Rating: 
Summary: Great Sci-Fi and DVD to Boot
Review: Clearly, "The War of the Worlds" is one of the most exciting and memorable sci-fi films of all time. Forget pontification and soul searching. It's meat and potatoes fare and gets right to the heart of the matter from the first frame. As was true for most 50s sci-fi and horror films, this one isn't even an hour and a half long. I guess filmmakers didn't think our attention spans were very long back then.You barely have a chance to catch your breath as you are taken on a roller coaste ride from one memorable scene to another. "The War of the Worlds" is one of the very few films I can recall which overcame laughable and at times even embarrassing dialogue and acting to become a bona fide great film. Even the script was just so-so. But who cares? The fx were so good, the mood so indelible and the story was so powerful that all else is forgiven. And as far as I'm concerned, Ann Robinson earned her bread for her unforgettable, blood-curdling scream after her beloved Uncle Matthew was toasted by a Martian death ray. You see, Father Matthew left all common sense behind at the pulpit when he attempted to take on the entire Martian juggernaut armed with just a bible and holy cross, clearly the most ill advised venture of the film. This was the prelude to the Great Southern California Massacre of 1953 as well as Ms Robinson's crowning acting achievement. Also memorable were the scenes in the demolished farmhouse with Robinson & Barry. They were enough to compel most youngsters in the 50s to crawl under something convenient for safety. The DVD version of this film is a give and take proposition. The picture quality is outstanding, much sharper and cleaner than the VHS and just what you would expect, but often do not get, in a DVD. The down side is that the sound quality is not as clear as the VHS version, particularly in the softer passages and music like in the beginning and ending sequences of the film. Nonetheless, I still prefer the DVD. It's the best was to enjoy this classic - after all, there aren't that many soft passages here anyway!
Rating: 
Summary: Sould Be Titled War of the Words II
Review: This film has only a passing resemblance to the orrigional story by H.G.Wells. The fact that it is set in 50's America as opposed to turn of the century England is one of the more minor changes. The only real connection with the origional work is though Jeff Waynes musical verion, who's second epilouge is set within a Nasa station on a mars landing. Typical of the differences between British & American SF the lead character is no longer a reporter, on his own fighting for survial but a goverment scientist with the US army at his disposal. Even the much talked about "tripod Figures" who can be destroyed by concentrated artillery fire or the guns of HMS Thunderchild (another sad loss to the film)are now replaced by floaty things that cannot be harmed by eaven atomic weapons. In short, more of a sequel than a telling of the story through film and, like most sequels, it pails in comparison.
Rating:
Summary: A bit hokey by today's standards, but still excellent.
Review: Any fan of sci-fi or horror should buy this film. Although the imagery is quite unlike that in H.G. Well's novel, it is effective in its own right. Although I will not normally pay to see a remake ("Psycho", anyone?), I wouldn't mind seeing a new, more faithful version of this film, if it were well-made.
Rating: 
Summary: Touchy about TV's
Review: When played on our main TV, this version played beautifully. Everything anyone could want. However, when it was fed to our bedroom set, (not very far away) the quality fell off dramatically. The brightness faded to a point where it was barely viewable and the colors went from a nice normal bright to a deep, dark red. This is the only movie, VHS or DVD, or any other source we have which does that. Usually the feed from the living room to the bedroom works just fine. Not being a TV technician, I have no idea what's causing this. If you take the above into consideration, overall it's the great, fun movie which kept me awake at night when I first saw it in the movies in '53. Just be advised about the TV thing.
Rating:
Summary: Pal and Company Led the Way
Review: Not much can be said that hasn't been already printed about this masterpiece of sci-fi cinema. Although it is nearing the half century mark since its release, this 1953 film has lost none of its magnitude. The then state-of-the-art special effects are far more satisfying than all the computer-generated images of such recent fare as "The Phantom Menace" or "Independence Day." Along with other classics, such as "Gone with the Wind," "The Wizard of Oz," "Casablanca," and "All About Eve," no videophile's library is not complete without George Pal's superb film. Yes, this one is even better than Pal's other great work, "The Time Machine."
Rating:
Summary: AHEAD OF ITS TIME!
Review: THIS MOVIE WAS STATE OF THE ART WHEN IT FIRST CAME OUT AND STILL STANDS UP TODAY WITH ITS OUTSTANDING SUSPENSE AND SPECIAL EFFECTS.
Rating: 
Summary: NOT CLOSED CAPTIONED AS ADVERTISED BY PARAMOUNT
Review: WE PUIRCHASED THIS DVD AND IT IS CLEARLY MARKED CLOSED-CAPTIONED ("CC") ON THE JACKET AND ON THE CD ITSELF. UNFORTUNATELY, THE DVD HAS NO FEATURE FOR DISPLAYING CAPTIONS EITHER OPEN OR CLOSED. IF YOU ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING, BUYER BEWARE! WE HAVE WRITTEN PARAMOUNT BUT THEY HAVE NOT ANSWERED ANY EMAILS. DRAW YOUR OWN CONCLUSION!
Rating:
Summary: DVD Does Justice to a SF Classic
Review: Based on H.G. Wells' classic novel, George Pal's The War Of The Worlds is a classic in its own right. The movie transfers the story from England and the turn of the century to California and the 1950's. Some people see the paranoia of the '50s in the movie but the novel also had a strong theme of fear of things beyond our ken. Pal often included a religious theme in his movies and this film would have been better without it, but it does not detract from the movie enough to keep it from being a classic. The story is that of an invasion of Earth by coldly intelligent Martians. Told in clear, bold strokes with exceptional special effects (for the time) and fine performances by the two leads, Gene Barry and Ann Robinson, The War Of The Worlds should be in every collection of science fiction movies. The DVD transfer is excellent. The picture is sharp and clear. The color is strong and rich, as Technicolor should be. Like most people, I had only seen this movie on television and it never looked as good as it does on DVD. The picture resolution is so good that you can easily see the wires supporting the Martian war machines. The sound does not measure up to the standard of the video. It is mono and there are cracks and pops on the sound track during the early part of the movie, though I didn't notice them as much in the later scenes (but that may simply be because I was caught up in the excitement of the story). The disk provides only a trailer as supplemental material (I don't consider scene selection to be a special feature, it should be standard on any DVD). The disk is formatted in TV standard but that is not significantly different from the movie's original ratio, since it was not shot in what we now call widescreen. Although I would have liked to see more supplemental material, this is still a fine DVD of a nearly fifty year old movie that has not received the special treatment of movies like The Wizard Of Oz.
Rating:
Summary: A film with few peers
Review: The aliens are coming! And in this handsome production of the H.G. Wells novel, age has not diminished the impact of these deadly, serpentine things from Mars. What starts with a "meteor" crashing into a mountain evolves into a story that offers both suspense and a few observations about mankind. George Pal's special effects are still dazzling, though you have to forgive the occasionally visible prop strings. The dialogue is, at times, stilted ("I could just blow my head off," the heroine exclaims at one point), but otherwise, this gem holds its own with today's fare and is a must for any sci-fi fan. Too bad the DVD doesn't come in widescreen.
Rating: 
Summary: Should not be ranked with the best
Review: This George Pal treatment of the H.G.Well's classic masterpiece is poor in deed. The FX for the time is great but the story and plot are such stinkers the film simply fails. It is cold war updated and I am sure to the dismay of Wells full of religious overtones which added nothing to the story. To have this poor thing rated with Sci-F masterpieces such as "The Day the Earth Stood Still" or "2001" is a sham and an injustice.
| 
