The War of the Worlds (1953) Special Collector's Edition (DVD)

No one should be surprised that Paramount Pictures is releasing a special edition DVD of the original War of the Worlds considering the overwhelming success of the remake. My only real interest in reviewing this DVD was because I had never seen this version of the film and I had heard it was good. On top of that, it won an Oscar for special effects and the Martians sit at #27 on the AFI's Top 100 Heroes and Villains list. Now those two achievements say a little something, but it turns out I didn't find it all that great.

Unfortunately I can't appreciate old school sci-fi the way I can old school drama. There are exceptions of course such as King Kong, but the special effects that were so groundbreaking in the 1950s just don't cut it in 2005. On top of that this is SO campy I can't get over it. Couple that with poor acting and you simply have a movie I could do with never seeing again. The aliens in the original version are so funny looking and their spaceships are so far from frightening I could only laugh as it just seemed like one big campy effort, but that doesn't mean you will not enjoy this DVD.

First off, the DVD is a special edition, even though it looks like it is something Paramount couldn't care less whether you bought it or not. I tell yah, one of these days Paramount is going to catch on to the DVD craze and churn out more special editions like they did with Titanic. They have to realize that a special edition will sell even better if it looks special, you can't just say it is special. Not these days.

That's enough of that though, let's dig into the features. While the movie has its limitations the DVD does its best to make this disc a worthy addition to your collection. There are two entertaining commentaries, the first with actors Ann Robinson and Gene Barry and the second with film director Joe Dante, film historian Bob Burns and author Bill Warren. Both commentaries have their ups and downs, but for someone like me that didn't find the movie all that good it helped in the viewing process.

Next is a making of feature called "The Sky is Falling: The Making of The War of the Worlds" along with a feature on "War of the Worlds" author H.G. Wells as you get a peek into the life of the man that has brought the world so much great science fiction. Finally, you get the best of the bunch, the original Orson Welles Mercury Theatre Radio Broadcast of The War of the Worlds. I have heard stories of this broadcast and how it scared the hell out of many radio listeners, and while it isn't all that scary, I prefer it much more than I do the movie. You can sit back and listen to this for an hour and let your imagination run wild.

If I had a choice I would not buy this DVD, but I think there is a large audience out there that will enjoy it. The mere fact that I enjoyed the special features without enjoying the movie itself is a sign that there is something special here.