The War of the Worlds (1953)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Christopher H

  
  Extremely dated with mind-numbingly wooden acting. Some of the special effects are kinda nice to look at but their is not enough set pieces to hide the thin and uninspired pseudo-documentary screenplay. The religious overtone that comes out of nowhere in the end is face-palmingly… More
  Extremely dated with mind-numbingly wooden acting. Some of the special effects are kinda nice to look at but their is not enough set pieces to hide the thin and uninspired pseudo-documentary screenplay. The religious overtone that comes out of nowhere in the end is face-palmingly over-the-top. The characters are cardboard cut-outs and the pacing is slower than the flying saucers. The aliens look atrociously silly because of their eyes which look like glowing "Simon-Says" toys. Not quite sure why this dumb excuse for a popcorn flick is considered a classic. However I will give the movie credit, it gave me and my friends some great laughs.

• Spencer S

  
  Could not help but contrast the original to the Spielberg/Cruise version. Besides the difference that fifty years make, the original film focuses more on the alien takeover of the planet and their aggression, rather than on the emotional aspects of survival that the latter film made… More
  Could not help but contrast the original to the Spielberg/Cruise version. Besides the difference that fifty years make, the original film focuses more on the alien takeover of the planet and their aggression, rather than on the emotional aspects of survival that the latter film made the central point. This version does follow a scientist and his female colleague as they try to combat deadly otherworld weaponry with everything from tanks to the atom bomb, all of which are obliterated by the superior beings' lasers and firing mechanisms. Instead of leaving us in the dark to the world's whereabouts like the remake, the original holds a British narration and stock footage from World War Two to show the world spectrum and the devastation that's being caused. The Technicolor contrast was crisp, the color reminiscent of museum dioramas. Still, the film doesn't deal with any real human fears or struggle for survival until the last twenty minutes of the film, once all options are exhausted and hysteria takes hold, making mobs out of the remaining citizens of large metropolises. There are some heart wrenching sequences, but it was very long-winded and boring in the beginning, which can't be made up for. Plus, the female heroine of the film is described as intelligent with a Masters in library sciences, but when trouble comes a calling she shrieks, puts her hand to her temple, and flashes her false eyelashes up at any macho hunk nearby. And the ending, which I won't give away, feels like a blatant copout. It's a quick fix to a problem that's supposedly so big it's unstoppable. There are also many religious overtones as a ploy, unlike the book written by H.G. Wells, a speculated atheist. Still, it was enjoyable as long as I paid attention to the alien ships and not the tiresome humans.

