Amazon Prime’s adaptation of sci-fi classic “The War of the Worlds” is drubbed by critics as the worst film of the year, but it’s topping the video streaming viewing charts.
The new “War of the Worlds” has a rock-bottom 3% approval in the Tomatometer metric for aggregate professional critics’ reviews. The lowest favorable rating on the Rotten Tomatoes digital website devoted to movies is considered 70%, so it’s beyond bad! (Above, star Ice Cube in a Movieweb.com screen-grab.)
“Despite being one of the worst-rated films of the year, ‘War of the Worlds’ has dominated the streaming charts ever since its release on July 30,” writes Adele Ankers-Range on the Movieweb website.
“It became the top movie on the streaming service in the United States and second on the global streaming chart, where it remains as of today, just behind Eddie Murphy’s divisive new action-comedy, which has clinched the top spot,” Movieweb continues. “It has also slipped down to second place in the United States, but finds itself in the Top 10 across all territories, meaning that people are streaming it regardless of its reception.”
Entertainment Weekly film critic Jordan Hoffman sums up the dichotomy with the observation: “It’s certainly stupid, but it’s also a great deal of fun.”
The movie, made by Universal Pictures for Amazon Prime streaming, stars Ice Cube and Eva Longoria. It’s a modern-day adaptation of the H. G. Welles science-fiction classic novel about Martian invaders bent on conquering Earth.
There’s speculation that some viewers tune in simply to see for themselves after reading fugget-about-it reviews. Another attribute is that the film does bounce along with action and some funny dialog that makes it watchable and not boring.
Film critic Johnny Oleksinski wrote in the New York Post that “In the studio’s sole wise decision, they decided not to screen this garbage for critics ahead of time.” Oleksinski’s review is withering (“Shockingly bad ‘War of the Worlds’ is one of the worst movies of the decade”).
Amazon delayed publication of movie-critic commentaries by not providing the customary advance screenings to professionals. There was no theatrical release with the premiere in video streaming.
“Less than two weeks after debuting on Prime Video, ‘War of the Worlds’ has already made the ‘100 Worst Movies Of All Time’ list on Rotten Tomatoes,” adds Men’s Journal.
The special effects in “War of the Worlds” show aliens invading Earth, but those images are presented as being seen on cell phones, computer screens and grainy surveillance video. Thus, the images are rough and that probably held down cost of the production by not requiring cinema-quality excellence. This Amazon original will never be splashed across Imax screens.
The new “War of the Worlds” reportedly cost $65 million to make, which is about one-third the cost of a major-studio theatrical driven by special effects.
Says comedian Ryan George in a satirical commentary in his Pitch Meeting video series, “we’re going to see the main character [Ice Cube] react to action through his webcam. The whole movie will be a closeup of him reacting. Ice Cube is good at frowning.”
There’s hokum in a clumsy product placement for Amazon’s online retailing business. In the movie, Amazon delivers a computer part that is crucial to the plot via a drone, overcoming obstacles (yes, are we all very impressed!). Microsoft Teams, Gmail and a Tesla car also get star treatment in product placements.
A billboard text flashed in the official trailer says “It’s worse than you think” of the Martian invasion. But many would chuckle that applies to the movie itself.
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