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PLEASE NOTE: Michael D's is currently in READ ONLY MODE. Anything submitted will simply not be written to the database.
Lots of stuff is still broken, but at least reviews can now be looked up and read.
War of the Worlds (4K Blu-ray) (2005)

War of the Worlds (4K Blu-ray) (2005)

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Released 3-Jun-2020
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Details At A Glance

General		Extras
Category	Science Fiction	None
Rating
Year Of Production	2005
Running Time	116:31
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Language Select Then Menu	Cast & Crew
Region Coding	1,2,3,4,5,6	Directed By	Steven Spielberg
Studio Distributor	Paramount Home Entertainment	Starring	Tom Cruise Dakota Fanning Justin Chatwin Miranda Otto Tim Robbins Rick Gonzalez Yul Vazquez Lenny Venito Lisa Ann Walter Ann Robinson Gene Barry David Alan Basche Roz Abrams
Case	Standard Blu-ray	Starring
RPI	$29.95	Music	John Williams

Video		Audio
Pan & Scan/Full Frame	None	English Dolby Atmos English Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Czech Dolby Digital 5.1 German Dolby Digital 5.1 Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 French Dolby Digital 5.1 Italian Dolby Digital 5.1 Japanese Dolby Digital 5.1
Widescreen Aspect Ratio	1.78:1
16x9 Enhancement
Video Format	2160p
Original Aspect Ratio	1.85:1	Miscellaneous
Jacket Pictures	No	Miscellaneous
Subtitles	English English for the Hearing Impaired Cantonese Czech Danish German Greek Spanish Spanish French Italian Japanese Korean Hungarian Mandarin Dutch Norwegian Polish Portuguese Russian Romanian Chinese Finnish Swedish Thai	Smoking	No
		Annoying Product Placement	No
		Action In or After Credits	No

NOTE: The Profanity Filter is ON. Turn it off here.

Plot Synopsis

    Yet another adaptation of H.G. Wells' oft-visited alien invasion novel, Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds is an outstanding summer blockbuster which delivers proverbial special effects sequences as well as emotional weight. It may seem like a shameless money-grab to use Wells' revered novel as fodder for a big-budget action-adventure, but with present-day concerns about war and terrorism, it was an ideal time to reinvent the story for modern film-goers. Thankfully, with master filmmaker Steven Spielberg at the helm, this science-fiction blockbuster easily transcends the usual standard for summer action pictures in terms of characterisation, visual craftsmanship and thematic substance. 2005's War of the Worlds is anything but ordinary or forgettable, and it stands the test of time.

    For this version of War of the Worlds, screenwriters David Koepp and Josh Friedman relocate Wells' story to New Jersey in the 21st Century. The protagonist here is divorced, blue-collar working father Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise), who receives his kids Rachel (Dakota Fanning) and Robbie (Justin Chatwin) for the weekend while his ex-wife (Miranda Otto) heads to Boston for a weekend getaway. Ray's relationship with his children is severely strained, and his inherent parental deficiencies are instantly apparent, but it isn't long before violent lightning storms assault the neighbourhood. The residents are initially intrigued by the oddball weather...until giant alien tripods rise from the ground, and summarily obliterate everything in their path. Faced with a full-scale alien attack, and the possibility of humanity's extermination, Ray and his kids go on the run, journeying around the East Coast looking for shelter and safety in a desperate bid for survival.

    Spielberg used to be optimistic about extraterrestrials, with Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial reinforcing harmonious messages about intergalactic travellers. For War of the Worlds, though, the filmmaker gives aliens the same type of menace he applied to Jurassic Park's dinosaurs and the shark in Jaws. These otherworldly beings do not come to Earth to make peaceful contact, but instead to exterminate humankind and colonise the planet. Once the attack begins, War of the Worlds briskly moves from one phenomenal action set-piece to the next, though the in-between material is also effective. Amid the violence, Spielberg and the writers exhibit higher ambitions, finding time for incisive societal commentary. Indeed, the film highlights how grim circumstances can bring out the best and worst of human nature, with nasty instances of mob mentality and selfishness more often than moments of selfless bravery. With Spielberg framing this story from the point-of-view of a small family, War of the Worlds possesses a jarring, horrifying immediacy, making the fight to survive feel profoundly real.

