I've been waiting most of my life for a faithful adaptation of the great novel.
Sadly, the wait goes on.
This is more like a cheap Dr Who episode crossed with Edwardian Eastenders.
Absolutely crushed with disappointment.
Ah well...
503 Reviews
A Threat Worse Than Aliens!
robert_c_weiss_jr18 November 2019
Executive interference?...
pagangod20 November 2019
One has to ask the question that although this mini-series was completed almost 2 years ago, and post-production (VFX/Editing, etc) would have taken some additional time, yet it was teased, to British audiences at least, for a possible Summer 2019 release, which of course never happened. Why the big delay, I hear you ask? Well I think some of you, if not ALL of you now know why. It's a clunker - they simply got it utterly, horribly wrong. Now normally I would reserve such vitriol in the final analysis, after the show had completed it's run. But no, it's already a mess, a big bloody mess. I fully suspect that BBC Executives, NOT Peter Harness - the credited writer, dictated most of what we actually see onscreen. Harness adapted the wonderful Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell into an equally wonderful TV adaptation, so why did he fail so miserably here? I would suggest interference, why? Because I am a Writer with experience of BBC Executives and their propensity for full-on interference. You go into a Script meeting and everybody is upbeat and the general outlook is postively very good. But then, as the meeting progresses, you slowly start to realise that they're gradually trying to change it, not just in certain sections, but in the piece as a WHOLE, until essentially it is completely, if not radically different to what you first presented. Now you might not notice this at first, because they're REALLY that good, but it is totally insiduous and basically standard practice at the BBC right now.
How to ruin a classic
ianwildman-6490321 November 2019
I was looking forward to this mini series. Wait - a remake of a classic sci-story, set almost contemporarily to the H.G.Wells original novel? Great - throw some modern technology and CGI at the production to realise Wells' ideas in the book and it should be a cracker! So I thought.
Oh dear. Weak or stereotyped characterisation, unnecessary sub plots (whilst at the same time losing key points of the main story) and confused/unnecessary flash forwards to a hackneyed view of a post apocalyptic world.
So essentially, the author had taken one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever written, nicked a few ideas and characters and themes ....and ruined it. What a missed opportunity.
Oh dear. Weak or stereotyped characterisation, unnecessary sub plots (whilst at the same time losing key points of the main story) and confused/unnecessary flash forwards to a hackneyed view of a post apocalyptic world.
So essentially, the author had taken one of the greatest sci-fi novels ever written, nicked a few ideas and characters and themes ....and ruined it. What a missed opportunity.
Disappointing
brucethomson-4787221 October 2019
Episode 1 was reasonable, setting up a good storyline. Episode 2 dragged indefinitely with almost no content. I'm never going to find out about episode 3 because the chances of anything coming from this are a million to one.
And early in the 21st century came the great disillusionment.
imdbnotyou18 November 2019
No one would have believed in the 19th year of the 21st century, that the BBC was still being watched keenly and closely by intelligences soon to be mocked and insulted. Men scrutinised and studied a great fictional work, alas as shallowly as a man with an iPhone might scrutinise the Mona Lisa. With infinite complacency men rewrote the fiction including extramarital little affairs and yammering on about their boring empire versus the Russians. It is possible that the incessant programmers on Netflix do the same. No one gave a thought to the older generation patiently forking out our license fee year after year, patiently awaiting a truly grand presentation, but thought only to dismiss the ideas of H.G Wells as impossible or improbable and downright old-fashioned.. It is curious to comprehend some of the mental habits of those involved in this fiasco. At most, terrestrial men fancied there might be a reasonable BBC adaptation of creatures coming from Mars, perhaps inferior to the novel, but still ready to welcome a quality enterprise. Yet across the road in White City, minds that are clearly devoid of intellect, smallscale and unsympathetic, regarded this commission with blinkered eyes, and slowly, and surely, drew their plans against us.
Mrs Poldark should have stayed in Cornwall
klpd-3830719 November 2019
If you thought Tom Cruise' effort at this classic was bad this revision is worse.
Why modern producers think they can all improve upon stories told by classic wordsmiths is beyond me.
Read the book and make a product that honors it. Stop trying to "update" the stories with your take on current mores. If think you are that good, write an original story and have it produced. Leave your betters alone.
Read the book and make a product that honors it. Stop trying to "update" the stories with your take on current mores. If think you are that good, write an original story and have it produced. Leave your betters alone.
