War of the Worlds is Dumb

So, I figured I'd give this Spielburg movie a whirl. I mean, Dawson likes him, shouldn't I?

Well, I didn't dig this flick, and it wasn't just because of Tom Cruise's snideness and annoying acting mannerisms. What drove me to the edge were the annoying "conveniences" that Spielburg intertwined into the plot:
-- For instance, a whole subdivision gets totally destroyed, including the house they are hiding in, but their mini-van still stands perfectly untouched? They were driving a mini-van, not a crappy Hummer.
-- And, because the almighty Tom Cruise is a brilliant master mechanic as a hobby, only his car, and no other car on earth, is drivable because he tells a mechanic what to fix to make it operational?
-- Even better, they drive for hundreds of miles and the mini-van still have gas? Come on people, the American-engineered Dodge Caravan isn't the Prius. The US automakers and oil conglomerates wouldn't allow such an earth-friendly vehicle to roam the earth.

Overall, unless you like aliens, or like to suspend your disbelief, this may not be a flick for you. Then again, I walked out of "Spiderman 2" so maybe you shouldn't be taking movie advice from me.

The movie did have one redeemable line...when Mr. Smarmy Scientologist informs his daughter that the world/country is under attack, she says in a naively honest voice "Is is the terrorists?". I couldn't help but giggle. Give that a little thought. It shows where we are as a nation, and how we look at the world of terror.