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"WAR OF THE WORLDS"
(2005) (Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Minor Moderate Extreme Extreme Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Minor Mild Extreme None Moderate
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
None None Heavy Heavy Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Sci-Fi/Suspense: A self-centered father tries to save himself and his two kids when aliens attack and decimate most of Earth.
PLOT:
Ray Ferrier (TOM CRUISE) is a self-centered New York City dock worker who isn't happy that his kids -- teenager Robbie (JUSTIN CHATWIN) and 10-year-old Rachel (DAKOTA FANNING) -- prefer spending their time with their mom, Mary Ann (MIRANDA OTTO), and her new husband Tim (DAVID ALAN BASCHE). Of course, he hasn't been much of a father to them, barely knowing anything about them, but all of that's about to change when they arrive to spend the weekend with him.

A series of odd electrical storms that have been sweeping the globe and leaving all electronics and anything mechanical inoperative finally arrive in Ray's working class neighborhood and have the same impact there. Then, unexpectedly, a towering piece of machinery emerges from a city street and begins to lay waste to the town and most everyone in it. As this towering, three-legged "tripod" continues its path of destruction, Ray races home, gathers up his kids and takes the only working vehicle in town as their means of escape.

They soon learn that aliens from some other world are controlling the tripods and destroying much of Earth and most everyone on it. As the U.S. military tries to strike back, Ray tries to keep himself and his kids out of danger, whether it's from the destructive tripods and the aliens inside them, or other survivors, such as ambulance driver Ogilvy (TIM ROBBINS), who's losing touch with reality and risks endangering himself and the others by his impulsive actions.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
It's a good bet many teens and older preteens will want to.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For frightening sequences of sci-fi violence and disturbing images.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • TOM CRUISE plays a self-centered dock worker and poor excuse for a father who tries to save himself and his kids from both the aliens and their lethal machines, and other survivors. He does what he can and/or must to do that (including fighting others and possibly killing one man), and uses some profanity in the process.
  • JUSTIN CHATWIN plays his teenage son who doesn't like or get along with his dad and wants to fight back against the alien invaders. He uses some profanity.
  • DAKOTA FANNING plays his 10-year-old sister who's scared by what occurs.
  • TIM ROBBINS plays a survivor who's gone over the edge into insanity in response to the alien attacks. He uses some profanity.
  • MIRANDA OTTO plays Ray's ex-wife who's critical of how he deals with their kids.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    Here's a brief look at the content found in this dark and ominous sci-fi flick that's been rated PG-13. Profanity consists of at least 9 "s" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are uttered.

    Violence consists of many scenes of towering alien war machines vaporizing, otherwise killing and abducting humans while also creating an enormous amount of destruction of physical property. Military strikes are made against such machinery, while some human on human violence is also present, including some fighting, somewhat distant views of a man shooting others (no impact is viewed) and an implied murder or beating behind a closed door. While people are vaporized (mostly seen from a distance), most of the violence is mild in terms of blood or gore (although bodily fluids are sucked up a big tube from a partially seen body, and some people have bloody scrapes on their faces).

    Such scenes, other moments of peril (of which there are many including those of the hide and don't be seen fashion), and disturbing visuals (such as many bodies floating down a river, people trapped in a car underwater, etc.) will likely be unsettling, suspenseful and/or downright scary. That's especially true for younger kids where this dark material could induce all sorts of vivid nightmares. There are also some analogies to the aftermath of the events of 9/11.

    Tense family material concerns a divorced father and his kids not being close (with some arguing and other such material) and then him worrying about their safety during the attacks. Some characters have bad attitudes (including the alien invaders who are barely personified, but want to kill all Earthlings), while two men briefly drink schnapps in one scene.

    If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content.

    For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, various scenes have some of that.

