Sometimes, Roger Ebert is a Scrotum
Jul. 5th, 2005 12:11 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
oneirophreniaRoger Ebert is one of my favorite film critics. Sure, I frequently disagree with a lot of his reviews--but they're always thoughful, well-written, and consistently reasonable. But, man, his review of War of the Worlds is so far off the fucking mark it's unbelievable. The man literally didn't get the film at all.
Mainly, in his review, he complains about how "unexciting" the alien invasion is, and how improbably the invaders are. Why would they just start vaporizing humans without provocation? Why would they use some as fertilizer? Why would they attack now? Why would they bury their machines here and then teleport into them when the Allmighty Tallest give them the OK? Why would they do this? Why would they do that?
WHO THE FUCK CARES?!?!
Yes, the Martians in Wells' novel had a reason for invading--a very good one: their planet was dying, and they wanted to capture this one from us. Fine. But remember, folks: this film is an adaptation, not a literal filming of the book, and in that light...aren't the invaders that much more terrifying if their motives are completely alien and inscrutable? Desperate, dying Martians are one thing--they're still frightening, but you almost pity them at the same time (which was Wells' ideal in the first place)--but what's more terrifying to a contemporary American audience than a surprise attack from terror--I mean, aliens--who just spring up from nowhere and start destroying? The film is about the people trying to survive the aliens' extermination, not about the politics of alien invasion.
Think about it, Rog. I can't believe you missed something so frickin' obvious. DANG!
Mainly, in his review, he complains about how "unexciting" the alien invasion is, and how improbably the invaders are. Why would they just start vaporizing humans without provocation? Why would they use some as fertilizer? Why would they attack now? Why would they bury their machines here and then teleport into them when the Allmighty Tallest give them the OK? Why would they do this? Why would they do that?
WHO THE FUCK CARES?!?!
Yes, the Martians in Wells' novel had a reason for invading--a very good one: their planet was dying, and they wanted to capture this one from us. Fine. But remember, folks: this film is an adaptation, not a literal filming of the book, and in that light...aren't the invaders that much more terrifying if their motives are completely alien and inscrutable? Desperate, dying Martians are one thing--they're still frightening, but you almost pity them at the same time (which was Wells' ideal in the first place)--but what's more terrifying to a contemporary American audience than a surprise attack from terror--I mean, aliens--who just spring up from nowhere and start destroying? The film is about the people trying to survive the aliens' extermination, not about the politics of alien invasion.
Think about it, Rog. I can't believe you missed something so frickin' obvious. DANG!
