Original vs Remake: War of the Worlds

I haven't done an original versus remake in a while, but recently my siblings and I watched two different versions of War of the Worlds, so I thought it would be fun to compare them. It's not exactly the same, as I don't think the newer version is a direct remake of the old one, but since they're (loosely) based off the same book, it's close enough.

Today I'll be comparing War of the Worlds (1953) starring Gene Barry and Ann Robinson to War of the Worlds (2005) starring Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. (Interestingly, Gene Barry and Ann Robinson also play in the 2005 version as the grandparents. Coincidence?)

Spoilers ahead!

Plot

Original- Clayton Forester is a scientist called in to the site of a meteor crash, where it turns out aliens have landed and start their invasion. He and a girl named Sylvia must bring some alien DNA to Los Angeles in hopes to find the alien weakness.

One of the things I liked best about the plot of this one was how they made the main character do something for the plot. He's a scientist, so he knows things, and he manages to get something they can use to stop the aliens. It has a slow build-up, but the climax was great.

Remake- A dockworker named Ray Ferrier is trying to spend a weekend with his kids when the aliens burst from under the earth. He must try to return to them to their mother while avoiding being caught or killed by the aliens.

This is a much more survival movie than the original. It's about your average divorcee and his struggle to both survive and reconnect with his kids. It's a lot more fast paced action filled, but the ending was a bit of a let-down.

Characters

Original- As I mentioned, in the original the main character is a scientist. He's pretty down to earth and keeps his head well in a crisis. The other major character is Sylvia, who is smart in her own right. Together they work to bring the aliens down through scientific means. I like both characters on their own and think they made a pretty cute couple.

Remake- I feel like Ray was much more of your everyman character. He could have just as easily been anyone else. He only survives through luck and the only emotional investment he has is due to his kids. (Which he is a pretty sucky dad, by the way.)

Speaking of his kids, including them in a disaster/survival movie was an interesting choice. I think they added Rachel at least because Dakota Fanning is phenomenal actress even at ten. Her character was a pretty classic, if bratty, child character. Her brother is a teenager, who also fell under the cliché zone most of the time. (There was a touching moment when he helped his sister through a panic attack I like. Then he abandoned his family to fight aliens for no reason and his brother points went down the drain.)

Setting

Original- This film starts off in small town USA in California. I liked the country setting and the way they worked it into the plot. They then travel across the country to Los Angeles, where the climax of the film takes place. I like how they used the various settings well, especially during the finale of the movie.

Remake- This version starts in New Jersey and over the course of the movie, the family travels through a bunch of generic locations to Boston to be reunited with their mother. The opening and climax weren't as good, but I liked how they used some of the other settings, such as the boat and the basement sequence (if you've read the book, you know the one).

Other

Aliens

Original- The tripods are one of the most famous parts of the book, but they did not make the aliens look like that in this version. Instead, they're classic flying ships that look really good for the time. We also never really get to see the aliens, except for bits and pieces.

Remake- You see a lot more aliens in this version. Both in their really awesome looking tripod ships (the wonders of CGI) and a few times outside of it. These aliens were much more terrifying and really freaked me out (more due to the circumstances they were seen in than appearance).

Vibe

Original- I know that's a weird word to use, but I couldn't think of a better one. This movie had a much more classic alien movie vibe. Aliens arrive, show themselves evil, we play shoot-em-up, and there's a lot of panic until we figure out how to kill them. It's very clean and mostly bloodless, enjoyable for all ages.

Remake- The vibe of this movie was much more gritty. As it went along, it almost became a horror movie. There's a lot of on screen death, a high body count, and near constant imminent death for everyone. While there's not a lot of gore, there's a whole part where Ray comes out of the house to find the ground covered in blood from the aliens "watering" the earth. (It made me sick.)

Which is Better?

Neither is a better adaptation of the original book. They both have parts they included and parts they eliminated. It was interesting to see how they both portrayed the aliens in the time periods they were set in. I liked the ending of the older version better, but the pacing of the new one better (also, it had Tom Cruise). But in the end, the one I'd say is better, that I would watch again, is. . .

War of the Worlds, 1953!

Have you seen either of these movies? Do you agree with my pick? Tell me in the comments.

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