Review of The War of the Worlds

"What IS that gizmo?" Residents of a rustic town near Los Angeles have their square dance interrupted after a meteor lands in their backyard and produces aliens from Mars. H.G. Wells' story, originally (and infamously) turned into a radio show which caused widespread panic in the U.S. upon its airing, gets the sleek, handsome George Pal treatment, with exciting action and frantic human drama filmed in eye-popping color. The Martians, freezing on their planet and looking for a warmer climate, have no pity for us Earthlings, and the initial violence is cruel and unsettling. For about three-quarters of the first hour, this science-fiction package provides gripping entertainment (with folksy characters and even some joshing humor)--but once the country goes to war, we lose much of that early spirit. The hardware is beautifully designed and displayed (courtesy of the large special effects team, who won an Oscar), and the pungent commentary on the human race turning animalistic in the face of destruction is still extremely relevant. But I missed the close-knit intimacy of the first act, which leaks away too soon to make room for more wide-scale concerns. Remade in 2005. **1/2 from ****