War of the Worlds, directed by Steven Spielberg

Bibliographic Information:
Spielberg, S. (2005). War of the Worlds. Dreamworks Video. ASIN: B00005JNTI

Book Awards:
Not applicable


Plot Summary:
Ray is a terrible, irresponsible dad. So, really, it's a good thing that killer aliens invade while he's keeping his young daughter and teenage son for the weekend-- it gives him a little motivation to improve his parenting skills. He does eventually step up to the plate, using his mechanical skills to get a car to work after the EMP burst that disabled all electronics on earth, and getting the kids out of town just as the tripods are killing everyone. The boy runs off with a passing army convoy, and Ray stays with his daughter, hiding out in a basement. There, he learns the awful truth about what the aliens are doing with all the people they are catching!

Critical Evaluation:
This is a very loud and scary movie, but really perfect for the tween age group. It is not nearly gory enough to satisfy the Freddie-Kruger-loving tastes of older teens, but it is very intense for the younger set. Dakota Fanning plays the anxiety-ridden daughter like Dustin Hoffman played Raymond in Rain Man-- sheer genius! The happy ending (Ray successfully delivers the little girl to her mother, and gets a hug from Robbie, who has beat him there) is a little weak-- we never figure out how Robbie managed to get back to his mom's house past the tripods.

Reader's Annotation:
What are the mysterious tripods rising out of the ground in every city in the world? Oh, look! They're turning people into ash! Can deadbeat dad Ray get his kids across New England to safety?

About the Author:
Not applicable

Genre:
Sci-fi

Curriculum Ties:
None

Booktalking Ideas:
Not applicable

Interest Age:
12+

Challenge Issues:
Disturbing death and violence scenes
Refer to collection development policy. If dispute continues, parents' wishes regarding their own children will be respected.

Reason Included:
H.G. Wells' famous radio drama has always intrigued me, and the movie was in the YA section at the library.