War of the Worlds [Blu-ray] (2005)

An ordinary man has to protect his children against alien invaders in this science fiction thriller, freely adapted from the classic story by H.G. Wells. Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is a dockworker living in New Jersey, divorced from his first wife Mary Ann (Miranda Otto) and estranged from his two children Rachel and Robbie (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin), of whom he has custody on weekends. On one such visitation, looking after the kids becomes a little more difficult when, after a series of strange lighting storms hit his neighborhood, Ray discovers that a fleet of death-ray robotic spaceships have emerged nearby, part of the first wave of an all-out alien invasion of the Earth. Transporting his children from New York to Boston in an attempt to find safety at Mary Ann's parents' house, Ray must learn to become the protector and provider he never was in marriage. Also starring Tim Robbins, War of the Worlds was directed by Steven Spielberg, who had been planning the project for years, but set it aside until a wave of "alien invasion" films (led by Independence Day) had run its course.

Actors: Tom Cruise, Dakota Fanning, Tim Robbins, Miranda Otto, Justin Chatwin
Directors: Steven Spielberg
Writers: David Koepp, H.G. Wells, Josh Friedman
Producers: Colin Wilson, Damian Collier, Kathleen Kennedy, Paula Wagner
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, DTS Surround Sound, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen
Language: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Subtitles: English, French, Spanish, Portuguese
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Number of discs: 1
Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: Dreamworks Video
DVD Release Date: June 1, 2010
Run Time: 117 minutes

Special Features
Revisiting the Invasion
The H.G. Wells Legacy
Steven Spielberg and the Original War of the Worlds
Characters: The Family Unit
Previsualization
Production Diaries
Designing the Enemy: Tripods and Aliens
Scoring War of the Worlds
We are Not Alone
Galleries
Theatrical Teaser Trailer HD

Overall: War of the Worlds is a visually stunning and ultimately terrifying film about encounters with ruthless invaders. While I praise this film for the alien scenes and plot, the rest is so mundane and negative that it almost ruins the movie.