WOTW Reviews All Good

Max · Post by **Max** » 2005-07-12 02:59pm

Ok.. I loved this movie, and I've told people at other forums. A lot of people know I'm atheist, and I JUST got this message in an inbox. lol

[QUOTE=Link]Finally, I'm surprised that you liked the movie, Rott, with its theological message (God provided man with his ultimate defense against invasion).[/QUOTE]

Now.. I don't FEEL that was the exact message I was supposed to receive while watching the movie. However, I can't seem to find the words to respond to that and offend him at the same time. He's always trying to convert me to being a christian.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-07-12 03:18pm

He seems to be hung up on the reference to God in the ending dialogue. Tell him he's an idiot for thinking the message was intended to be theological. It's a matter of not taking the smallest things for granted, something that doesn't rely on religion.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-07-12 04:58pm

Wells was a staunch atheist. He used the God reference for the general audience and artistic licence. It sounds better than "...the smallest things that natural selection created via the process of evolution" especially back in the day. However, the Pal movie in '53 was criticised for promoting the whole Christian slant too much. Good as the film is, the ending in the church is dreck and many think too much about the "God" reference. It is merely a concise word chosen for the text.

Post by **Vympel** » 2005-07-13 02:48am

Saw it last night:

1. Loved the tripods.
2. Loved the civvies getting turned into the ash.
3. Loved the tripods.

4. Hated the Army. Bunch of fucking retards.

"Let's all charge above the hill in a straight line! It'll be great!"

5. Hated the daughter. Annoying as hell.
6. Hated the son. Annoying- AND a suicidal unreasoning retard.

"Waaaaaah! Let's go fight dem! We go get them back! Hey you have room Mr Army man! Let me on your hummer! I'm armed with my I-Pod! I'll kick their ass! Let me go, I have to see this! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah."

Shut the fuck up and DIE. But noooo, he had to live. Fucking Spielberg.

7. Loved the tripods.

Yeah, 2.5/5 stars for this movie, easily.

Old Plympto · Post by **Old Plympto** » 2005-07-13 01:28pm

The voice heard at the beginning and in the end of the movie is the original recording by Orson Welles for his radio version of "War of the Worlds"

I found that statement above in the WotW Trivia Section in IMDB. After reading it I almost broke my keyboard bashing my forehead on it several times. By Orson, perhaps he meant Morgan, and by Welles he meant Freeman?

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-07-13 02:22pm

Vympel wrote:Saw it last night:

1. Loved the tripods.
2. Loved the civvies getting turned into the ash.
3. Loved the tripods.

4. Hated the Army. Bunch of fucking retards.

"Let's all charge above the hill in a straight line! It'll be great!"

5. Hated the daughter. Annoying as hell.
6. Hated the son. Annoying- AND a suicidal unreasoning retard.

"Waaaaaah! Let's go fight dem! We go get them back! Hey you have room Mr Army man! Let me on your hummer! I'm armed with my I-Pod! I'll kick their ass! Let me go, I have to see this! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah."

Shut the fuck up and DIE. But noooo, he had to live. Fucking Spielberg.

7. Loved the tripods.

Yeah, 2.5/5 stars for this movie, easily.

I'd think twice about calling the army retards. The 10th Mountain Division put a lot of effort into this movie and when you're trying to slow an undefeatable enemy before it gets at refugees, a final charge is the final straw. And the kid was meant to be annoying, that was sort of the point. I preferred an overzealous teen rebel to some kid that would simply sulk and go on about the end of the world.

And yes. The tripods fucking rocked. They deserve HAB recognition even if they're the original mechas.

I think we could do with those variable heat-rays too, y'know, for maybe giving Strykers some firepower.

Post by **Vympel** » 2005-07-13 08:44pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:
I'd think twice about calling the army retards. The 10th Mountain Division put a lot of effort into this movie and when you're trying to slow an undefeatable enemy before it gets at refugees, a final charge is the final straw.

