Having read the NYTimes review for this movie, I knew what to expect and not to expect from the movie. I’ll let you in on the secrets of the latest flick by Spielberg....
Plusses :
1. The visual magic that unfolds in front of ure eyes is just amazing. We know Spielberg can possibly make anything happen in a movie and here he is doing that all over again.
2. The lighter moments that Tom Cruise unknowingly inflicts on u. His attempts at being a dad in the movie go horribly rong, till the aliens take over and show his some love.
3. The Aliens do make u squirm in ure seats, in fact the lady in the seat behind me started crying so loudly at one point, it sure amplified the proceedings on screen.
4. The colors used in the movie, seem almost real, the gory scenes usually happen when the protagonists are hiding in basements. In fact NYTimes says, ’ This movie has a PG13 rating because most of the world is already dead leaving no time for bad words or sex.’
5. The aliens ( we have seen so many of ’em over the years) are actually scary like aliens would be, and with ET, close encounters of the third kind behind him, Spielberg uses all his experience.
6. Tim Robbins is the surprise package in the movie. His weird character brings some respite to some one dimensional acting by Cruise and gang.
Minuses :
1. You would miss what the story is about if you do not pay attention to what Morgan Freeman says at the beginning and the end. In fact you would feel like the movie ended abruptly. It took me and my friends 20 minutes after the movie standing outside the theaters to understand what had happened.
2. There is no soul in the movie, so dont expect to feel warm watching any scene on screen. The more soul Cruise tries to invoke, the more it falls flat on his face. Dakota Fanning is the official Ms. Scream, cos all she does is scream in the movie.
3. Similarly there is no inelasticity in any object in the movie, cars bounce off rite in front of ppls noses and there is no effect on them. Ppl just stand and watch aliens emerge from the ground, I dont think ppl really would do that.
4. They make basements look more like...hmmm...bunkers?...The whole world is torn to pieces above them, but nothing really happens in the basements which are like a feet below the ground. I know shut the logic in such movies, but c’mon this is too much.
6-4 =2
Arunash’s guide to a good movie
-1 : Dont dare dream of this movie
0 : Just dream of this movie
1 : Gimme a break, did I really watch this?
2 : Its ok’ish....
3 : Decent flick....recommend it to others
4 : Good movie....watch it again and recommend it to others...
5 : Buy the DVD when its out!