July 08, 2005
WOW
Due to the threat of rain, my family and I decided to pass on fireworks this past 4th. Instead we went to the local Century Theatre to see Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. I am not a huge Sci-Fi fan, though I have liked quite a few movies within this genre. A “real” sci-fi fan would have read H.G. Wells book, seen most of the representations of it in film or other mediums, and would know something about the history of this piece. I know no more than the average Joe or Jane about it. I know about the radio performance and the public panic that followed. I know that H.G. Wells wrote the book. Beyond this info, that’s all I know.
I wasn’t disappointed because I don’t have a baseline from which to judge the film. I can say that it struck me as less of a sci-fi and more of a horror/suspense movie. Most of what you will remember when you walk out of the theatre are the images and suggestions of how the aliens are killing the humans, and how Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning manage to escape. Death, killing, and suspenseful survival strategies = the recipe for a good horror movie. Good sci-fi usually triggers a different response. It usually intrigues me with the prospects of a different world, develops characters within that world, and has a plot that unfolds within the rules and boundaries of the created setting. Horror movies, and I love horror movies, work on base survival instincts--the fight or flight mentality to cinema. I don’t prefer one over the other, but I must admit that I went into WOW expecting a sci-fi. What I got was more of a horror movie in terms of its story telling, plot, and characterization. There are some sci-fi flicks that incorporate horror elements well. Alien comes to mind. I guess I was just expecting more of the elements that one typically finds in a sci-fi flick. Moreover, I DO take my kids to sci-fi movies. I DON’T take them to horror flicks. So, I was a little conflicted throughout WOW’s showing. What ruined the suspense for me was my continual worry that this was a bit overwhelming for our 11-year old.
So, if your looking for an E-ticket scary thrill ride. WOW might be for you. If you are expecting more of a sci-fi, mind-bender, look elsewhere. Even not knowing Wells book, I could see from the movie that there was a lot that could have been developed--the alien’s motivation for exterminating the humans, their plan for wiping them out, how it is that the earth’s ecosystem eventually does the invaders in, etc. All of these themes sit backstage as the fight or flight drama absorbs the spotlight, hitting you with different images of how aliens can destroy all humans.