• Daniel M

  
  It's a common complaint that American adaptations of British novels lose the quintessential nature of their source in favour of something more glossy and marketable. That's certainly true of The War of the Worlds, the first attempt to put H. G. Wells' iconic novel up on… More
  It's a common complaint that American adaptations of British novels lose the quintessential nature of their source in favour of something more glossy and marketable. That's certainly true of The War of the Worlds, the first attempt to put H. G. Wells' iconic novel up on screen, and the first to come in the shadow of Orson Welles' ground-breaking radio play. It's not as tense as Welles' version, or as enjoyable as Steven Spielberg's take, but it is a perfectly passable adaptation with a number of strong points. The film starts off with our narrator (played by English character actor Sir Cedric Hardwicke) guiding us on a whistle-stop tour through the solar system. He explains the hostile nature of other planets' atmospheres, concluding that if the Martians should invade anywhere, it would have to be Earth. The Martians are presented as an intelligent race, and we are to some extent shown the build-up to the invasion from their point of view. Having started promisingly, it isn't long before some of the film's budgetary constraints become apparent. Like a lot of B-movies, the film is heavily reliant on stock footage during its bigger, more action-packed moments. Its re-use of the same shots of cannons firing and tanks rolling into battle make it seem like an ad campaign for the American army. In the middle of the film there is also a montage of destruction and chaos intercut with footage of the actors, a technique which would later be used to perfection in the opening sequence of Mad Max 2. On the other hand, we have the special effects of the aliens. This is the element which Byron Haskin and his team had to get right, and generally speaking, they did. The swan-shaped copper aliens were specifically designed not to resemble flying saucers, and in the wide shots especially they are pretty threatening. They are not, however, tripods as detailed in the book; rather than walking (which is difficult to replicate mechanically), the war machines float via beams of blue light, which at the very least distract us from the wire work. But while the war machine designs are truly out of this world, the Martians themselves are disappointing human. The faces of the Martians, which are replicated in their periscopes, are made up of red, blue and green panels, which are arranged to vaguely resemble the outline of a human face - the red panel is at the bottom to denote a mouth, and the blue and green panels above it could easily be eyes. As is so often the case, the aliens in The War of the Worlds look most sinister from a distance - when a Martian touches our heroine on the shoulder, it's a bit pathetic. This version of The War of the Worlds deviates sharply from the novel in a number of ways, some interesting and successful, others less so. Most obviously, the action is relocated from 1890s Woking to 1950s California, and in doing so a lot of the substance of Wells' novel is lost. So much of the original story is about turning the accepted British political and social attitudes on their heads by portraying a war in which the British are the victims of an invasion rather than the conquerors. British imperialism, Herbert Spencer's natural selection and the 'English way of life' are all held under the microscope and shown to be ruthless and unjust. By transferring the story to America, as Welles had done, The War of the Worlds becomes more about the Cold War and American fears of 'Reds under the beds'. Some of this substance fits quite nicely around the original plot: the Martians, who come from 'the Red planet', are demonstrated to be highly organised and efficient, and working collectively towards a single goal. But even as bald allegory goes, it's not as satisfying an examination of Communist threat as Invasion of the Body-Snatchers (which itself is trumped by the 1970s version by Philip Kaufman). More frustratingly, the film makes big concessions to melodrama. We are required, for instance, to believe that Gene Barry is a famous and highly intelligent scientist, despite the fact that he looks every bit as chisel-jawed and rugged as Charlton Heston. When Ann Robinson's character questions him about this, he says that he shaved his beard off before coming to town and so no longer resembles his photo on the cover of Time. As laughable excuses go, it's up there with the line in The Hunt for Red October in which Sean Connery's unique accent is explained away by saying he is Lithuanian. Being an old Hollywood film, the role of women is, shall we say, restricted. Robinson is required to scream and be hysterical on cue, while all the men around here can be noble, restrained and carry out a plan of action. While the male leads dash around the bunker, planning their attack on the Martians, she is left to hand up cups of coffee; and after the couple have sheltered in a tumbledown house, she makes Barry his breakfast first thing in the morning. The film may not be as sexist as The Snows of Kilimanjaro, but it's hardly pushing the envelope when it comes to female roles. Despite these contrivances, however, we find ourselves bonding to these characters and staying with them for the course of the film. Although their introduction might be slightly silly, they are generally well-drawn and sympathetic. We certainly care about them enough to worry that they might get separated and never see each other again, as happens in the last twenty minutes when the film really girds its loins and shows human society on the verge of collapse. Critics of The War of the Worlds have written the story off as people running away for 90 minutes, but these scenes are both visually spectacular and emotionally engrossing. The film is at its most interesting when it taps into the characters trying to cope with the invasion and depicting the surrounding chaos. Aside from the street scenes in which men are turning on men and money has become worthless, there are a number of moments of genuine panic or alarm which stick in one's mind. The scene of the vicar wandering out to meet the Martians while reciting Psalm 23 will have you on edge, as will the feeling of desperation after the aliens survive an atomic bomb. As with all productions of The War of the Worlds, we eventually have to face one of the anticlimactic endings in literature. Having the aliens being killed by bacteria is a classic deus ex machina, drawing the action to a convenient close through a plot device which is deeply unsatisfying. But rather than go the way of The Blob or Invasion of the Body-Snatchers and leave us on a daring cliff-hanger, this adaptation takes the original ending and manages to fudge it further. Wells was a scientific socialist who believed in rational progress towards a better society. In the book, our narrator takes shelter with a priest who loses his mind and meets a sticky end: the rational survive, the irrational do not. But Haskin and his screenwriter Barré Lyndon (an obvious but witty pseudonym) fudge this by inserting religious themes. Just before the Martians start falling out of the sky, the survivors are gathered in a church praying for a miracle. The narrator explains that "humanity was saved by the littlest things, which God, in His wisdom, had put upon this earth.". Suggesting after such carnage that God was involved all the time simply doesn't cut the mustard in this context. The War of the Worlds is perfectly passable tosh. It doesn't have the political balls or ambition of Orson Welles' version, and it deviates from its source so wildly that purists will be annoyed. But there is enough schlocky B-movie charm in it to entertain for its short running time, and those who are not fans of Spielberg's version will probably enjoy this more. It's nothing to write home about, but as 1950s B-movies go it has lasted and dated surprisingly well.

