The War of the Worlds Movie Information

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Movie Information

Overall Rank: 2233

Average Rating: 2.8/4

# of Ratings: 99

Theatrical Release Date: 08/26/1953

Blu-ray/DVD Release Date: 07/07/2020

Language: English

Genre: Sci-Fi, Drama

MPAA Rating: NR

Director: Byron Haskin

Actors: Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite, Sandro Giglio, Lewis Martin

Plot: A meteor hits in a small town outside of Los Angeles California. A scientist investigates only to discover the beginning of a deadly alien invasion.

Indyfreak - wrote on 02/03/2022

The destruction scenes are well staged. The designs for the Martian spaceships is unique;almost like a devilish manta ray. But other effects like the obvious matte paintings look terrible. Gene Barry and Anne Robinson aren't too bad I suppose. But few of the human characters stick out as memorable.

Logan D. McCoy - wrote on 07/17/2019

Not as interesting as the H.G. Wells novel, but it manages to get the point across.

Chris Kavan - wrote on 10/09/2009

Classic Sci-Fi effort. Despite its decided age with dated effects, this is still one of the better early efforts. It's not at all cheesy and actually has a decent story. A must for any fan of 50s sci-fi.

Daniel
Producer

Leave this movie in the ground; stop digging it up

Daniel - wrote on 09/26/2020

.5 star out 4. Stop bringing back movies that are meh. That is really the only thing i can call it. It is still better than what i can do with a camera phone, but at this point, it aged so much, that you have to convince yourself to like it. I used to watch these types of movies, when i was a kid. These movies, were still watchable back in the 80's and even 90's. But outside of a history of cinematography class, this has little relevance. The film is obviously intended for a 1950's audience, which i am not complaining about, seeing what Netflix is doing, for example. However, it is so out of place today. If you are a movie buff for the retro, then yes, academy aware winner movie The War of the Worlds from 1953 is not a bad movie, but for me, it is a dead title.

SmokeScreener
Director

War of the Worlds

SmokeScreener - wrote on 03/03/2009

Sadly, the original "War of the Worlds" (1953) was a very unfocused movie. It wavered between trying to be a character drama and a disaster movie, but it really failed at both.

For starters, the lead actor (Gene Barry) portrayed a smug, unlikable character. This made it hard for me to care whether or not he survived, or whether he and Ann Robinson would actually fell in love.

Without a core group of characters to care about, you are forced to focus on the disaster movie elements, which in this case involve a bunch of hovering spaceships blasting their way through Los Angeles and the rest of the world. Most of this plays in documentary/newsreel style in an attempt to recreate the success of the Orson Welles radio drama that created so much panic. If like me you are bored with …