Excellent retelling of War of the Worlds
dogma-536687 August 2021
I'm not sure what the other reviewers were expecting to see maybe that overhyped version that Spielberg did with Tom Cruise but this one is closer to what HG Wells story was like. Takes place in the right place and time. Excellent performances by all and good tense moments. Ignore the naysayers, I don't know what movie they were watching, it wasn't this one. Picks up the pace by episode 2. Direction is great, special effects are perfect for this type of story without being flashy and overwhelming. Definitely worth a watch. This Is War of the Worlds without all the updating.
Disappointing
mark-charles-bennett-nz15 October 2019
Hmm...positives. The first 30 minutes were moderately ok. As for the rest of it I had to force myself to get to the end of the first episode. If it had been another 5 minutes longer I'd have given up on it. The characters were dull and uninteresting and I simply didn't care what happened to them.
Unfortunately the alien technology borrows from Spielberg's botched attempt at telling the story some 15 years ago. If you want a better telling of this story then listen to the original radio broadcast, watch the movie from the 1950s or listen to Jeff Wayne's musical.
Unfortunately the alien technology borrows from Spielberg's botched attempt at telling the story some 15 years ago. If you want a better telling of this story then listen to the original radio broadcast, watch the movie from the 1950s or listen to Jeff Wayne's musical.
Shame they didn't read the book.
andrew-capon24 November 2019
No Wonder They Held It Back
Amble_along19 November 2019
Boring yawn-fest with CBBC effects and a totally unnecessary and very 21st Century sub-plot.
What this story needs is the kind of love and detail that only a Director with passion for the novel (and a big budget!) can deliver.
What Peter Jackson did for Tolkien we need someone similar to do for War of the Worlds.
The impression I had was this production team were not passionate about War of the Worlds, H.G.Wells or maybe even scifi generally. Instead it seemed to me they were dumped with this project and so glossed over the alien invasion part and instead hijacked it as a vehicle for a modern agenda and made that the story instead.
Please god will I still be alive before someone actually produces a period accurate, book accurate, Thunderchild scene including, non budget limiting, visual representation of the original book ?
A message for all scriptwriters -
1. When involved in the representation of a classic masterpiece be accurate to the period it was set in, do not try to re write history with inserted modern sensibilities that simply did not exist at that time.
2. Do not be so arrogant as to think that your tinkering can improve on a literary classic, that you are somehow more skilled than the original author and can improve on their tale.
3. Do not do projects that you know require a very significant budget when you only have a limited budget. Bad effects are worse than no effects at all - some pictures can get away with near zero effects and are all the better for it (eg. the excellent Let the Right One In) but some like War of the Worlds you simply cannot do with out effects, so if you don't have the budget to do it justice then just don't do it. The money (UK TV License Payers money!) would be better spent on alternative projects.
It's quite clear the BBC can do amazing things War and Peace (2016), Peaky Blinders and even do big budget collaborations well as shown in His Dark Materials - How this got through the review board within the BBC amazes me, no wonder they were keeping it back for over a year and released it with so little fanfare they knew it was a **** up, what a waste.
What this story needs is the kind of love and detail that only a Director with passion for the novel (and a big budget!) can deliver.
What Peter Jackson did for Tolkien we need someone similar to do for War of the Worlds.
The impression I had was this production team were not passionate about War of the Worlds, H.G.Wells or maybe even scifi generally. Instead it seemed to me they were dumped with this project and so glossed over the alien invasion part and instead hijacked it as a vehicle for a modern agenda and made that the story instead.
Please god will I still be alive before someone actually produces a period accurate, book accurate, Thunderchild scene including, non budget limiting, visual representation of the original book ?
A message for all scriptwriters -
1. When involved in the representation of a classic masterpiece be accurate to the period it was set in, do not try to re write history with inserted modern sensibilities that simply did not exist at that time.
2. Do not be so arrogant as to think that your tinkering can improve on a literary classic, that you are somehow more skilled than the original author and can improve on their tale.
3. Do not do projects that you know require a very significant budget when you only have a limited budget. Bad effects are worse than no effects at all - some pictures can get away with near zero effects and are all the better for it (eg. the excellent Let the Right One In) but some like War of the Worlds you simply cannot do with out effects, so if you don't have the budget to do it justice then just don't do it. The money (UK TV License Payers money!) would be better spent on alternative projects.
It's quite clear the BBC can do amazing things War and Peace (2016), Peaky Blinders and even do big budget collaborations well as shown in His Dark Materials - How this got through the review board within the BBC amazes me, no wonder they were keeping it back for over a year and released it with so little fanfare they knew it was a **** up, what a waste.
