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The War of the Worlds

The War of the Worlds

1953
Drama, Sci-fi
1h 25m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 48.06% from 991 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(991)
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Rated 09 Apr 2010
53
17th
This wants to be an action sci-fi but is too slow to be exciting, too stilted and outdated to be menacing. The two lead are awful, his deadpan droning offset by her wide-eyed hysteria. The religious aspects provide the final nails - holy bacteria, indeed.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
36
4th
Hasn't aged well. When a movie is so heavily dependent on its special effects, those effects had better hold up 50 years later. Nothing else about this movie stands out... stiff acting (including lead actors with zero screen presence), cardboard characters, clichéd dialogue, gaping plot holes, and an unsatisfactory resolution. Not even good as light mindless amusement, though at least it passes by quickly.
Rated 26 Oct 2010
64
15th
Takes itself too seriously to be cheesy fun but has too many flaws to take it seriously. The acting, the writing and the sets are all pretty bad and the special effects are ok but certainly don't hold well enough to carry the film.
Rated 29 Nov 2006
1
6th
I can't imagine this holding up very well even a few years after it released.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
24
10th
ridiculous and poor acting
Rated 14 Aug 2007
0
3rd
Crappy SFX in a movie that relies on SFX.
Rated 18 Mar 2008
59
31st
Great third act but the rest of this movie is pretty lousy, the effects and acting most notably.
Rated 11 Nov 2012
40
15th
Recently re-watched this having first seen it a long time ago. Maybe doesn't live up to modern viewing but what spoiled it for me was the added in religious aspects. If it had stayed closer to the book, I think I could have enjoyed it much more. I did love the style and look of the flying machines though (obviously shame they couldn't make them tripods).
Rated 14 Aug 2007
45
15th
Would have rated it higher when it came out, and I still love the ending, but this is mediocre at best.
Rated 19 Aug 2007
50
26th
I don't like this particular film version - maybe it's becuase it's so Americanised - although the recent version is also set in America it's themes were a lot more like the original novel.
Rated 17 Apr 2010
72
66th
The original and I think in some ways better film. The effects though slightly aged still stand up well and don't look flimsy, on the contrary some look rather impressive. Excellent model work but the design of the Martian Machines is a little too simplistic and strays from the tripod principle. In the last quarter of the film it does go a bit flat and there is no real big climax but there is some good imagery here.
Rated 31 Aug 2011
49
6th
As much as we talk about the out-dated (Academy Award winning!) effects, I think it's the politics of this film that are the most outdated. Obviously hasn't aged well, but in it's defence, it's edited pretty well and if you're a film-maker buff you might get some joy out of seeing obvious miniatures get trashed.
Rated 23 Oct 2012
50
14th
If you thought the Tom Cruise version was hokey, check this movie out! Maybe the film making was cutting edge in 1953 but you can't tell now. Bad acting and even worse special effects.
Rated 11 Sep 2013
20
9th
Not very good at all. Interesting only as a cultural/historical touchstone.
Rated 06 Dec 2019
60
28th
Minus 5 for the idiotic Christian ending, and another -5 for turning a woman initially represented as smart and well-educated into a shrieking moron who believes the world was created in six days.
Rated 18 Sep 2021
50
9th
The War of the Worlds book works as speculative fiction (on mankind's ability to face hostile extraterrestrials) and a political allegory (on a previously invincible empire falling). This adaptation, however, misses both points; instead becoming a story on Martians attacking a couple after their Meet Cute. The special effects hold up, but that's it. The writing is clunky, the editing is abrupt, and it doesn't have the strong sense of world-building that The Day the Earth Stood Still had. Avoid.
Rated 14 Mar 2022
50
45th
After having seen this, I now think more highly of the Spielberg/Cruise version. It's hard to judge this since it's a sci-fi that predates a lot of other famous films in the genre. I feel that picking on the stupid tactics or personal decisions is punching down. At the same time, I can't honestly say that this is better than any number of sci-fi films that come out every year to little fanfare these days. Fav scene: seeing everyone flee the cities for the hills and empty streets was pretty cool.
Rated 01 Mar 2007
60
62nd
Classic.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
45th
Lacks the teeth of the book and oddly its patriotism. But still it's a colorful big budget attempt to adapt a difficult story. Its scope is still rather chilling and offers a sober look at humanity.
Rated 23 Sep 2007
80
74th
A lot of fun. The aliens are pretty scary--and surprisingly faithful to the book (which doesn't always work out too well in movies). In fact, the whole film is quite like the book--except of course that they moved the location.
Rated 14 Jan 2008
25
70th
They can smell colors!
Rated 12 Feb 2008
84
83rd
This movie scared the crap out of me when I was little. Except for the religious overtones, this movie is a decent adaptation of the book.
Rated 05 Mar 2008
94
75th
Scary, but not TOO scary. The scenes of people rioting and rampaging through the streets is distubring and powerful.
Rated 27 Mar 2008
89
77th
Awesome classic.
Rated 10 Aug 2008
82
92nd
Nice
Rated 22 Sep 2008
52
76th
Imponerende i forhold til alderen - og så i farver!