• AJ V

  
  The classic fifties version of the book. If you love fifties sci-fi movies, you should see this movie. It's not fantastic, but it is interesting and cool to see.

• Red L

  
  I guess better late than never. Saw this for the first time 57 years after it was released. It was pretty amazing considering it was filmed in 1953. It is one of the classics. If it was filmed in the 21st century, I would not rate it as highly though. The story is short on… More
  I guess better late than never. Saw this for the first time 57 years after it was released. It was pretty amazing considering it was filmed in 1953. It is one of the classics. If it was filmed in the 21st century, I would not rate it as highly though. The story is short on content - and pretty optimistic if you are human. The Martians out-technology Earthlings, but our germs kill them. Of course, every 'good' movie needs a romance. But for its age, you should watch it.

• Tim S

  
  Yeah, it's a pretty cheesy sci-fi movie, but who cares. It's still a lot of fun and still has some relevant concepts in it. Not bad for a nearly 60 year old film.

• First L

  
  Although I might prefer Steven Spielberg's re-make, the original War of The Worlds is amazing in it's own right. The main difference is the special effects (and you have to look at it through 1950s eyes- if such a thing is possible), and as this story is mainly effects… More
  Although I might prefer Steven Spielberg's re-make, the original War of The Worlds is amazing in it's own right. The main difference is the special effects (and you have to look at it through 1950s eyes- if such a thing is possible), and as this story is mainly effects driven by nature, the edge naturally has to go to the film with the better effects. I will say this, and it's something I didn't notice as a kid watching this for the first time, the directing is quite remarkable. There are a few scenes where the director intentionally uses out-of-focus close-ups on the actors in a method not used at that time outside of foreign films. It's a daring and artistic flare that meshes well with the (at the time) state of the art effects. The actors portray their characters in a manner fairly typical of 50s sci-fi, but it works here. War of the Worlds in alot of respects is more suited to 1950s sci-fi anyway; the birth of modern science fiction, where a high level radiation exposure might mean we need to "put up a barrier" to keep the people back, and giant meteors, far from being cataclysmic events, are actually an excuse to set up tourist traps replete with hot dog vendors. It's all good fun though, and like Spielberg's re-make, a suspension of disbelief is required to fully enjoy.

• Randy T

  
  One of my all-time favorite sci-fi flicks. A classic!

• Stella D

  
  today is the 70th anniversary of orson welles' live radio broadcast of war of the worlds, causing panic across the u.s. and u can listen to the original broadcast here!! http://www.radioheardhere.com/waroftheworlds/

• Alexander W

  
  Superb Sci fi

• Lafe F

  
  Superb special effects applied to a 1950's UFO invasion template. It didn't feel much like the famous H.G. Wells book, which was more of a historical London setting. The alien tentacle coming out of the crashed ship at the end, was slimey and effective.

• Cindy I

  
  Along with The Thing From Another World, Them!, and Forbidden Planet, the best sci-fi of the 1950's.

• xGary X

  
  Gene Barry furrows his brow in a zoot suit while Ann Robinson screams a lot and demonstrates her tea making abilities. The dated effects will not impress those used to the visual spectacle of the likes of Independance Day, but without this film, ID4 and it's ilk would not exist.… More
  Gene Barry furrows his brow in a zoot suit while Ann Robinson screams a lot and demonstrates her tea making abilities. The dated effects will not impress those used to the visual spectacle of the likes of Independance Day, but without this film, ID4 and it's ilk would not exist. The original alien invasion disaster movie.

