It had been less than a decade since outer space had launched a blockbuster assault on planet Earth. "Independence Day" conquered the worldwide box office in 1996, mercilessly wiping out tourist destinations around the globe before Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum teamed up to whoop E.T.'s ass. So, when Steven Spielberg announced he was going to put a contemporary spin on H. G. Wells' novel "The War of the Worlds," it almost felt unnecessary.
Spielberg had worked with aliens before, of course, but had tended to favor friendlier visitations in the form of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "E.T." The invaders in "War of the Worlds" were rather less cuddly, but still provided the perfect vehicle for the director to explore his trademark themes of separated families and reluctant, everyman heroes. And even though he steered clear of the trailer-friendly set-pieces that characterized Roland Emmerich's "Independence Day" — this is very much a film from the post-9/11 America — Spielberg embraced the opportunity to remind the world that he remains (with apologies to James Cameron) the greatest action director of all time. If only he'd nailed the final act, "War of the Worlds" might have been up there with "Jaws," "Raiders of the Lost Ark," and "Jurassic Park" in his formidable hall of fame.