    For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, some of the camerawork is rather jumpy and/or does move around a bit.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Ogilvy and Ray briefly have some peach schnapps.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Various people are vaporized by laser blasts from the alien tripods, but being looking like they instantaneously turn to dust, there's no usual blood or gore with such moments.
  • Ray has what looks like dried/caked blood on his head following the initial attack.
  • Rachel states she has to pee and runs off to do so, but we never see that occur. However, she then spots a body floating by in a river (seen from a distance with no blood/gore) that's followed by many more bodies.
  • Robbie has a bloody nose following people attacking the van he was in.
  • We see some bloody scrapes on Ray's face.
  • Ogilvy has some bloody scrapes on his face and then more a bit later.
  • We see a blade pop out from a tripod's tentacle and then thrust down toward a body partially hidden behind a tractor. We don't see the impact, but do see the legs move from it, as well as bodily fluids being sucked up through the tentacle to the tripod base.
  • Ray has more bloody scrapes on his face.
  • Some thick, orangey liquid pours out of a tripod, but it's never identified what it is (alien blood, human bodily fluids earlier seen sucked up into the base, or some sort of mechanical fluid, etc.).
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • The aliens obviously have bad attitudes for trying to kill all humans.
  • Ray is a self-centered man who's apparently not shown a lot of interest in or attention toward his kids and their lives.
  • Robbie takes Ray's car (not seen) without permission or a license to drive. The two have some bad attitudes toward each other at various points in the film.
  • To escape and protect his kids, Ray steals a mechanic's van.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" and "Jump Scenes" may also be unsettling, suspenseful or scary to younger viewers and/or those with low tolerance levels for such material.
  • For those afraid of menacing looking storms, an early scene has threatening clouds forming over Ray's neighborhood and then unleashing massive and loud lightning strikes (but without any resultant thunder). Ray and Rachel end up hiding under the dining room table during this as the storm gets worse.
  • Ray and others watch as a small crater in the middle of town starts to crack open and then grow in all directions. The cracks eventually go up and through various buildings and knock down people standing nearby. This continues to get worse (with thunderous bass being heard/felt), with everyone panicking and fleeing as the church steeple falls off, the crater suddenly grows upward and then collapses down into a deeper hole, and a car then flies through the air and lands on another car, nearly hitting some nearby people.
  • Some enormous, pod "fingers" come out of the crater, smashing a car near Ray. What looks like a spaceship then emerges from the crater, but it's really the main top section of what turns out to be a towering, alien "tripod" war machine. Mass panic ensues as the tripod fires energy blasts that vaporize many people (no blood and mostly seen from a distance, but one moderate close-up shows a person quickly turning into vapor) and destroys lots of property. Ray tries to race to safety while people and buildings around him are hit.
  • Some viewers might be disturbed by the 9/11 analogies on display here (Ray being caked in white dust, the mass panic, the fences with posters of the missing, etc.).
  • Ray tries to get a mechanic to leave with them and, when he won't go, to let them leave (all as we know the tripods are nearby). As they speed away, the mechanic is vaporized.
  • As Ray tries to drive his kids to safety, we see enormous amounts of destruction occurring behind him from the tripods, including an elevated expressway (bridge) being completely demolished, along with nearby homes.
  • Ray takes the kids to Mary Ann's house, and Rachel is concerned that her mom and Tim are not there, but Ray says they're in Boston.
  • At night and in the basement of a house, we see and hear shrub branches scraping against the window, while flashes of light and "screaming" wind sounds occur outside. The house then starts to shake and tremble, with more flashing lights and Ray barely manages to get the kids into a sub-basement section as a fireball races through the main basement toward them and the door that Ray just manages to close.
  • We see a burning jet engine inside part of a house and the rest of the airliner wreckage outside it (partially turned sideways, with the top gone, exposing the seats, but there are no bodies inside or around it).
  • Rachel runs off to pee and comes across a small, tranquil looking river. She then spots a body floating by in the water (seen from a distance with no blood/gore) that's followed by many more bodies. Someone suddenly grabs Rachel, who's horrified by the sight, but it's her dad who removes her from the scene.
