I had hoped this would be a true to the novel adaptation of War of the Worlds, but unfortunately while it is set in the right time and place that is about all they decided to follow from the source material.
Now I say this out front because some may still enjoy this series, but if you were hoping this would finally be the faithful adaptation of H.G.Wells classic you likely will not. You will also be disappointed if you were expecting much in the way of action, science fiction or quality effects. This is instead a tale about survival. A very slow, plodding tale of survival. The biggest problem for me was that it makes a very strange narrative choice by mixing in a time jump to many years later where certain characters are no longer around and the survivors basically just stand around and act depressed. This unfortunately robs the main portion of the story of it's stakes.
On the effects side the tripods do look good, but all the other effects on display are rather cheap and the sound design, music and pacing don't help back these effects up. Indeed I find myself pining for the 50's version with effects over half a century older than this and yet applied in a far more impactful way. Take for example the excellent sound design in the 60's version that ramped the tension up so much that as a child I had nightmares for a month after I first saw it (and that was in the 80's).
Sadly this plays out more like an episode of Doctor Who and no, not RTD era or classic who but more like the last couple of regenerations where the budget has been minimal, the politics obvious and the plot barely able to fill the back of a postage stamp. Is it as bad as their adaptation of Day of the Triffids they did ten years ago? No. It's not that bad. But I do think it is time the BBC gives up the ghost on Science Fiction.
Now I say this out front because some may still enjoy this series, but if you were hoping this would finally be the faithful adaptation of H.G.Wells classic you likely will not. You will also be disappointed if you were expecting much in the way of action, science fiction or quality effects. This is instead a tale about survival. A very slow, plodding tale of survival. The biggest problem for me was that it makes a very strange narrative choice by mixing in a time jump to many years later where certain characters are no longer around and the survivors basically just stand around and act depressed. This unfortunately robs the main portion of the story of it's stakes.
On the effects side the tripods do look good, but all the other effects on display are rather cheap and the sound design, music and pacing don't help back these effects up. Indeed I find myself pining for the 50's version with effects over half a century older than this and yet applied in a far more impactful way. Take for example the excellent sound design in the 60's version that ramped the tension up so much that as a child I had nightmares for a month after I first saw it (and that was in the 80's).
Sadly this plays out more like an episode of Doctor Who and no, not RTD era or classic who but more like the last couple of regenerations where the budget has been minimal, the politics obvious and the plot barely able to fill the back of a postage stamp. Is it as bad as their adaptation of Day of the Triffids they did ten years ago? No. It's not that bad. But I do think it is time the BBC gives up the ghost on Science Fiction.