WAR OF THE WORLDS
Exciting alien-invasion suspense with moral weight, but frightening content and foul language.
Should You Watch It?
Steven Spielberg’s remake delivers a high level of tension. Ray Ferrier’s desperate effort to protect his children gives the alien invasion a human center, while the film’s patriotic message and brief mention of God’s Providence add moral weight.
The costs are real. The attacks are frightening, the alien imagery can be slimy, and the film contains significant foul language. The pacing is repetitive, and the special effects sometimes overpower the storytelling. Still, the movie is exciting, well made, and morally uplifting in its portrayal of a father who repeatedly risks himself for his children.
If you’re choosing for younger children, stay home. For teenagers and adults who can handle the content, WORTH THE TRIP — TEENAGERS AND ADULTS.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESRay Ferrier is a divorced blue-collar father in New Jersey who sees his children only occasionally. During a custody visit, strange lightning storms strike across the globe. Soon, enormous alien machines rise from the ground and begin vaporizing people.
Ray and his two children flee in a stolen minivan, searching for places to hide as the invaders destroy the world around them. Their journey becomes a fight to survive, protect one another, and find hope.
Is It Any Good?
Three stars means this is an exciting, well-made film that falls short of greatness. Spielberg creates sustained suspense, with intense sound and light effects that keep you wondering whether the characters will survive. The visual effects are excellent and blend seamlessly with the actors.
The movie’s weaknesses are largely structural. Repeated attacks wear down the audience and make the film feel longer than its 116-minute running time. The special effects sometimes overpower the storytelling, and the film has trouble sustaining its suspension of disbelief. Some plot developments also feel inconsistent.
The Worldview
The film presents a strong moral worldview with some humanist attitudes. It does not attack religious faith or belief in God, but the characters rarely mention God except when using His name as a curse. A narrator briefly discusses “God in His wisdom” and God’s Providence at the end.
What the film most clearly exalts is a father’s sacrificial care for his children. Ray repeatedly puts himself in danger to keep them safe. It also presents military fighters as worthy and brave when Ray’s teenage son wants to join the armed forces and Ray eventually allows him to do so. Patriotism is strongly affirmed, even though the film includes lines about American xenophobia and rushing off to war.
The movie’s central longing is protection and providence amid forces people cannot control. Scripture says, “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Strong moral worldview, with some humanist attitudes, in a story about aliens who attempt to take over earth and a family that runs from them, including a brief mention of God and His Providence at the end, as well as some politically correct lines about American xenophobia and rushing off to war, but patriotism is strongly extolled when teenage son leaves family to join the armed forces in a time of crisis, and the armed forces eventually help defeat the enemy; 14 obscenities, many of them ‘sh’ words, and 14 profanities, three of them strong; potentially frightening sci-fi violence includes people being vaporized, buildings falling apart, powerful lightning, many explosions, people being picked up and killed by alien robots, plus corpses floating down a river, a stream of blood on the land, intense mob violence, man shot (off-camera), and man killed with hands (off-camera); no sex; brief upper male nudity; alcohol; no smoking; and, man steals car and murders to save his family, children severely disrespect their divorced father during his custody visits, and mob vandalizes then commandeers a car.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Ray repeatedly risks himself to protect his children. What does sacrificial love look like in your family?
John 15:13 · 1 John 3:16–18Ray’s children have difficulty trusting him. How can trust be rebuilt after someone has acted irresponsibly?
Proverbs 12:22 · Ephesians 4:25The film honors the bravery of military fighters. What does courage look like when you are afraid?
Joshua 1:9 · Psalm 56:3–4The story briefly points to God’s Providence. How can we acknowledge God’s care without pretending that suffering is simple?
Proverbs 16:9 · Romans 8:28The Final Word
WAR OF THE WORLDS is tense, exciting, morally uplifting, and well made, though repetitive pacing, frightening attacks, slimy imagery, and significant foul language limit its audience. Teenagers and adults can make the journey; younger children should choose something else. WORTH THE TRIP — TEENAGERS AND ADULTS.
