WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) **1/2 There's something very funny about the idea of Martians attacking the earth...I mean, they could never win. So it's relaxing enough watching them wax omnipotent and such. Fine x-ray lasers radioactivating all over the place, then we launch an atomic bomb at them, but the radioactivity doesn't even bother the humans in the frame much. Apparently we're pretty tough in this peripheral world, too. I really like plugging in the old stock footage: military footage, animal stampede footage, but why do the French air force planes have USAF markings? No matter, pay no attention to the markings. They special effects are also very cheesy and funny, and that's very important to me in a film like this. I guess part of the reason that it's so relaxing in considering the impending enslavement of mankind is that none of these people are particularly appealing (except for the Lewis Martin character), but their intentions and emotions and faith and hope are, so I'm glad if they win.
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