Movie Reviews: The War of the Worlds (1953 and 2005)

We have already looked at The War of the Worlds novel and the radio broadcast.  Today, I'd like to share with you two movies based on the novel.  One was made in 1953 and the other was made in 2005.  Both of these movies were loosely based on the novel in that they take the events that occur in the novel but follow different characters during those events.  Also, they events take place in different areas.

Title:  The War of the Worlds
Year:  1953
Director:  Byron Haskin
Genre:  Science Fiction
Rating:  3 out of 5 heat rays

This was the first film adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel.  Dr. Clayton Forrester befriends Sylvia Van Buren at the site of the first Martian landing, and we follow them during the assault on the Earth.

This movie feels a lot different from the novel.  The novel focused more on the individual during the alien invasion.  However, Dr. Forrester spends a lot of time talking to government officials and generals in the field.  This gives the movie a much heavier feel.

There are a few parts of the book that I wish the movie incorporated.  The first has to do with the Martians using human blood as food.  This fact paints them in a much more terrifying light.  There is something much more foreboding about humanity being captured and held prisoner as a food source compared to simply being destroyed.  The second point that I missed was the focus on the hysteria that the citizens of the world feel when the planet is invaded.  The only time the movie mentions this is in a small montage, which is disappointing since it was a big part of the novel.

Finally, I need to talk about the special effects.  I'm sure they looked amazing back in the 50's, and there is nothing wrong with old school scifi.  However, the limitations of technology unfortunately altered points of the story.  For instance, instead of large tripods, the aliens ride around in what look like spaceships.  I imagine this is because moving legs would have been to hard to animate.

In all, The War of the Worlds may not be the best movie, but it definitely has a certain charm about it.  Check out the trailer!

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Title: War of the Worlds

Year:  2005

Director:  Steven Spielberg

Genre:  Science Fiction

Rating:  4 out of 5 lightning bolts

In 2005, another film was made based on H.G. Wells' classic.  Dock worker Ray Ferrier struggles to protect his two children as the aliens invade New York.

Spielberg took many more liberties with the story than the 1953 movie did.  First of all, the term "Martian" is never mentioned in the movie, and in fact Spielberg said that his aliens didn't even come from Mars.  Instead, they come from a place much more far away and malevolent.

Also, instead of the aliens crash landing on our planet because of the fact that the habitat on their planet was inconducive to life (as in the book), we quickly learn that the tripods were buried under the Earth - possibly millions of years ago.  This makes the motives of the aliens feel much more sinister.  Instead of fighting to survive in a new environment, they are taking back what they believed to be theirs all along using as much force as necessary.

One of the things that I loved most about the movie is the focus on the individuals and the mass hysteria that the invasion caused.  Instead of a famous scientists being the main protagonist (as in the 1953 version), we follow the journey of a middle class guy and his two kids.  They are forced to fight for their lives against the aliens and the humans.  And yes, the threat from their fellow man is just as real as the extraterrestrials.  What would happen if someone had the only working car in the country?  Or if there was only so much space on a ferry that was leaving an alien infested area?  When people's lives are threatened, there is no telling what they will do.

If you are a fan of Wells' novel, then I think you will enjoy this movie.  It is similar enough to appease die-hard fans, and fresh enough to feel new and exciting.  Check out the preview!

Book & Movie Review - The Lovely Bones, by Alice Sebold

Good evening folks. I have a special treat for you today: a double review of The Lovely Bones. Both the novel by Alice Sebold and the movie directed by Peter Jackson. So, without further adieu, let's get to it!

Title: The Lovely Bones

Author: Alice Sebold

Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 keystone charms

In Seybold's Bones, we follow the lives (and afterlives) of the friends and family of Susie Salmon, a young girl who was raped and murdered in the 70's. We quickly learn that death can be a thing that tears apart the ones we love. However, it can also be the thing that draws them back together.

Bones is a first person narrative told by Susie herself. By the time the reader comes upon her, she is already dead. However, this is just the beginning of her tale. She relates that fateful day in the cornefield, of course, but she also talks about her past and what is happening to her family as they cope with their loss. There are so many things to love about Bones. Susie's narrative is riddled with bittersweetness. She often says things that are at the same time funny and heartwrenching. This mirrors the main plot of her story nicely: her family breaks apart and eventually is healed.