So disappointed
guypid24 November 2019
Why do people think they can change classic literature for second rate drama? I am so disappointed. Utter rubbish. Second rate effects, second rate acting and second rate script. I can't tell you how annoyed I am. Here was an opportunity to make a classic version of The War of the Worlds, keeping to Wells' vision. But no, you had to go and make it your own. You should be ashamed of yourselves. Not only have you ruined this opportunity, but no one will touch a true to the book version now for years. I hope you are content with your effort, because you only need to look at the stars given for this crud to know that you have utterly failed.
Totally Boring!
jonathanpjones25 November 2019
How Could They?
simonhudson17 November 2019
Seriously, how could they have got this so wrong? They had the opportunity to finally create a TV version of this classic novel which honoured the original story, timeline & setting but instead they came up with such aimless irrelevant drivel that I can only assume this is some kind of prank to wind up those of us that love both the HG Wells classic text & Jeff Wayne's sublime concept album. I cannot express enough what a steaming pile of horse excrement this lame pointless interpretation is. I never thought I'd say it but I now forgive Spielberg & Cruise.
Disappointing.
sodiumtt27 November 2019
Some good moments but generally spoiled by hackneyed ideas of extreme male stupidity, illogical and unbelievable reactions and an inconsistent storyline. Throw in polystyrene bricks and bendy wooden beams and you've got 1980's Doctor Who but with better special effects. A real shame. Felt like the job was just too big for the production team.
Wilful destruction of literary art.
KingBarnaDuke24 October 2019
Who decided to take THE greatest science fiction story ever written and make this slow, senseless, passion less, pointless, plodding mess?
Why? Why?? You took everything that made this story great and exciting and terrifying and clever and thought provoking and chucked it away!!
I'm off to crayon over the Mona Lisa and then record a rap version of Nessun Dorma, cause, you know, that will make them more relevant to modern society and because, well, I'm smarter than their creator's.
This should have been made by people who actually read the ###### book . I feel cheated.
The acting is bad, the script is bad,the directing is abysmal, the love story is pointless and unnecessary, the male lead seems in a permanent state of stupification, the future time shifts stop the story dead and serve no purpose, the slow motion panning shots are so out of place I actually thought my pc was buffering, and the few scenes actually taken from the original source (of which there are five) are so poorly rewritten and changed that they lose all of the excitement and horror that the book evoked...... And..um...the music was *&#T!!
When will these Movie/TV writers/producers realise that this book is still relevant and being read - 120 Years - after it was written for a reason and Stop trying to make it fit their current/ views/agendas!!! For the love of God please just give us our book on the big screen! (sob!).
Kudos for setting it in (roughly!) the correct time and correct location, 1 star for each.
P. S for those close friends of Mr Wells who have chosen to defend this travesty by stating that 'he' would have been happy to have his book completely overhauled to better fit with current perceived social injustices, thank you for taking the time to channel his spirit and share his views with the rest of us poor lowly mortals.
Maybe next time someone decides to butcher this book on film, they could possibly call it something else.
This should have been made by people who actually read the ###### book . I feel cheated.
The acting is bad, the script is bad,the directing is abysmal, the love story is pointless and unnecessary, the male lead seems in a permanent state of stupification, the future time shifts stop the story dead and serve no purpose, the slow motion panning shots are so out of place I actually thought my pc was buffering, and the few scenes actually taken from the original source (of which there are five) are so poorly rewritten and changed that they lose all of the excitement and horror that the book evoked...... And..um...the music was *&#T!!
When will these Movie/TV writers/producers realise that this book is still relevant and being read - 120 Years - after it was written for a reason and Stop trying to make it fit their current/ views/agendas!!! For the love of God please just give us our book on the big screen! (sob!).
Kudos for setting it in (roughly!) the correct time and correct location, 1 star for each.
P. S for those close friends of Mr Wells who have chosen to defend this travesty by stating that 'he' would have been happy to have his book completely overhauled to better fit with current perceived social injustices, thank you for taking the time to channel his spirit and share his views with the rest of us poor lowly mortals.
Maybe next time someone decides to butcher this book on film, they could possibly call it something else.
Loved it.
searchanddestroy-117 January 2020
I frankly don't get why there is so few good comments about this amazing mini series. I am not a science fiction specialist though, but I was not bored at all and I found it rather faithful to the HG Well's book. OK, it's quite different from the other versions, more modern, but who cares? I love the ending, very gloomy. That's actually the most important element that makes I like this series. I will try the other series, produced in the same time.
