Mike's movie guide:

Is this week's campus movie, Steven Spielberg's "War of the Worlds," worth seeing? If you don't know, ask a friend--that's what I had to do for this week's edition of Mike's Movie Guide.

If you enjoyed the time a few weeks ago when movie critics reviewed movies they had in fact not seen--for example, yours truly reviewing "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants"--this review is for you. I admit that I have not yet had the pleasure, if indeed that is what "War of the Worlds" is, of watching the movie. So I called in a few friends who have seen the movie to let us know if the flick is worth our time. Results are mixed but hopefully you can decide, by reading a positive and negative reaction, whether or not to sit in the oh-so-comfy seats of our lovely science center for a few hours this weekend.

A Positive Reaction

I had the pleasure of watching "War of the Worlds" over the summer and I was thoroughly impressed with Steven Spielberg's remake of the original classic.

Spielberg uses all of his theatrical wizardry to evoke the same terror that was likely experienced by the audience of the original "War of the Worlds" movie back in 1953. Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning, Cruise's daughter in the movie, really displayed the sort of chaotic emotions that I would expect anyone to feel should their country come under a merciless attack. I felt that the cinematography and computer generated robots were the most notable aspects of the film.

If you are a fan of intense, pulse-pounding and body-chilling movies, I recommend you watch this one with a friend. I give "War of the Worlds" two thumbs up.

-Geoff Keens

A Negative Reaction

One of the biggest summer blockbuster movies this summer was "War of the Worlds." I anticipated watching a decent movie, because it was directed by Steven Spielberg and it starred Tom Cruise, but that isn't what I got. I instead received a wasteful flop, even though the movie had a multi-million dollar budget and action-packed end-of-the-times type plot.

The movie itself follows one man, Ray Ferrier, who is a workaholic trying to make up for lost time with his kids. Aliens attack and everything gets all messed up. After aliens attack Earth, Ferrier decides to try and get to Boston to meet up with his ex-wife. The story follows him on his quest.

The reason why this movie fell short, in my opinion, is that I don't feel that the movie sufficiently explains how aliens arrived. Also, the film just ends with the action still going, making the ending was confusing and unsatisfying. There were times, such as one particular scene with Tim Robbins, where I couldn't wait for the scene to end. I also was surprised that Spielberg didn't somehow show humans trying to fend off the aliens like the humans in Independence Day did.

If I hadn't been able to see the movie for free, I still wouldn't have gone. It might be worth a dollar fifty.

-Jeremy Gibson