Rated 25 Sep 2008
75
72nd
in it's day it would've been as cool as fuck, though the religious overtones concern me nowadays. Those spaceships rule though
Rated 04 Oct 2008
100
72nd
Fantastic - another remake that I didn't think I'd enjoy but everything about it was great.
Rated 15 Mar 2009
70
56th
I really like the story behind The War of the Worlds, yet I did not find the visuals very appealing and I think I remember it was a little slow.
Rated 15 Apr 2009
70
71st
This is THE War of the Worlds. Creative, intelligent, horrific and darkly humourous all at once. This is the movie to watch if you want a good dose of old-school horror/science fiction.
Rated 16 Jun 2009
73
36th
truer tot he book then the remake, but cheesy effects,
Rated 01 Aug 2009
75
76th
So much fun.
Rated 15 Jan 2010
60
20th
806
Rated 15 Mar 2010
70
36th
Pretty good - unexpected ending!
Rated 19 May 2010
70
56th
Not bad for one of those sci-fi/horror 50's movies. The acting is laughable, but that's not really a surprise. The effects aren't always great (notable strings, aliens look a little weird) but they have an impressive shot or two. It's unfortunate they couldn't make the alien machines tripods like in the book, but it's not a huge deal. I give this a 70 for the nostalgia factor and it's relative faithfulness to the novel.
Rated 22 Jun 2010
68
22nd
The original adaptation of the H.G. Wells tale. Not bad for the time, suffers several limitations in the plot and the film-making, but those can be attributed to the time it was made. Good enough effort.
Rated 21 Oct 2010
68
65th
Obviously dated, but still effective sci-fi invasion. I remember being terrified of it as a kid.
Rated 16 Nov 2010
45
32nd
super dated. i was laughing throughout on how bad it looked.
Rated 18 Feb 2011
65
26th
Typical 50s sci-fi; not bad, but not really my cup of tea.
Rated 02 Dec 2011
60
20th
#793
Rated 05 Dec 2011
72
44th
Crazy special effects.
Rated 13 Aug 2012
3
73rd
Good version -heavily influenced by post ww2 fears
Rated 22 Aug 2012
67
32nd
acting is real bad and the movie is outdated, however still much better than the recent Spielberg version...
Rated 15 Feb 2013
67
48th
Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew! Pew!
Rated 21 Feb 2013
90
72nd
Very impressive.
Rated 02 Jan 2015
50
0th
Sci-Fi das Antigas #3
Rated 30 Oct 2015
60
52nd
I'm not as high on this film as a lot of others are. The story is okay but pales next to The Day the Earth Stood Still. The special effects, though, are stellar and hold up to this day (in the sense they aren't laughably bad or even distracting), especially the design of the alien spaceships. Given the lack of effects to do them justice, it was a great idea to keep the aliens mostly hidden, and that mystery as to their physical appearance made them more menacing. Acting is passable here.
Rated 18 Feb 2016
81
79th
Nice little scifi classic. Awesome effects have aged well. Aliens remain mysterious, unhuman, and devastating. Sound effects will rightfully sound familiar as they were so perfect as to be reused or ripped off for decades. Human element works better than many similar films.
Rated 28 Jan 2019
40
38th
I really wanted to like this, but it's pretty slow with a few good scary scenes and special effects. And the heavy tone on religion really put me off.
Rated 19 Jun 2020
85
73rd
Fun & iconic 50s SciFi flick, with some neat special effects and production design. The suddenly Christian ending is dumb and unsatisfying and the manic female lead is annoying, but still well worth a watch.
Rated 17 Oct 2020
70
46th
Average right up to the point where the landing UFO destroys the house, then it gets much better.
Rated 29 Oct 2020
80
78th
The Criterion restoration is beautiful. The film's story is a little wooden and there are a few parts that haven't aged well, but most of the movie still retains a strong fear of the unknown, especially as the Martians seem to be overwhelmingly powerful, even against atomic weapons. (Also, there's a nice little commentary that sometimes our own species can be more violent than otherworldly visitors.)
Rated 19 Mar 2021
65
43rd
That's it; when an enormous meteorite hits Earth, send in some guy to poke it with a shovel. I'm sure that'll clear up all the missing answers.
Rated 21 May 2021
65
61st
At that time a contemporary take on Wells' poignant - and small-scalled in comparison - book about humanity's downfall and 'another shot' when our germs kill invaders. Destroyed house section is brilliant - conserving one of the book's most gripping passages too - but third act is the real highlight, with our hero running like crazy, people gathered at a church. It literally ends with 'amen'. Film is nothing like the book, depicting Christianity very fondly, while Wells is clearly a critic.
Rated 19 Oct 2021
18
10th
Terrible film that is deadly serious but relies on special effects not far removed from Ed Wood. The religion-imbued ending would have made H.G. Wells ejaculate indignantly from his grave (obscure reference for fans of the book there).
Rated 02 Jan 2022
85
60th
Cheesy but a classic suspense
Rated 08 Jun 2022
70
54th
The special effects in this are absolutely fantastic for the time. Seriously. 1953? Glorious, colourful spectacle. The scale conveyed towards the end is awesome. I can't think of another science fiction film from that decade that looks anywhere near as good. It's such a shame we couldn't have had more A-list sci-fi in the 1950s.
Rated 02 Sep 2022
60
69th
The mother of all alien invasion films, and a childhood favourite of mine. There isn't really much charactdr or plot, but it's short and to the point, with a classic final twist as good as any "Twilight Zone" episode. Makes me want to bust out the little green army men and play on the carpet in front of the TV. *pew-pew*!

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