8. Humans vs. Aliens - War of the Worlds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCHHv7ojfiw We can't really blame Steven Spielberg for this, given that the same ending occurs in both the previous film as well as H.G. Wells classic novel, but isn't the final showdown between the tripods and the military just totally lame? Once the aliens encounter too much of Earth's bacteria, their shields begin to fail, giving the army the perfect impetus to fire everything in their arsenal at the tripods, easily bringing them down. This ending, though cleverly ironic, denies viewers any sort of visceral catharsis by way of an epic standoff with the aliens; instead, it's all over in mere seconds, and we're not able to savour the massive explosions and, indeed, the casualties on both sides. Sometimes I don't want social commentary or irony; I just want some good 'ol fashioned explosions. This was one of those occasions.
Shaun Munro
Contributor
Frequently sleep-deprived film addict and video game obsessive who spends more time than is healthy in darkened London screening rooms. Follow his twitter on @ShaunMunroFilm or e-mail him at shaneo632 [at] gmail.com.
See more from
Shaun