Rent The War of the Worlds (1953)
3.6 of 5 from 123 ratings
1h 22min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Doomed by diminishing oxygen and falling temperatures on their own planet, the Martians covet the rich atmosphere and fertile fields of the planet Earth. One night, a huge, flaming projectile lands near the little Californian town of Linda Rosa. Similar objects have landed in other parts of the world. The war of the worlds is on!
- Actors:
- Gene Barry, Ann Robinson, Les Tremayne, Robert Cornthwaite, Sandro Giglio, Lewis Martin, Houseley Stevenson Jr., Paul Frees, William Phipps, Vernon Rich, Henry Brandon, Jack Kruschen, Cedric Hardwicke, Peter Adams, Eric Alden, Hugh Allen, Ruth Barnell, Edgar Barrier, Russ Bender, Paul Birch
- Directors:
- Byron Haskin
- Producers:
- George Pal
- Voiced By:
- Cedric Hardwicke
- Writers:
- H.G. Wells, Barré Lyndon
- Others:
- Loren L. Ryder, Paramount Studio, Everett Douglas
- Studio:
- Paramount
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Classics, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Thrillers
- Collections:
- Films & TV by topic, Giant Leap for Mankind: A History of Astronaut Films, Pig Power: Animal Farm At 70, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 Films Turned Into TV Series, Top Films
- Awards:
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/11/2022
- Run Time:
- 85 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, English LPCM Stereo
- Subtitles:
- English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Exclusive Audio Commentary by film critics Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman
- Audio Commentary by actor Gene Barry and actress Ann Robinson
- Audio Commentary by "fans" Joe Dante, Bob Bums and Bill Warren
- "The Sky is Falling: Making The War of the Worlds" documentary
- "H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction" featurette
- "The Mercury Theatre on the Air Presents: The War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast" from 1938 (with stills of Orson Welles)
- Theatrical Trailer
- Photo Gallery
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 07/11/2022
- Run Time:
- 85 minutes
- Languages:
- English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, French Parisian Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono, German Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
- Subtitles:
- Castillian, Dutch, English, English Close Captioned, French Parisian, German, Italian, Japanese, Latin American Spanish
- DVD Regions:
- Region 2
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Commentary by Actors Ann Robinson and Gene Barry
- Commentary by Film Director Joe Dante, Film Historian Bob Burns, and Bill Warren, author of "Keep Watching The Skies"!
- The Sky Is Falling: Making 'The War of the Worlds'
- H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction
- The Mercury Theatre on the Air presents 'The War of the Worlds' Radio Broadcast
- Original Theatrical Trailer
More like The War of the Worlds
Found in these customers lists
Reviews (3) of The War of the Worlds
wow, they sure don't make them like they used to! - The War of the Worlds review by CP Customer
I can remember seeing this film for the 1st time when i was only 6, and it scared the hell out of me! I remember peeping behing the sofa, and wondering if this could really happen, and thinking "why have those spaceships got lamp posts on top??" But to watch this film, was a treat, and you can see quite clearly, where SS ripped this film off. But this is the ORIGINAL - no mistake about this one. My score 8 - 10!
4 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
It may unsettle adults too! - The War of the Worlds review by CP Customer
When I was a kid I used to love this film, partially because I was probably too young to watch it, and partly because it scared me so much.
Now, twenty or so years later I saw it again, and it shocked me. So many films today rely on CGI to prop up an otherwise mediocre production, this suffered none of that.
It's a well composed piece, each individual section hits the right notes, and the sum is remarkably sinister and powerful. It sums up the spirit of the original novel in ways that seem lost on todays film makers.
In summary this film is one of the best Sci-Fi films ever and should justly stand ashamed of it's modern peers.
"Parental Guidance - general viewing but some scenes..." etc etc. Some children will find it unsettling, but then again so will the adults.
4 out of 4 members found this review helpful.
Sci-fi Classic. - The War of the Worlds review by Steve
George Pal's legendary production steered clear of the philosophical themes of HG Wells' classic novel and offered pure, magnificent spectacle. This was a leap forward for the visual reach of '50s science fiction, just as King Kong was for horror in the '30s. The sets, sound effects, models and costumes are phenomenal.
Wells' dystopia of social breakdown proved influential in the sci-fi of the nuclear age. The citizens behave uselessly, resorting to panic and prayer. The mob actually smashes the instruments that might be used by scientists to combat the invasion. The blitzkrieg of the militarily superior invaders is brief and brutal. Cities are abandoned and the left behind are vaporised.
Wells' estate was so impressed they offered Pal access to any other of the writer's works. But while the film is a visual wonder, including the gorgeous Technicolor, there are weaknesses in the script, particularly the lacklustre dialogue. The characters are archetypes and the unheralded cast does little with them. The pious religious sentiments are badly misjudged.
But this is a film of action, pumped by Leith Stevens hyper-dramatic score. It invented many of the future rules of sci-fi cinema and it still works as a screen filling blockbuster and a landmark disaster film. And yes, the invaders' biological flaw which dooms their conquest is again pertinent in the new age of pandemic.
3 out of 3 members found this review helpful.