‘War of the Worlds’ – One of the worst of all time

The superhero genre is going through a resurgence with quality films like Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Jurassic World Rebirth delivered a dinosaur adventure with gleeful thrills, and even on the horizon, the horror film Weapons promises to be as tantalising as the clear frontrunner for the year’s best Sinners. It’s a great time to go to the movies, but perhaps the biggest reason is that competition from streaming services is an hour and a half of Ice Cube staring at his computer screen to remind everyone that when all is said and done, we’ll always have his rap career to remember.

In War of the Worlds, Ice Cube’s performance is effortless, in that no effort can be found in it. He stars as an agent within the Department of Homeland Security, flagrantly abusing resources to spy on his children who want nothing to do with him. He’s an overbearing father with an eye in the sky, something that comes in handy when aliens attack. Terror in the streets, and the devastation is immeasurable. It’s also invisible, since the entire film takes place on Ice Cube’s computer screen.

What action there is to be had in this film is caught only in glimpses. The rest of the film is an assortment of overacting from the film’s cast, as they deliver lines to their selfie cameras. It’s not just how they say the words but the words themselves. With nothing to play by, Ice Cube is forced to resort to repeating the same reaction lines as if he’s hosting the world’s dullest livestream event.

It would be bad enough to have to endure what is clearly the leftovers of pandemic filmmaking. What’s worse is the way War of the Worlds so blatantly functions as an advertisement for Amazon and its products. One character in the film is an Amazon delivery person whose skills save the day more than once. With his trusty packing tape, he’s able to stop the bleeding of a near-fatal wound, and the final act of defiance against the alien invaders is facilitated by a package delivery drone.

In War of the Worlds, government overreach triggers the alien invasion – and it’s also the very toolset the characters use to fight back. Yet the film is so confused about what statement it wants to make that its delivery feels torturous – like a Zoom call you’re forced to endure but desperately want to leave. With zero saving graces, this movie can only really be enjoyed if you watch it as one of the worst films ever made. A train wreck in every sense, and one that only gets worse the more you look at it.

Rating: Read a book

Damian Levy is a film critic and podcaster for Damian Michael Movies.