War of the Worlds

Spielberg. Cruise. Aliens invading earth. It's natural (and correct) to assume that this is a big budget, over the top farce in which Tom runs about and Spielberg rams home the message of family love around some special effects. Cruise is our Everyman - a common labourer with designer jeans and a sports car. His ex-wife leaves their 2 kids with him for the weekend, even if they don't think much of their dad. However, what she doesn't know is that our world is being watched by intelligences greater than our own and they are planning to attack. Narrated by a pseudo-serious Morgan Freeman, it quickly becomes apparent that while Tom's character may not be able to save the world, he sure as hell is going to try to save his family. What follows is an undemanding sci-fi which would have benefited from a lot more action and a lot less screaming from Fanning.