The following review of The War Of The Worlds was published as a part of the Criterion Collection Blu-Ray review here.
The story of War of the Worlds has had quite a long life, from the initial H.G. Wells novel in 1898 to an infamous 1938 radio dramatization that caused a public panic. Over a century after its publication, we have recent adaptations including the Steven Spielberg-helmed Tom Cruise version in 2005 and the currently airing TV series on EPIX. As beloved as some of these versions are, chief among them is Byron Haskin’s original 1953 film The War of the Worlds from When Worlds Collide producer George Pal. The film loosely follows the story put forth by Wells and shifts the perspective from Victorian-era England to 1953 southern California. These changes allowed the film to tap into the Cold War-era paranoia and fear of nuclear annihilation. This mastery of tone mixed with impressive feats in filmmaking conjured up something truly terrifying, which has cemented its place in the pantheon of science fiction films.
After Martians decide their home planet is becoming too unstable to sustain life, they take a journey through the universe where they find planet after planet of hostile environments unable to support their needs. As they happen upon Earth, they find a lush, welcoming planet that seems ripe for invasion. They crash land in areas all over the world, but The War of the Worlds largely focuses on the site in southern California. Initially, a group of men from the town go out to survey the wreckage until the authorities can make their way to the site. It does not take long before we realize that these visitors do not come in peace. Bodies are disintegrated with reckless abandon as deadly rays and beams shoot forth from the Manta ray-shaped spacecraft. These aliens have absolutely no interest in anything to do with humans. In no time at all, everything in the vicinity from buildings to vehicles to people is turned to ash. To make matters worse, the invaders have shields that render our weapons absolutely useless. The entire situation seems like a lost cause for mankind.
At the center of this mayhem are a vacationing well-known atomic scientist, Dr. Clayton Forrester (Gene Barry), and a local USC library science instructor, Sylvia Van Buren (Ann Robinson). The pair hit it off at the crash site before things really go to hell, which allows the film to develop an emotional through line. Barry and Robinson have great chemistry, which makes it easy to get invested. They attempt to use their smarts against the invading forces, but there is only so much they can do against heretofore-unknown beings. The supporting cast are all doing noteworthy work in their brief time they are alive. The film is pretty merciless in its destruction and death toll among the townspeople. This is part of what makes the film so terrifying. There is no reasoning with impending doom; you just have to make sure you fight with everything you have to stay alive, and just maybe you will be one of the lucky ones. The War of the Worlds rarely lets up on the tension enough to allow you to regain your composure. This can mostly be attributed to Wells’ text that so thoroughly conjured a frightening scenario that all you had to do was put your own slight shine on it. The only change that was made that is a minor ding to the film is the depiction of religion in a more positive light than Wells ever would have appreciated.
There are many reasons why this film has endured for nearly seventy years. Many modern films are burdened with the constantly evolving expectations of what CGI and special effects should look like from year to year. If you look at some of the CGI from the 90s, it can frankly look pretty embarrassing. With The War of the Worlds, we were still firmly in the golden era where practical effects reigned supreme as the only choice in filmmaking. Sure, you can occasionally see the seams of how they pulled off the certain sequences, but there is something special about seeing something made by hand that your brain can forgive. The sound effects are likewise indelible after all these years. You are genuinely creeped out when you hear the invaders slithering through and scanning the premises. Finally, there is something evergreen when it comes to a story about fear of an unknown force. We live in a time where seemingly any threat could possibly be on the table, and this film executes that fear flawlessly in a tightly paced package. When it comes to science fiction, The War of the Worlds stands as a landmark in the genre.
For additional thoughts on The War of the Worlds and When Worlds Collide, please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
Paramount Home Entertainment presents The War of the Worlds with a glorious 2160p Dolby Vision transfer sourced from a 4K digital restoration. We first caught this restoration a couple of years ago when it was used for the Criterion Collection Blu-Ray which we really loved. With this latest release, Paramount takes something that was already great and made it even stronger. The film features some sumptuous colors within the costumes and settings that yield an even greater degree of complexity and vibrancy. The Dolby Vision brings a depth and stability of color that will knock your socks off. The black levels are simply perfect with nothing in the way of crush present, and white levels are rock solid with no evidence of blooming.
The level of detail and clarity has also been improved while retaining the appropriate amount of natural film grain. Grain resolves perfectly without ever being clumpy or unsightly. The texture on display in the costumes and within the production design and model work are a revelation. Even facial details like sweat present with striking clarity. The film appears to be entirely free of dirt and damage, which makes the feature feel like it could have been made yesterday. There does not appear to be any jarring digital anomalies such as compression artifacts, banding or any other such nuisances.