  • As Ray tries to drive through throngs of survivors who are on foot, a few of them bang the van he's driving. More surround the van, with some jumping on the hood, resulting in Ray gunning the van, throwing one such person hard to the street. Someone throws something that smashes into the windshield, with Ray then swerving to avoid a mother and child in front of him, causing him to crash into a utility pole. The throngs of people then attack the van, with one tearing at the hole in the windshield with his bare hands and others pulling Robbie and Ray from it. Trying to save Rachel, Ray kicks one man and punches another but is then hit on the head. He then pulls his gun and fires it into the air several times to make everyone stop. They do, but a stranger then holds his gun to Ray's head, telling him to drop his gun. Ray does and retrieves Rachel (who initially tried to get out but couldn't) and they and Robbie then hear more gunshots and then see throngs of people on and inside the van, with one man shooting his handgun pointblank at those inside (we don't see the impact).
  • A train blasts by at a crossing and we see that it's mostly engulfed in flames.
  • A woman and her daughter (who know Ray) are separated from them as they all try to board a ferry. Others try to hop on the ferry's closing gate, and dangle and/or drop from it into the water.
  • We occasionally hear the thunderous and disturbing foghorn type blast from the tripods.
  • An enormous whirlpool forms near a ferry carrying people and cars. A tripod then slowly emerges from the water, causing the ferry to turn sideways, dumping people and cars into the water (with the latter nearly hitting the former as they jump off). A car crashes down and shoves Ray and his kids under the water (we see panicked people inside as water fills the car), while long cables from the towering tripod start snatching people out of the water and yanking them way up into the night sky (with Ray and his family trying to swim away and avoid being picked up).
  • From a distance, Ray and his kids see Tripods vaporizing more people, and are then nearly stepped on themselves by one of the tripods.
  • Ray tries to stop Robbie from heading over a hill and into a ferocious battle (he pins him to the ground), but must then choose between stopping him and saving Rachel who's been taken away (against her will) by some strangers who think she's been abandoned.
  • Ray and Rachel run down a hill as enormous, fiery explosions come over the top, as does an enormous tripod.
  • As Ray, Rachel and Ogilvy stay in the latter's basement, they realize the constant thumping sound of the tripods outside has now stopped. They then see an enormous, extremely long and menacing looking, snake-like, metallic probe (complete with a rattle-like sound accompanying it) enter the basement and start gliding around (in mid-air), looking for anyone inside. The three then try to hide and avoid being spotted by the probe. Ogilvy then grabs an ax and slowly approaches the snake-probe's "body," with Ray (across the room) silently trying to persuade him not to attack it. Ogilvy agrees, but ends up making some noise as he joins Ray and Rachel. The three then hide behind a large mirror they support on the floor in the probe's path (it looks in the mirror and over it, but doesn't spot them). One's foot then slips out from behind the mirror and the probe returns to investigate as it spots the boot at the mirror's side, but when it goes around the mirror, it only finds an empty boot.
  • We then see shadows of the menacing looking aliens descending into the basement and then see various views of them (long spindly limbs and large heads) as they poke around the basement and the three humans now hide from them. At one point, one alien suddenly pops over some stuff, pulling back a recliner, unaware and not seeing that Rachel is in it (she's okay).
  • Ogilvy prepares his shotgun to attack some aliens that are in his basement, but Ray silently implores him not to. The two then silently struggle over the shotgun, with Ogilvy finally overpowering Ray and pushing him down to the floor with the shotgun that both hold (as the aliens are very close to them). The aliens are called away just in the nick of time for the humans.
  • We see a blade pop out from a tripod's tentacle and then thrust down toward a body partially behind a tractor. We don't see the impact, but do see the legs move from it, as well as bodily fluids being sucked up through the tentacle to the tripod base.
  • Ray blindfolds Rachel and has her sing a song with her hands over her ears as he goes to take care of a situation (kill or otherwise mute a person who might draw the aliens' attention) behind a closed door. We hear the sounds of some muffled violence, and it's implied that he's killed or otherwise incapacitated that other person.
  • The large, snake-like probe has suddenly returned and is right in Rachel's face. Ray then springs to action, repeatedly whacking the metallic probe with an ax, nearly severing its "head." Rachel runs off screaming during this, with Ray then running after and trying to find her.