    Plenty of noteworthy action set-pieces take the breath away throughout War of the Worlds. For example, the intersection sequence which spotlights the tripods' first appearance is horrifying and riveting; executed with astute immediacy that places you in the midst of a nightmare coming true. Even better is the perfectly-realised sequence depicting Ray and the kids leaving their house as tripods obliterate the area. The digital effects work bringing the tripods to life is first-rate and often seamless (the film received a Best Visual Effects Oscar nomination), while the cinematography by Spielberg's frequent collaborator Janusz Kaminski vividly captures the invasion. War of the Worlds is full of striking imagery, from long shots studying the destruction, to eye-level shots of the tripods chillingly obscured by smoke. The tripods' distinctive roar is unnerving, too, and John Williams' reliably bravura score generates immense trepidation during the big and small moments. From a technical viewpoint, War of the Worlds is quite simply impossible to fault. Even though filming began a mere seven months before its world premiere, it does not display the earmarks of a slapdash rush-job.

    Even though War of the Worlds is a spectacular blockbuster, it is also traumatic and harrowing, with images of violence and destruction carrying devastating emotional weight. In addition to the striking shots of widespread devastation, the eerily quiet moments hit hard as well, such as a river choked with lifeless bodies. There are visual references to 9/11 as well, which enhances the movie's impact and relevance. However, the film's ending is a letdown, with the alien defeat seeming too quick and easy. Consequently, War of the Worlds feels like two borderline perfect initial acts followed by a truncated, almost non-existent third act. The method of defeat is acceptable (and true to the book), but it feels underdone and out of the blue. Not to mention, the closing scenes are generically Hollywood and feel-good, as if a studio committee decided upon this material to lighten Spielberg's otherwise bleak vision. A few Hollywood stupidities also blemish War of the Worlds - a video camera perfectly operates after an EMP hit, for instance, and Ray's van is completely unaffected after a massive storm in which a commercial airliner crashes right next to them. Rewrites could have easily ironed out these flaws.

    An able cast further elevates War of the Worlds - the actors confidently nail the disaster genre fundamentals, and manage to emote the deeper elements of their roles convincingly. Cruise is excellent, and it's a testament to his professionalism and dedication that he can make you forget about his humiliating personal life. Cruise effortlessly captures the awe of the moment, and he's full of intensity, but his performance is affecting as well - one of the most memorable scenes depicts Ray breaking down and crying in front of his kids. Fanning receives a lot of criticism for her performance as Rachel since it amounts to a lot of screaming and crying, but at least she does this stuff well. As far as child actors go, there is no-one in the business as good as her - she's natural and adorable without needing to mug, and portrays fear with a believability that puts some hardened Hollywood veterans to shame. Meanwhile, Tim Robbins is memorable as Harlan Ogilvy, a borderline madman who encompasses several of the film's underlying themes. In addition, Gene Barry and Ann Robinson - the stars of 1953's The War of the Worlds - briefly appear in cameo roles as grandparents during the final scene. Morgan Freeman is also on hand to deliver the opening and closing narration, which is an agreeable touch.

    By keeping the story first-person, Spielberg's vision of this alien invasion is uniquely personal and immediate. Additionally, a welcome sense of humour alleviates the otherwise pervasive sense of dread and make the characters feel more human. It also helps that Spielberg retains the book's ultimate dénoûment, in turn delivering an effective message about the importance of the Earth's multilayered ecosystem. Plus, through advancements to human evolution and scientific breakthroughs over thousands of years, humankind has earned the right to share this planet with billions of complex organisms. This thoughtfulness adds a bit more weight and meaning to the story beyond pure, hollow pyrotechnics. Spielberg does not skimp on the special effects since they are the film's bread and butter, but it's the underlying sense of gravitas which elevates this above Transformers or Independence Day.

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Transfer Quality

Video

    Rumours about a War of the Worlds 4K Blu-ray have circulated online since last year, and Paramount has finally delivered Spielberg's outstanding science-fiction blockbuster on the Ultra HD format. Details about the 4K remastering are slim to none, but the movie was finished photochemically back in 2005; therefore, the 4K master was presumably created from a fresh 4K scan of the original camera negative for the non-VFX shots, while the VFX shots were presumably sourced from the original ILM digital files from 2005. I was also unable to find any information about ILM's process; specifically, it's not clear what resolution the film elements were originally scanned at before the application of the digital effects, though the CGI was almost certainly rendered at 2K. Whatever the case, the resultant HEVC/H.265-encoded 4K presentation is jaw-dropping in every sense of the word, kicking the ever-loving crap out of the dated 1080p Blu-ray from ten years ago. Whereas the Blu-ray retained the movie's original aspect ratio of 1.85:1, this 2160p transfer is presented in open matte 1.78:1, showing slightly more visual information at the top and bottom of the screen - though it's only minor. Additionally, War of the Worlds is placed on a dual-layered BD-66 along with literally dozens of audio options, but the disc is without extras, so there's plenty of room to accommodate an adequate video bitrate.