In terms of character development, Sebold does a very nice job. The book deals with Susie's family many years after she dies, and the characters react to different aspects of their lives in a very real way. In addition, Susie herself finds that she comes a long way since the day she died.

The only gripe I have about The Lovely Bones stems from something I love most about the book. Sebold crams many elements into her book: Susie's life before she died, Susie's life in her personal "heaven", her family's life after she dies, her murderer's life, the polices investigation (I can go on and on...). This makes for a very rich story that one can read again and again and pick up new bits. However, Sebold often switches back and forth between these elements in a haphazard way, which can sometimes be distracting.

Never-the-less, The Lovely Bones is an amazing tale of how people cope with loss, and what might happen to us after we die.

4.5 out of 5 keystone charms!

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Title: The Lovely Bones

Director: Peter Jackson

Genre: Paranormal

Rating: 4 out of 5

Having read the novel some years ago, you can understand how excited I was when I heard that Bones would become a movie. After reading many less than stellar reviews, I was very nervous about seeing the movie. However, I finally dragged myself to the theaters and I must say, I was not disappointed.

I think the major gripe critics had about The Lovely Bones is that Jackson relied too much on flashy CGI. And yes, while this does at a few points border on needless, The visual representation of Susie's "heaven" is very stunning and brings a visual element to the audience that the book seemed to lack.

In terms of actor performances, everyone was top notch (the top of the heap, of course, was Stanley Tucci as Mr. Harvey). The emotion was there, which is absolutely necessary to a story like this.

Many things were cut out of the movie, of course, due to time restraints. However, I think that what Jackson DID use was very well done. He also included many little details that fans of the book would appreciate. However, I can see that if one had not read the book, they may feel that Bones lacked substance. And to be honest, as a stand alone movie, it did. However, when taken in conjunction with the book, I believe the movie was definitely worth seeing.

4 out of 5!

Television Review - Kingdom Hospital, by Stephen King

I will not be reviewing a book today. Instead, I will be reviewing a television miniseries written by Stephen King: Kingdom Hospital.

Kingdom Hospital is a 13 episode miniseries that originally aired on ABC on March 3rd, 2004. It is based on Lars Von Trier's Sweedish series, The Kingdom.

Kingdom Hospital follows the lives of the patients and staff of a large emergency hospital based in Lewiston, Maine. With every episode, new critical patients arrive, and we find out more about all of the characters. We also begin to learn that the hospital has a dark side, haunted by angry spirits. The hospital, it seems, was built on top of the ruins of a disasterous fire where hundreds of children died. The staff eventually learn of the building's catastrophic fate, and rush to right the wrongs of generations gone by in order to save the lives of everyone in the hospital.

Check out the trailer below (sorry for the bad quality):


Kingdom Hospital is a lot of fun to watch. There is humor, horror, and a few scares to go around. The story also has a good moral at the end. The hospital is inhabited by tons of colorful characters, both living and dead. It also features the song Red Dragon Tatoo, by Fountains of Wayne, one of the most catchy songs ever.

It is not every day that the master of horror creates a television milestone. I remember watching every episode when they originally aired, and I can't believe that was six years ago! Did you miss it? If so, don't worry. You can buy the set of DVDs that contain the entire series, or you can watch it here for FREE.

5 out of 5!

Movie Review - Stardust

Title: Stardust

Director: Matthew Vaughn

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Stardust, directed by Matthew Vaughn, is the movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman's popular fairy tail of the same name. I have recently finished the book, but I saw the movie before reading the book, so I thought I would review the movie first as well. Stardust details the adventures of Tristran Thorn, who has promised his true love that he would go to the unknown world of Faerie and retrieve a fallen star as a token of his affection.

The visual effects in Stardust are beautifully handled. It would have been all too easy to let CGI run wild with a story like this, but Vaughn manages to focus on the actors' performances rather than relying on the crutch of computers. With that said, those effects that are used serve to immerse the audience in Faerie.

Stardust is a very colorful and visually stimulating film. Beautiful costumes are set against vast vistas and backdrops. It is easy to just watch the movie and smile.

Where Startdust really shines, in my opinion, is in the actors. It is difficult to think of a role that I thought of as miscast, or a performance that was not quite up to snuff. Robert DiNero's character is one of my favorites, along with the great Peter O'Toole (as brief of a role as it is).

The scenes in Stardust are immediately memorable. The film is filled with action and romance, and there is something for everyone in the audience. Watch this movie!

4.5 out of 5!