sharonwarren-98114 Review of War of the Worlds

War of the Worlds (2019– )

OverKill: They needed one man dead but wiped the entire human race instead.

[6/10 · 15 October 2022]

I don't think I'm a stupid person but I always find time travel plots to be hugely problematic and this one is no exception. Basically the 'aliens' are returning back in time to prevent a virus from being released which is decimating their population, and the virus is being released because the aliens have returned back in time and invaded earth. So there's that fundamental circle. Secondly, if the virus is just being released by one guy, why kill and hate the entire human race? If the aliens (who are in fact human) need medical treatment, respond to painkillers etc, why decimate the entire hospital/ pharmacy system? Why kill all the babies if you need baby stem cells? And why kill all the humans who are actually pretty good at making babies if you need babies? If they needed roads, why did they choke the roads up with cars? If they needed light, water and food why decimate electricity, drinking and food supplies? Why are they so disorganised? For the love of Mike, why didn't you alien/ humans just come back in time and calm the f@@k down and assimilate? No one would have known and you could have all happily lived in a hippy eco village somewhere in the mountains and grown your own crops. Nothing is making a lot of sense to me at this point. Now for the characters, who despite some fine acting, are all a bit, well, neurotic and unpleasant. Gabriel Byrne practically stalks his ex wife, which works out well for her in the end because he saves her life. Shame about the husband, oops! ...hmmmm. Then there is a little issue of medical consent, forcibly trialling a virus on 17 year old Emily. Eeew. Couldn't he have at least asked? She seems pretty switched on, at and the end of the day, it will keep her and her family alive. Next Jonathon. Yes you. Nearly has an affair pre invasion, but doesn't, determined to fight his way back to his wife and two kids. Only to have a dramatic reunion with his wife, the woman who has fought to keep his children alive, and then promptly dump her a$$ straight after hugging her, for the French side chick who was his travelling companion. Nice!!! I'm starting to cheer for the aliens at this point. So some of the lead dudes are pretty damn fundamentally unlikeable at times. But overall the biggest dilemma is just that the invaders are supposed to be smart enough to time travel, but dumb enough to blow everything they might need to smithereens. Couldn't they have just teleported in a lone assassin?