    First things first: there is no trace of digital noise reduction throughout the movie. Just like the 2010 Blu-ray, Paramount has left the grain in-tact, which is definitely for the best. War of the Worlds is a deliberately grainy movie, in keeping with the aesthetic devised by Spielberg and cinematographer Janusz Kaminski. Indeed, "grain haters" will not like this one, and will probably crank up the noise reduction filters on their televisions, but videophiles will be in heaven. Compared to the Blu-ray, grain is better-handled in 4K, looking finer and more refined. Additionally, on the Blu-ray, the grain is noticeably chunky during the VFX shots, but these shots look so much better in 4K - it's a considerable improvement. Grain is variable throughout the movie depending on the lighting and the environment, with grain significantly spiking in certain darker shots, but, of course, this is all traceable to the original 35mm photography - and what matters the most is the competent encoding which thankfully staves off macroblocking. Admittedly, some of the VFX shots look ever-so-slightly soft and less precise, but this is probably to be expected - such shots won't look any better unless Paramount pays to re-render all the digital compositions natively in 4K.

    On the Blu-ray, I noted several rough-looking shots, including a shot of Ray at 9:53 as he's throwing a baseball. These shots look considerably better in 4K, and there are no complaints to bring up in this respect. Admittedly, the archival footage throughout the opening montage is of mixed quality, with a couple of shots showing chunkier grain, but the first-generation material is much better once the movie begins proper. The increase in clarity and textural precision compared to the Blu-ray is mind-blowing, resolving even the subtlest details on clothing, skin and the production design. Even in wider shots, the image looks exceedingly tight and detailed, showing the type of precision that's just not possible on 1080p Blu-ray. The transfer is exceedingly sharp, to boot, with superb object delineation in even the darkest of environments. Shadow detail is also noticeably improved, particularly during the scenes in Oglivy's dark basement. For the most part, ILM's digital effects stand up to the increased scrutiny of the 4K resolution, as the tripods still look every bit as convincing as they did back in 2005, though some of the CGI flames look a touch phoney.

    The High Dynamic Range grading is superb, augmenting the colour palette and bringing back highlight detail that has never been seen on home video before - and probably wasn't even visible in 2005 cinema prints. Furthermore, videophiles can rejoice, as Paramount encoded the disc in Dolby Vision HDR, though the disc plays in regular old HDR10 on non-DV-compatible equipment. I concentrated on watching the movie in Dolby Vision, so this review reflects the DV presentation. Fortunately, the 4K transfer retains the intended desaturated look, but there's more variety and nuance to the colour palette; in comparison, the original Blu-ray looks flat and drab. Additionally, the added highlight detail is a huge asset, again demonstrating the possibilities of this format. Just see, for instance, the War of the Worlds title at the very beginning, which is better-defined amid the bright lens flare in the middle of the screen. When Ray is driving home after finishing work, a shot at 4:16 is hopelessly blown out on the regular Blu-ray due to the sun brightly reflecting off the wet road. However, in Ultra HD, the HDR brings back more nuance to the shot, with added highlight detail in both the sunlight as well as the sky in the background. Likewise, coverage of Mary Ann and Tim at 4:59 is deliberately bright as hell, in keeping with Kaminski's usual creative choices, but the 4K presentation shows firmer highlight detail. These moments and more still look overexposed to an extent, which is part and parcel of Kaminski's photography (just see any harsh light source - street lamps, the lights on the ferry, windows, etc.), but the image is more pleasing in HDR. I also noticed improved highlights in the tripod laser blasts and the tripod "eyes," bringing out as much detail as the source will give up.

    I could not detect any issues with compression, as Paramount's encoding team have done an immaculate job transferring the remastered 4K presentation to disc. Grain never looks blocky, there's no macroblocking, and there are absolutely no additional encoding anomalies like aliasing or banding. In addition to this, there are no signs of any film artefacts or print damage throughout; no gate weave, nor are there any scratches or flecks - the movie looks pristine, as if it was only produced in the last couple of years. War of the Worlds has its critics, but nobody can say a negative word about the quality of this UHD presentation. Aside from a few slightly soft shots, the transfer looks spectacular, with beautifully-refined grain, excellent fine detail, and a top-notch HDR grade. It's also a significant upgrade over the Blu-ray, which just looks dated and inadequate in comparison. This one is definitely worth upgrading.

