Spielberg lands a summer thriller

Finally, a film so terrifying it wiped the grin off Tom Cruise’s

face.

Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1950s sci-fi classic “War of the

Worlds” is an old-fashioned movie, a roller coaster ride featuring

your worst childhood dreams come to life.

It’s based on the novel by H.G. Wells -- a story about strange,

alien, creature-machines who erupt from the earth and stomp through

city streets, destroying buildings and hurling cars through the air.

We don’t know why the tripods, as they are called, have suddenly

started to attack us.

But their mission seems to be the extermination of the human race,

and no one seems to be able to stop them.

People are sucked up and vaporized in an instant, and all that

remains are their clothes floating eerily back to earth.

Many of these images bring back memories of all-too-real events in

our recent history, and perhaps that is what makes “War of the

Worlds” so unsettling.

Cruise plays a dockworker, Ray Ferrier, who hasn’t been much of a

father to his two children, Rachel and Robbie.

On the fateful weekend of the attack, he has the kids for the

weekend while his ex-wife and her husband go out of town.

Much of the first 30 minutes involves the three of them screaming

at each other as they try to comprehend the horrors that are all

around them.

As the realization of their impending doom sinks in, they try to

settle down and Ray desperately tries to keep his family alive.

They encounter hellish scenes of death and destruction --

including a panicky mob and a plane that has crashed into a once

beautiful neighborhood -- and their terror is palpable.

Dakota Fanning is especially good as little Rachel Ferrier, who

witnesses things no child should ever have to see. Cruise is

believable as a man nearly scared out of his wits.

But since this is a Spielberg movie, you have to believe that the

big movie star will make it in the end.

Indeed, the one serious flaw in this film is the abruptness of the

ending.

Overall, though, Spielberg has created his best summer thriller

since “Jaws.” Now, let’s all jump around on the couch for joy.

* SUSANNE PEREZ lives in Costa Mesa and is an executive assistant

for a financial services company.