• Sophie B

  
  its good but not as good as the Stephen Spielburg one!!!

• Matthew Y

  
  Dated effects, at times, do nothing to drag down a faithful adaptation of one of the all-time great Science Fiction stories. Smartly updating the material to present time this was the true alpha of space invasion films. Delivering all the hopelessness of an invading superior force… More
  Dated effects, at times, do nothing to drag down a faithful adaptation of one of the all-time great Science Fiction stories. Smartly updating the material to present time this was the true alpha of space invasion films. Delivering all the hopelessness of an invading superior force the story concludes with what is still to this day the most likely and effective outcome of an actual alien invasion. 50's Sci-Fi does not get any better than War of the World's.

• Danny R

  
  Prolific genre pioneer George Pal produced this vivid and compelling classic film adaptation of H.G. Wells's novel about an Martian invasion of the Earth. It begins with a meteorite coming down just outside a small Southern California town, out of the meteor a gigantic menacing… More
  Prolific genre pioneer George Pal produced this vivid and compelling classic film adaptation of H.G. Wells's novel about an Martian invasion of the Earth. It begins with a meteorite coming down just outside a small Southern California town, out of the meteor a gigantic menacing manta-ray like Martian war machine rises hovering in mid-air and begins its deadly attack by vaporizing three men at the meteor crash site. Dr.Clayton Forrester, played superbly by Gene Barry from the Pacific Tech institute who was camping near by has been called upon to investigate the down meteor; when he arrives at the site with the police, the Martian war machine attacks the police patrol car after Dr. Clayton and the Police Captain duck for cover, the driver and the car are destroyed, Dr. Clayton tells the Police captain to contact the military at once. When the Marines arrive they completely surround the three Martian war machines that has come out of the meteor: they try an offense strike against them with artillery, mortal fire and missiles but nothing works; it seems the each of the machines have a force field, a protective blister that makes them invincible to any weapon including the atomic bomb which they try using on them to stop the machines from destroying Los Angeles to no success; it looks like only a miracle can now save humankind! Astute direction by Byron Haskin with solid performances from Ann Robinson, Les Tremyne, Lewis Martin, Robert Comthwaite and Sandro Giglio. but the real star of this film are its dazzling groundbreaking Oscar-winning visual effects, rarely does a motion picture from another era still hold up today; but this film was a technological achievement in effects for its day, before blue screen or CGI it raised the bar and not until Douglas Trumbull's legendary work on 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968 did that bar take another great step forward. A landmark in science fiction, a must see! Highly Recommended.

• Brandon K

  
  I will argue with anyone. This is not a good movie. The characters are barely there and most of my positive praise comes from the look of the movie. The movie wraps up so quickly through no doing of the characters and then the narrator explains it? Come on!

• Ed Fucking H

  
  This oldie but goodie classic accomplishes everything good sci-fi should. Commenting on the world we live, while tweaking that world, and turning it into something fantastic (or terrible.) Recommended

• RJ M

  
  One of the true sci-fi classics. Not too much can be said that isn't already known about this story. Aliens invade the earth, all but wiping out humanity, etc. As is typical with 50's sci-fi movies, it's heavy on religious overtones. When humanity can't protect… More
  One of the true sci-fi classics. Not too much can be said that isn't already known about this story. Aliens invade the earth, all but wiping out humanity, etc. As is typical with 50's sci-fi movies, it's heavy on religious overtones. When humanity can't protect itself, who is credited with our salvation? One guess. Another thing I love about these old sci-fi movies is that even though the world is being destroyed around them, and civilization is crumbling, everyone is still dressed as if they are going to church. The men wear suits and ties, and the women's hair and makeup remain perfect. Back in 1953 the movie won the Academy Award for best visual effects, now it's a game of "spot the wires". A classic though it may be, it's as dated as a movie can be. The fact that I love this movie is proof of one thing...never underestimate the power of nostalgia.

• alan j

  
  An all time sci-fi classic not to be missed...terrific effects and plenty of action and suspense, and a happy ending to boot. For a movie over 50 years old, it still stands up to the test of time!

Read all 20 featured audience ratings