on the Hill

2:07

War of the Worlds: Official Clip - Taking Down a Tripod

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War of the Worlds: Official Clip - Not on the Same Page

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War of the Worlds: Official Clip - Abduction

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War of the Worlds: Trailer 2

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War of the Worlds: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Dockworker Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) struggles to build a positive relationship with his two children, Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin). When his ex-wife, Mary Ann (Miranda Otto), drops them off at Ferrier's house, it seems as though it will be just another tension-filled weekend. However, when electromagnetic pulses of lightning strike the area, the strange event turns out to be the beginning of an alien invasion, and Ferrier must now protect his children as they seek refuge.

Director: Steven Spielberg
Producer: Kathleen Kennedy, Colin Wilson
Screenwriter: H.G. Wells, Josh Friedman, David Koepp
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures
Rating: PG-13 (Frightening Sequences|Disturbing Images|Sci-Fi Violence)
Genre: Sci-Fi, Adventure, Action
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 29, 2005, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $234.3M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Surround, Dolby SRD, DTS, SDDS
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1)

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