The release also includes the domestic Blu-Ray debut of When Worlds Collide which impresses to a lesser degree, but still provides a great experience. This film has been remastered from the original film elements, and you can see a lot of qualities that exemplify the best of film preservation. The film grain remains intact and naturally resolved with nothing ever betraying the intended look of the film. Fine detail is also a showstopper, and you have certain text in the background of key shots that are now crisp and legible for the first time.
If there is any element that may be controversial with this title, it would be the color timing which runs a bit more brown or olive compared to previous iterations of the film. The real-world viewing experience is much less dramatic than certain screen caps would have you believe. Yes, there is a touch less vibrancy to some of the hues which films of this genre in this era typically excelled in providing. Yet, this is a small tradeoff for a richer depth of color overall which looks very striking in its saturation and allows for more detail in certain cases. This is especially true of the white levels, which often were searing and bloomed previously and are now stable and detailed. Black levels are also robust and do not fall victim to compression artifacts. There is an argument to be made that this presentation is not perfect, but it is really fetching and the best it has ever looked in many respects. Paramount has done a great job with both of these sci-fi classics.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray provides an English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track for The War Of The Worlds which serves the movie incredibly well. For those who want full immersion, the 5.1 track surrounds you with the alien onslaught as beams sonically fly throughout the room and explosions happen all around you. Purists who want the film as it was originally intended may be slightly disappointed that the mono track included on the Criterion release was not ported over. The track we have delivers crisp, clear dialogue that is never overwhelmed by any music or sound effects. There are no noticeable age-related issues with this track. Optional English, English SDH and a plethora of other subtitles are provided for the main feature. This same amount of care was put into the audio presentation as the video.
When it comes to When Worlds Collide, we do get the original DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 mono track which holds up fairly well. The audio experience offers some robust activity when the scene calls for it, never leaving you feeling as if you are lacking power. Dialogue comes through without issue as it stands strong in the face of environmental effects. The only place where this track falters a little more than normal is in some of the musical cues, which sound a bit crunchy and weak when it approaches its height. While not without some weakness, this Blu-Ray overall captures the sonic landscape of this title well.
Special Features
The War Of The Worlds
- Audio Commentary #1: Actors Ann Robinson and Gene Barry provide a commentary track in which they speak on their experiences with the film, its legacy and more. We were so lucky to have two legends with us for so long and able to so clearly relay gems from the Golden Age of Hollywood.
- Audio Commentary #2: A feature-length commentary recorded in 2005 featuring filmmaker Joe Dante (Gremlins), film historian Bob Burns, and writer Bill Warren (Keep Watching the Skies!). This is a very lively, informative track in which background and bit actors are highlighted and given greater context in film history, plot and special effects are discussed, and personal experiences with the film are shared. This is a nifty companion to the feature film.
- The Sky Is Falling: This thirty-minute documentary takes a look at the production and legacy of War of the Worlds including interviews with Robert Cornthwaite (Dr. Pryor), Gene Barry (Dr. Clayton Forrester), art department specialist Jack Senter, Ann Robinson (Sylvia Van Buren), art director Al Nozaki, and first assistant director Micky Moore, amongst others. There are interesting stories about the casting process, the practical special effects and how the actors were actually frightened by some of the aliens. The coolest part of this is seeing unused Ray Harryhausen models of the aliens.
- H.G. Wells – The Father Of Science Fiction: A nearly 11-minute featurette which takes a look at the life and career of the historic author of so many tremendous works of science fiction.
- The Mercury Theater On The Air: The hour-long infamous radio adaptation directed and narrated by Orson Welles that was broadcast live on October 30, 1938, is presented here in its entirety. It is so well executed that you can understand why this sparked a minor panic for those who missed the announcements during the show.
- Trailer: The nearly three-minute trailer is presented here in HD. It does a good job of building up anticipation for the spectacle of the picture.
When Worlds Collide
- Theatrical Trailer: The two-minute trailer is provided.
Final Thoughts
The War of the Worlds and When Worlds Collide are two of the most iconic and impressive films in science fiction history. The films work as a product of their time, as well as in the context of modern day. The visual effects are a staggering achievement in filmmaking, which allows them to thrill even after all of these years. Paramount Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD and Blu-Ray combo pack which gives a rich and vibrant new life to each of these titles in a way that fans will really appreciate. The A/V presentation is top notch all around, and the special features for The War of the Worlds are impressive even if we could have used some more for When Worlds Collide. Fans of the genre should not hesitate to pick this release up. Recommended
Paramount Presents The War Of The Worlds + When Worlds Collide is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD + Blu-Ray Combo Pack and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD or Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Paramount Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.