Every Steven Spielberg Movie Ranked From Worst To Best

25. War Of The Worlds (2005)

War Of The Worlds Tom Cruise
Dreamworks

A film simultaneously disappointing and entertaining, there was so much potential for a Spielberg-directed, Tom Cruise-led War of the Worlds remake to be a stonking classic, but instead it settles for being a merely solid Hollywood popcorn-muncher.

Much has been written about the film's 9/11 parallels - namely the visage of a dust-clad Cruise - but the director mostly plays things disappointingly safe, going the PG-13 tentpole route when the tale's fringe darkness could've made this a far more compelling R-rated effort.

That's to say nothing of the aggravating Dakota Fanning performance or the last-minute survival of Cruise's son, but in the minute-to-minute action, it is an impressive spectacle. Extra points for the sublimely creepy Tim Robbins subplot.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.