They couldn't have been the 10th Mountain, since they're an Army unit and the Army doesn't use LAV-25s- see also the Cobra gunships in the same scene. I assumed they were Marines. And undefeatable enemy or not, simply charging up a hill at them in perfect line abreast with barely a metre in between them in *hummers* is unbelievably stupid and would serve no purpose but to get you killed that much quicker- you could delay the tripods easier with conventional tactics. It's pretty obvious from the film that one heat ray sweep took them out in one swipe (given the bizarre way they all came back burning). In any case, I'd attribute the Army or whatnot putting effort into it in regards to the Javelins / Gustav scenes more than the silly charge, which is clearly Spielberg.

And the kid was meant to be annoying, that was sort of the point. I preferred an overzealous teen rebel to some kid that would simply sulk and go on about the end of the world.

He should've died. Some of the audience (including me) audibly groaned when they saw him at the end of the movie, and one guy called out "bullshit!".

And yes. The tripods fucking rocked. They deserve HAB recognition even if they're the original mechas.

I kept picturing an AT-AT fighting them in a Godzilla like encounter.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-07-14 12:31pm

Vympel wrote: They couldn't have been the 10th Mountain, since they're an Army unit and the Army doesn't use LAV-25s- see also the Cobra gunships in the same scene. I assumed they were Marines. And undefeatable enemy or not, simply charging up a hill at them in perfect line abreast with barely a metre in between them in *hummers* is unbelievably stupid and would serve no purpose but to get you killed that much quicker- you could delay the tripods easier with conventional tactics. It's pretty obvious from the film that one heat ray sweep took them out in one swipe (given the bizarre way they all came back burning). In any case, I'd attribute the Army or whatnot putting effort into it in regards to the Javelins / Gustav scenes more than the silly charge, which is clearly Spielberg.

I suggest you take it up with the 10th Mountain themselves since they were in the film, the actual soldiers were acting and consulting for the film. I trust the most deployed unit in the US more than any Hollywood writer with a fascination with explosions and tanks. Yes, me and Alyeska saw the LAVs etc. but it would seem at that point the forces were merging, hence the USAF airstrikes of mixed aircraft, the marine vehicles and army soldiers etc. I admit it seems foolhardy, but in retrospect, the Thunder Child charge was too since it was inevitably going to die. It did, however, take down two tripods and allow the steamer to get free. Something they couldn't do with the more up-to-date fighting machines.

The attack on the dithering tripod in Boston was pure professional stuff. I loved that, reminded me of Clonies with the music in that scene sounding somewhat Star Wars like. I recall the 10th were in Black Hawk Down too and Ridley recommended them.

He should've died. Some of the audience (including me) audibly groaned when they saw him at the end of the movie, and one guy called out "bullshit!".

Many people said that and I agree. I can only assume he ran over the other side and ran like fuck when the military guys got toasted. It's hard, but he could have just about slipped past. Though the cocky bastard being there to greet Ray at the end was annoying.

I kept picturing an AT-AT fighting them in a Godzilla like encounter.

That'd be great. I, personally, hope someone makes a decent scale model of the main type in the beginning (the type with the humps on the hood). Pity IMAX doesn't show this movie, seeing a closer to scale version of the thing onscreen would be eery.

DocHorror · Post by **DocHorror** » 2005-07-14 02:24pm

I liked it, much to my suprise. Though I do have a problem with the son surviving and the Tripods being buried. Why not invade back then instead of waiting?

Stravo · Post by **Stravo** » 2005-07-14 02:26pm

DocHorror wrote:I liked it, much to my suprise. Though I do have a problem with the son surviving and the Tripods being buried. Why not invade back then instead of waiting?

Sleeper cells among us - at least that's the metaphor I take away from Martian warmchines buried beneath are feet just waiting to be actiavted without warning to sow terror.

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-07-14 03:03pm

Admiral Valdemar wrote:That'd be great. I, personally, hope someone makes a decent scale model of the main type in the beginning (the type with the humps on the hood). Pity IMAX doesn't show this movie, seeing a closer to scale version of the thing onscreen would be eery.

