So I’m all thinking, great, here’s treacly Spielberg plus mouth-breathing Tom Cruise, and this movie is going to suck, but at least things will blow up cool. But not so! It’s actually a pretty darn good movie, and mostly captures the feelings of helplessness and impotent terror that are the distinguishing feature of the novel. There are a few moments that are pure Hollywood, like the hide-and-seek basement scene that went on for about five minutes too long; and Tom Cruise is slightly too active in actually accomplishing things — but those aside, it’s pretty much what you’d want out of a War of the Worlds movie. And anyone who complained about the ending gets a big ol’ eye roll, because it is what it is, you know?

My main objection to the movie, actually, is Dakota Fanning. I can’t stand that little brat. She strikes me as manipulatively calculating, and possibly evil. My reasons for this are not necessarily rational.