    As detailed in the specs, there are a tonne of subtitle options, including English and English SDH. I sampled the regular English subtitle track, and there are no issues - it's well-formatted and easy to read.

*Video Ratings Summary*
Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    War of the Worlds was mixed in 5.1 for its 2005 theatrical exhibition, and that's how it was presented on Blu-ray ten years ago. As per usual for Paramount, the movie has undergone a remix for its 4K debut, coming to UHD Blu-ray with a Dolby Atmos soundtrack (with a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 core). There has been a lot of fuss online about this remix, as the bass is weaker compared to the original mix; the tripod horns, in particular, aren't as loud or as deep as the Blu-ray's DTS-HD MA 5.1 track. I read about this online prior to viewing the disc, and it was instantly apparent during the iconic intersection sequence. In short, it feels as if the audio engineers sought to level out the audio and weaken the low-frequency effects, which is not faithful to the outstanding original mixing. And, unfortunately, the original audio is not present on this disc, so folks are left to decide whether they care more about the original audio or the 4K-remastered video presentation.

    Now, this isn't to imply that the audio track as a whole lacks merit, as there is still ample LFE when the occasion calls for it. For instance, during the intersection sequence, rumbling is deep and impactful as the road begins to come apart, while the tripod horns are still loud. The sound of tripod laser blasts, as well as people being vaporised, are still deafening and bursting with LFE. When Ray, Robbie and Rachel hide in the basement as the plane comes down outside, the sound effects are downright deafening and unnerving. All of the major set-pieces still look and sound incredible, with frenetic mayhem and loud sound effects, but the Blu-ray's 5.1 mix just packs more LFE. However, this track only falls short through comparisons, as the track sounds perfectly fine when taken on its own merits. Again, you're left to decide if you value the original mixing enough to stick with the Blu-ray and forgo the beautiful 4K remastering.

    Aside from this, there are no other complaints to be made about this Atmos track. This is a lossless track, so it perpetually sounds pristine and crystal clear, with absolutely no encoding or source-related anomalies to be found - no sync issues, drop-outs, popping or clicking. Prioritisation is outstanding, too, with comprehensible dialogue from start to finish, even during the deafening set-pieces and when the tripods are attacking. The track also makes great use of the surround channels, with the audio sounding dynamic and enveloping from the very beginning. Frequent panning and separation are apparent, from the opening narration and music filling the surround channels, to Ray driving past the camera at 4:16, and precise placement of all audio elements during the major set-pieces. Environmental ambience is never lacking; when the characters go down into Oglivy's basement, for instance, you can always hear dripping water or tripod ambience coming from all around. Compared to the Blu-ray's 5.1 mix, the dynamic range is noticeably extended for this Atmos track, though I cannot comment on the overhead activity as I only have a 7.1 surround sound system. A few shortcomings aside, the Atmos track is pretty good on its own terms - I just wish that Paramount included the original 5.1 audio on the disc to please everybody.

    For those interested, the disc also contains lossy Dolby Digital options in countless languages - I can't even list everything in the disc specs. However, I concentrated solely on the Atmos track for this review.

*Audio Ratings Summary*
Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

Extras

No extras are included on the 4K disc. However, the set also contains the 1080p Blu-ray, which does have extras. Still, it's a d*** shame that there's nothing new here - we're still waiting for those deleted scenes.

R4 vs R1

NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.

All 4K discs worldwide appear identical. Buy local.

Summary

It received a lot of online hate upon its release, mostly stemming from blanket Tom Cruise hatred, but I'll defend Spielberg's War of the Worlds any day of the week. It's a spectacular and terrifying blockbuster, with set-pieces that positively hold up in 2020. It does end a bit too suddenly, and I wish it were longer, but that's not enough to undo the flick's numerous strengths.

I had high hopes for War of the Worlds in 4K, and they were surpassed by the outstanding 2160p transfer. The remastered 4K presentation is incredible, and one of the best catalogue transfers that I've seen on this format in recent memory. The Dolby Atmos mix, however, is slightly disappointing in terms of LFE, but it's still eminently serviceable. There are no extras on the 4K disc, but the accompanying Blu-ray has a lot of terrific special features to explore. Highly recommended.

Ratings (out of 5)

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall

Review Equipment
DVD	Sony UBP-X700 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Player, using HDMI output
Display	LG OLED65E6T. This display device is 16x9 capable. This display device has a maximum native resolution of 2160p.
Audio Decoder	Built in to amplifier/receiver. This audio decoder/receiver has not been calibrated.
Amplification	Samsung Series 7 HT-J7750W
Speakers	Samsung Tall Boy speakers, 7.1 set-up

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