THE WAR OF DREARYNESS
james-eggett6 December 2019
The chemistry of this production shows how dreary and disappointing it can become with the pace being slow and amounting to hardly anything. The overdone of colour effect at most parts adds to the dreariness, and puts you off even to a 3 episode margin. The actors try to fit in their shoes the best they can but Spall's character can hardly earn respect for his existence. The only couple of good notes is some visual interests and wide-scenery atmosphere works only for particularly a few seconds. The drama which it centres on puts you off the hopeful interest of seeing a pure adaptation of Wells' work and fails to be entertaining.
Hated it - reading the reviews on here is more entertaining than the TV series
FakeReviewsSuck26 November 2019
In my own personal opinion I thought it was badly scripted, badly acted, badly produced and the special effects were appalling. I really didn't enjoy this at all. What was promised was a genuine adaptation of HG Wells novel - what was delivered was nothing like it other than they roughly got the time period right.
But what got my back up most of all was the number of 10/10 reviews or to be honest ANY review scoring it over 3/10. It is almost as if they somehow wanted to get its score up to mitigate the disaster that it is.
I gave it 1 out of 10 because I thought it was garbage. I have no ulterior motive for this I just genuinely thought it was that bad.
But what got my back up most of all was the number of 10/10 reviews or to be honest ANY review scoring it over 3/10. It is almost as if they somehow wanted to get its score up to mitigate the disaster that it is.
I gave it 1 out of 10 because I thought it was garbage. I have no ulterior motive for this I just genuinely thought it was that bad.
War of the Woke
ramonbattershallrecover2 December 2019
Dear God, were people actually given licence payers' money for this? The terrible CGI, the dull dialogue, the indifferent acting and the nearly incomprehensible editing pale into insignificance next to the atrocious uber-PC script which assumed that a classic story of Martian invasion would be less interesting than ten-minute-long discussions on women's rights (GOOD!), the humane treatment of refugees (GOOD!), and monologues about colonialism (BAD!).
Dr Who, Years and Years, ITV's Beecham House, and even the once excellent Poldark, have all been ruined by treating the audience like proletarian geese who have to be force-fed progressive dogma until they can regurgitate it. Nobody's suggesting bringing back Love Thy Neighbour, but can we at least go back to a time when it was assumed that the primary purpose of drama was to move and entertain people rather than to lecture them like they were naughty schoolchildren incapable of forming their own opinions?
Dr Who, Years and Years, ITV's Beecham House, and even the once excellent Poldark, have all been ruined by treating the audience like proletarian geese who have to be force-fed progressive dogma until they can regurgitate it. Nobody's suggesting bringing back Love Thy Neighbour, but can we at least go back to a time when it was assumed that the primary purpose of drama was to move and entertain people rather than to lecture them like they were naughty schoolchildren incapable of forming their own opinions?
H G not very Wells
scablifter19 November 2019
Changing the narrative to "Carrie" oops I meant Amy (really?) Was okay, but banging in about fighting the Russians, yawn! Dreary, so far away from the nervous, suspenseful and scary story by the author.
Cylinder not sphere, machines created from said cylinder, not melted earth!
An affair? Really?!?! Good grief!
The post war flashes are ridiculous, the earth cleared quite quickly after the martians died. Last straw for me.
I have read the book so many times, I read it first when I was eleven, this so called BBC production is a waste of my TV licence.
Had high hopes for this
DragonSoul7422 November 2019
Not seen it yet..I have now
paulwattriley17 October 2019
After reading some of the review I just had to comment. Firstly someone giving it a 2 because he thinks the Original story is set in the 20th century...Oh man please! It was written in 1898 and based on the mid 1890's which would be the 19th Century.
Im going to give the 1st episode a try now.
Well I did and no where near as bad as people on here are complaining about, actually after watching it not sure what they are complaining about.
Not really sure what people were expecting its only the first episode
Also it is not set in the 1920's its set in the 1890s.
Im going to give the 1st episode a try now.
Well I did and no where near as bad as people on here are complaining about, actually after watching it not sure what they are complaining about.
Not really sure what people were expecting its only the first episode
Also it is not set in the 1920's its set in the 1890s.
I've just heard the groan of Well's turning in his grave
hkmm-5107817 November 2019
Well that was the most appalling rubbish I've ever had the misfortune to watch. The strong female lead, the weak willed white male. I love this book, one of the greatest works of science fiction ever and the BBC does this to it. I can't wait until it becomes s subscription service. I won't be bothering!
If you are a fan of fast paced mind numbing action this is not for you.
phild-2289715 October 2019
As a sci-fi fan I was excited to see a true adaptation of this story with a decent budget be made. Unlike the travesty that was Spielbergs version this series seeks to pose questions around cowardice and valor that was intended in it's written form. Well made, quality acting, quite entertaining!
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