I'd be surprised if someone doesn't produce a good kit of that thing (something in 1:72 would be awesome). Unfortunately, the closest we have to it at the moment are kits of the tripods from the Jeff Wayne's musical artwork.

RedImperator · Post by **RedImperator** » 2005-07-14 04:58pm

DocHorror wrote:I liked it, much to my suprise. Though I do have a problem with the son surviving and the Tripods being buried. Why not invade back then instead of waiting?

There are, IIRC, two threads in OSF where the good denziens of SDN wrestle with this very issue.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-07-15 11:44am

Firefox wrote:
I'd be surprised if someone doesn't produce a good kit of that thing (something in 1:72 would be awesome). Unfortunately, the closest we have to it at the moment are kits of the tripods from the Jeff Wayne's musical artwork.

I'm keeping my eye on HobbyLinkJapan.com which usually has big names like Bandai producing detailed quality kits of Western sci-fi like the new Trek and Wars stuff. There will be a model in the future, I know it. If the Jeff Wayne one can be sold, so can this. I need both.

Loner · Post by **Loner** » 2005-07-15 01:43pm

If Bandai got the license then I'd expect a 1:100 or a 1:60 scale model of a Tripod.

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-07-15 01:49pm

I hear there will be merchandise of the machines according to an article a few months back. As to when it comes out and from who is unknown.

Zoink · Post by **Zoink** » 2005-07-15 02:14pm

Stravo wrote: Sleeper cells among us - at least that's the metaphor I take away from Martian warmchines buried beneath are feet just waiting to be actiavted without warning to sow terror.

If it were buried thousands/millions of year ago there would be no resistance. Bury in the ground in *hopes* of resistance?!?!

A guess:

They buried the machines recently, maybe a few hundred years ago. They were sent their along with probes to survey that land. They didn't really understand bacteria so the probes wouldn't be equipped to look for them.

They then spent the next few hundred years building colony ships. They'd arrive, crew the machines, terriform, then colonize.

Another guess:

They'd done this before 65 million years ago. They had these terriformers rape the land and converted biomatter into a 'useable' form using their red plants. Large vessels collected this material and brought it back to Mars. The terriforming machines then sat dormant for 65 million years.

In that time certain strains of bacteria adapted to consume the red plants left over from the harvest. Or, a common strain of bacteria changed enough in 65 million years to become lethal to Martian life.

There was a crisis on Mars and they decided to 'harvest' the Earth again, leading into the movie's events.

This would require the narrator of the movie to be talking from perspective where he was guessing as to their motive/plan (ie. humanity's attempt to understand what was happening).

*shrug*

Admiral Valdemar · Post by **Admiral Valdemar** » 2005-07-15 05:15pm

They're not Martians. The book and Pal movie are simple to get, but this twist in having the machines already here (as opposed to the aliens as most feared from the tagline) is something Red has a rather good explanation for involving not putting all your eggs in one basket when it comes to galactic expansion.

Additionally, as I have constantly stated, the "million years" quote comes from a madman who is a clever mix of the Curate's paranoia,the Artillerman's grand ideas and the name of Ogilvy the astronomer. He can hardly know how the aliens planned this invasion anymore than the other Joe Publics knew anything about thos rumours from Osaka taking down a tripod to Europe being wiped out/untouched.

TimothyC · Post by **TimothyC** » 2005-07-17 12:03am

It gets a resounding "Meh" from me. Not great, but not bad.
Would be a 2/5 but for one thing it gets a 3/5. See Below.

I also noticed one little bit in the film. On one of the "Missing" posters that are held up before the ferry I recognized one of the faces: Sharbat Gula. Yes the Famous Afghan Girl. It's one of the more recent pictures though, and hard to see in the background but it's there on a big white poster.

I know I pointed at the screen and said her name outloud when I saw it, and thus I was the target of stares from all the Toids* in the Theater.

*Toids: A shortend form of "Flintoids" a deragatory term used by students at Kettering to describe the people of Flint. Generally used in refrence to the patrons of the crack house across the river from campus, but sometimes used in refrence to the general population.