War+of+the+Worlds

__**War of the Worlds (Stephen Spielberg, 2005)**__   Trailer: [] Poster:

Plot: Ray Ferrier (Cruise) is a divorced dockworker and less-than-perfect father. When his ex-wife and her new husband drop off his teenage son Robbie and young daughter Rachel for a rare weekend visit, a strange and powerful lightning storm suddenly touches down. What follows is the extraordinary battle for the future of humankind through the eyes of one American family fighting to survive it in this contemporary retelling of H.G. Wells seminal classic sci-fi thriller. Key areas to discuss:


 * How does Ray Ferrier conform/subvert the typical central protagonist in a sci-fi film?
 * How does the opening sequence help to build tension?
 * How effective do you think this film is at grabbing the attention of the targeted audience?
 * How effective do you think this film is compared to other Blockbuster sci-fi films we have studied?
 * How effective do you think this film is compared to 1950s sci-fi films we have studied?