  • A tripod's tentacle comes after Ray who tries hiding in a truck, but the tentacle blasts through it, lifts it off the ground and spins it around several times. It then picks up Rachel and then Ray after the latter throws a grenade at it.
  • Ray and Rachel end up with many other humans in large cages suspended way up in the air below the base of a tripod. A slender tentacle then drops down, grabs one man and pulls him through some sort of orifice into that base. It then grabs Ray, but the others grab and manage to pull him back out of that orifice.
  • Ray and others note all sorts of vines/roots growing everywhere and covering various things, such as a statue (we don't see the actual growth, just the results).
  • Rockets/Missiles are repeatedly fired into a tripod, causing part of it to blow up and then fall into a large building, demolishing it (with the wreckage nearly hitting some people who scramble out of the way just in time).
  • An alien partially comes out of a tripod, but it's wounded and dies on the spot.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Alien weaponry/Tanks/Missiles/Jets/Helicopters/Machine guns/Handguns/Grenades: Carried and/or used to attack and/or kill humans and aliens and cause a great deal of property damage. See "Violence" for details.
  • Ray retrieves his person handgun and puts it into the back of his pants.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Bullsh*t," "Enough of the Ray sh*t," "You never gave a sh*t before," "I don't give a sh*t," "We're beat to sh*t," "Acting like such a d*ck," "Pissed off," "What the hell /is going on/is this?" "Shut up," "We're getting the hell out of here," "Balls" (testicles), "Hard ass" and "I'm dead set on living."
  • JUMP SCENES
  • Someone suddenly grabs Rachel, who's horrified by the sight of dead bodies floating by her, but it's her dad who removes her from the scene.
  • Some fighter jets suddenly race overhead at a very low altitude.
  • An alien suddenly pops up over some furniture.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • An extreme amount of suspenseful, ominous and scary music plays during the movie.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • At least 9 "s" words, 1 slang term using male genitals ("d*ck"), 5 hells, 2 asses (1 used with "hole"), 7 uses of "Jesus," 6 of "G-damn," 3 of "Oh my God" and 1 use each of "For God's sakes," "God" and "My God."
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • None.
  • SMOKING
  • None.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • We learn that Ray is divorced from Mary Ann who's dropped off their kids for a weekend visit. Robbie doesn't even say hello to his dad upon his arrival, while Rachel's response is lukewarm at best. Mary Ann is critical of how Ray treats and houses their kids, while Ray isn't happy about that or the indifferent/cold reaction from his kids (although he's to blame for that).
  • Ray and Robbie progressively throw a baseball at each other harder during a game of catch (while not getting along), resulting in Ray's throw eventually going through and breaking a window.
  • Ray and Robbie continue to bicker after the attack, while Rachel becomes hysterical in the backseat (until Robbie consoles/comforts her).
  • Ray tries to stop Robbie from heading over a hill and into a ferocious battle (he pins him to the ground), but must then choose between stopping him and saving Rachel who's been taken away (against her will) by some strangers who think she's been abandoned.
  • Ray worries that his son may be dead.
  • When Ray asks Ogilvy if he lost anyone in the attack, Ogilvy replies, "All of them."
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The potential (or not) of something like this happening (some kids will be worried about it).
  • Having divorced parents.
  • The parallels between this story and the events of September 11, 2001. Some viewers might be disturbed by such analogies on display here (Ray being caked in white dust, the mass panic, the fences with posters of the missing, etc.).
  • The kids wonder if the attack is being done by terrorists.
  • Ray learns that the tripods were buried on Earth long ago by the aliens (that rode the lightning bolts down from the storms and into the buried tripods).
  • How people react in panic situations.
  • Ogilvy states that in his experience as an ambulance driver, the only people who survive calamity are those who keep their eyes open and fight to live.
  • What finally stopped and killed the aliens.
  • VIOLENCE
  • Ray and Robbie progressively throw a baseball at each other harder during a game of catch (while not getting along), resulting in Ray's throw eventually going through and breaking a window.
