20 Most Divisive Movie Scenes Ever
14. Robbie Survives - War of the Worlds (2005)
Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds is for the most part fondly remembered as a rock-solid sci-fi thriller even if it's hardly one of the filmmaker's best films, but there's a moment right at the end of the movie that still rubs a whole lot of people the wrong way.
Mid-way through the film, protagonist Ray Ferrier's (Tom Cruise) teenage son Robbie (Justin Chatwin) decides he wants to join the fight against the alien tripods, and moments after he runs up a hill, said hill is shown being torched into oblivion by the tripods.
It sure seems like Robbie just died, then, but at the very end of the movie he miraculously re-emerges much to Ray's - and the audience's - surprise.
This fell flat for a lot of viewers because it feels like a disingenuous happy ending tacked on out of nowhere, though considering this is a Spielberg joint and all, it shouldn't be all that surprising he got the family unit back together at the end.
How much Robbie's unexpected survival bothers you most likely depends on how earned you ultimately think it is.