The War of the Worlds (TV Mini Series 2019) Review

 

Martians arrive from Mars to wipe out the human race.

With countless adaptations and copy-cat films, TV series and books of H. G. Wells The War of the Worlds finally this BBC adaptation is closer to satisfying fans. The special effects especially the aliens are well executed, even if the staging and number of shots is limited by the budget. Credit to the director Craig Viveiros and team for offering some visually refreshing changes notable the heat-ray.

The atmosphere is not as dark or sinister as Jeff Wayne’s musical adaptation and a sense of devastation and dread is not as oppressive as it could be. The Edwardian setting is fitting and welcomed, however, it’s politically correctness, modern issues are shoehorned in and presented a little too on the nose. Other than that it follows the novel’s story beats pretty closely.

Peter Harness script is a little clunky, non linear chronological jumps unnecessary, the martians and George’s plight seem to play second fiddle to what should be secondary plot points, but it’s well acted. Due to the budget constraints much is told in dialogue rather than seen. What is shown by Viveiros is visually executed well, but this version is desperately missing a yearned for film feel. It’s fair from perfect but for the budget it’s a good stab at The War of the Worlds and is commendably far better than those DTV, cable, video-looking type offerings.

The cast raise the production, even if the script doesn’t lend itself fully to their talents, Eleanor Tomlinson is superb, Rafe Spall is impressive, Robert Carlyle littered small role, while quirky is a surprisingly a little flat. The supporting cast are all good. Tomlinson, however, does give range to a character that is mainly, sad and panicked throughout. 

Overall, despite missing that urgency or journey that the musical did so well, it is undoubtedly bleak, but you can’t help feel that they should adapt Wayne’s version for the big screen but set in the proper place and period with some of the music (none of the singing) as a score. But martian beggars can’t be choosers I suppose. Like other adaptations maybe this partly fails, is not just the tweaks made but it is because what you can create in your imagination far outweighs what they can put on screen.