  • Ray and others watch as a small crater in the middle of town starts to crack open and then grow in all directions. The cracks eventually go up and through various buildings and knock down people standing nearby. This continues to get worse (with thunderous bass being heard/felt), with everyone panicking and fleeing as the church steeple falls off, the crater suddenly grows upward and then collapses down into a deeper hole, and a car then flies through the air and lands on another car, nearly hitting some nearby people.
  • Some enormous, pod "fingers" come out of the crater, smashing a car near Ray. What looks like a spaceship then emerges from the crater, but it's really the main top section of what turns out to be a towering, alien "tripod" war machine. Mass panic ensues as the tripod fires energy blasts that vaporize many people (no blood and mostly seen from a distance, but one moderate close-up shows a person quickly turning into vapor) and destroys lots of property. Ray tries to race to safety while people and buildings around him are hit.
  • A mechanic is vaporized.
  • As Ray tries to drive his kids to safety, we see enormous amounts of destruction occurring behind him from the tripods, including an elevated expressway (bridge) being completely demolished, along with nearby homes.
  • We see news video footage of tripods destroying buildings in other parts of the world.
  • As Ray tries to drive through throngs of survivors who are on foot, a few of them bang the van he's driving. More surround the van, with some jumping on the hood, resulting in Ray gunning the van, throwing one such person hard to the street. Someone throws something that smashes into the windshield, with Ray then swerving to avoid a mother and child in front of him, causing him to crash into a utility pole. The throngs of people then attack the van, with one tearing at the hole in the windshield with his bare hands and others pulling Robbie and Ray from it. Trying to save Rachel, Ray kicks one man and punches another but is then hit on the head. He then pulls his gun and fires it into the air several times to make everyone stop. They do, but a stranger then holds his gun to Ray's head, telling him to drop his gun. Ray does and retrieves Rachel (who initially tried to get out but couldn't) and they and Robbie then hear more gunshots and then see throngs of people on and inside the van, with one man shooting his handgun pointblank at those inside (we don't see the impact).
  • As a ferry suddenly speeds away from the dock, the engines blast many people with water and the large moorings on the dock are torn lose and slam into several people.
  • An enormous whirlpool forms near a ferry carrying people and cars. A tripod then slowly emerges from the water, causing the ferry to turn sideways, dumping people and cars into the water (with the latter nearly hitting the former as they jump off). A car crashes down and shoves Ray and his kids under the water (we see panicked people inside as water fills the car), while long cables from the towering tripod start snatching people out of the water and yanking them way up into the night sky (with Ray and his family trying to swim away and avoid being picked up).
  • From a distance, Ray and his kids see Tripods vaporizing more people, and are then nearly stepped on themselves by one of the tripods.
  • We hear the sounds and see flashes of light from an enormous battle just over the top of a hill between the tripods and the U.S. military (that's shooting at them with tanks and missiles, etc.).
  • Ogilvy prepares his shotgun to attack some aliens that are in his basement, but Ray silently implores him not to. The two then silently struggle over the shotgun, with Ogilvy finally overpowering Ray and pushing him down to the floor with the shotgun that both hold (as the aliens are very close to them).
  • We see a blade pop out from a tripod's tentacle and then thrust down toward a body partially hidden behind a tractor. We don't see the impact, but do see the legs move from it, as well as bodily fluids being sucked up through the tentacle to the tripod base.
  • Ogilvy hits Ray on the head with a shovel.
  • We hear the sounds of some muffled violence behind a closed door, and it's implied that Ray's killed or otherwise incapacitated another person whose actions are endangering Ray and Rachel's lives.
  • The large, snake-like probe has suddenly returned and is right in Rachel's face. Ray then springs to action, repeatedly whacking the metallic probe with an ax, nearly severing its "head."
  • A tripod's tentacle comes after Ray who tries hiding in a truck, but the tentacle blasts through it, lifts it off the ground and spins it around several times. It then picks up Rachel and then Ray after the latter throws a grenade at it.
  • Several grenades detonate inside a tripod, causing it to blow apart. Some large cages holding humans then drop down from that and land in some trees.
  • Rockets/Missiles are repeatedly fired into a tripod, causing part of it to blow up and then fall into a large building, demolishing it (with the wreckage nearly hitting some people who scramble out of the way just in time).



  • Reviewed June 27, 2005 / Posted June 29, 2005

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