H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds

H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds began--as did the recent DreamWorks adaptation directed by Steven Spielberg--as a contemporary version of Wells' nightmarish novel…until the terrorist attacks of 9/11, after which director/co-writer Timothy Hines decided it would be better to make a period-faithful dramatization. Unfortunately, while the production company clearly had some money to pay for impressive, special effects wizardry, this embarrassing, seemingly endless feature is damaged by a self-conscious effort to evoke the look and feel of silent era classics while indulging in digital era manipulation. That doesn't mean this is a silent film, but it oftentimes resembles one with its expressive color tinting, mannered and exaggerated performances by the actors, and sometimes primitive narrative techniques (e.g., printing a scene backwards for an ethereal feel), all of which are a distraction. On the plus side, the extraterrestrial killers and their awesome machines of destruction are startling to behold, and the image of Big Ben's clock tower being blown apart over a flaming London is disturbingly convincing. Optional. (T. Keogh)