Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		4.5
Overall		4.5

The War of the Worlds Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov June 22, 2020

Byron Haskin's "The War of the Worlds" (1953) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Criterion. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; two vintage audio commentaries, one exclusive new audio commentary; vintage radio adaptation; and more. In English, with optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

The violent visitors

My latest viewing experience of Byron Haskin’s War of the Worlds wasn’t what I expected it to be and I wish to explain why because after a day of thinking about it I am convinced that it is the reason why the film will remain a timeless classic. I am doing this because if you are looking at this article you already know everything about it, and I know that you don’t want me to explain to you again why it is a great film.

I read H.G. Wells’ popular novel many decades ago, while I was still a young boy, and it was one of those profound eye-openers that my mind simply refused to forget. The novel made me realize that there really could be a lot more out there, and I don’t mean just evil aliens and undiscovered planets. I mean more that quite simply did not fit into my perception of what I was taught reality was. I don’t recall precisely when, but sometime after I discovered Wells’ novel, I stumbled upon John Wyndham’s novel The Day of Triffids as well, which categorically proved to me that my awakening was justified. Wyndham’s novel also scared me to death because after I read it, I was absolutely convinced that the future may in fact turn out to be pretty ugly. But then I got older and pretty much everything that used to bother my mind was neutralized by facts and history. Over time I became a rational person like everyone else. Then whenever I saw Haskin and Steve Sekely’s films, it was all silly entertainment for me.

I was a rational person until very recently -- until April, when the Pentagon declassified three UFO videos taken by Navy pilots. It is not that in the past I completely tuned out whenever UFOs were mentioned by the media, but my rational half always proved stronger than my curious half and I never spent any time seriously studying the data that was leaked to the public. Lately, I have been reading and viewing a lot, and what used to sound silly to me no longer does.

Now back to Haskin’s film. I revisited the film the other night and my viewing experience felt like discovering Wells’ novel for the first time again. My eyes were enjoying the vintage action but at the same time my mind was completely detached from it and pondering scenarios that just a few years ago it would have instantly rejected. It was a very, very strange feeling.

I am quite certain now that my recent viewing experience was shared by a lot of folks when they went to see Haskin’s film in the early ‘50s. The film's bright colors and flashy action are just a cinematic facade that hides an entirely legit scenario, and once the mind registers that it is so it actually enthusiastically goes to work to assist Haskin and his crew. Folks, let me rephrase this so that it is perfectly clear why Haskin's film will remain a timeless classic. The depiction of the mayhem that starts in the small Californian town and then spreads across the world is practically irrelevant because it is not what actually makes the film so effective. Your mind does. The film just feeds it the right visual information to begin contemplating some really awful possibilities and then produces a bunch of different fireworks. This type of cinematic entertainment, where the mind is allowed to be in charge, just cannot age.

*Criterion's upcoming release of The War of the Worlds is sourced from the same new 4K restoration that was completed by Paramount Pictures in 2018. However, there is additional color-correction work done on it that is not present on other releases of the restoration. On the Criterion release, when the film opens up Mars looks red(ish). On other releases, Mars looks blue(ish).

The War of the Worlds Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.37:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, The War of the Worlds arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Via Vision Entertainment.

The release is sourced from the new 4K master that the folks at Criterion also worked with to produce this upcoming North American release. However, there is one small -- but perhaps important -- discrepancy between the two releases. On the Criterion release, a small color adjustment was made in the very beginning of the film to have Mars look red(ish), while on this release Mars still looks blue(ish), as it appears on the master that was finalized at Paramount Pictures. (You can see the difference if you compare screencapture #26 with the corresponding screencapture from our review of the North American release). The rest is basically the same -- delineation, clarity, density levels and fluidity appear identical. On my system I just could not see any meaningful discrepancies to report in our review, which is why below I am reposting my comments on the 4K restoration from our review of the Criterion release.

There is such a wide range of remarkable colors now that from time to time some of the visuals actually become borderline distracting. There are some obvious fluctuations in terms of clarity and depth, plus density levels can vary in areas where archival footage or specific visual effects are utilized, but it is quite easy to tell that they are part of the film's theatrical appearance. More conventional close-ups, like the one seen in screencapture #3, can look particularly strong, but I'd say that even some of the fancier footage can be quite striking. Image stability is fantastic. The entire film has been carefully cleaned up to look as clean and fresh as possible. My score is 4.75/5.00. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray release. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your player regardless of your geographical location).

The War of the Worlds Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray release: English LPCM 1.0 and English DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided for the main feature.

According to notes provided by Criterion, the 5.1 track was created for the 4K restoration of The War of the Worlds in 2018 by Academy Award-winning sound designer Ben Burtt. I tested both tracks and while they are equally healthy the 5.1 track really does open up the film quite a bit. The difference is quite easy to appreciate because the film has plenty of footage where sound movement can become very effective. The basics -- clarity, sharpness, and stability -- remain identical on both tracks.

The War of the Worlds Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

NOTE: All of the supplemental features on this Blu-ray release are perfectly playable on North American Blu-ray players, including the PS3.

• Audio Commentary One - in this new audio commentary, critics Barry Forshaw and Kim Newman discuss in great detail the conception of The War of the Worlds and the era in which it emerged, the film's visual style and tone (with comments about its audio design), its reception and lasting appeal, etc. So, there is a tremendous amount of factual information here that fans of the film will find quite interesting. The commentary was recor4ded exclusively for Via Vision Entertainment.

• Audio Commentary Two - this vintage audio commentary was recorded by actors Gene Barry and Ann Robinson. Rather predictably, the bulk of the comments here are in fact recollections addressing the particular manner in which different parts of the film were shot. However, there are also some quite interesting observations about the film's unique use of color and sound.

• Audio Commentary Three - this archival commentary features filmmaker Joe Dante, film historian Bob Burns, and writer Bill Warren (Keep Watching the Skies!). It was recorded for Paramount Pictures in 2005. Out of the three commentaries that are listed here, this commentary is the only one that appears on Criterion's release of The War of the Worlds.

• Trailer - a vintage trailer for The War of the Worlds. In English, not subtitled. (3 min, 720p).

• The Sky is Falling - this archival documentary examines the history, lasting appeal and visual brilliance of The War of the Worlds. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with Robert Cornthwaite (Dr. Pryor), Gene Barry (Dr. Clayton Forrester), art department specialist Jack Senter, Ann Robinson (Sylvia Van Buren), art director Al Nozaki, and first assistant director Micky Moore, amongts others. The documentary was produced for Paramount Pictures in 2005. In English, not subtitled. (30 min, 1080p).

• H.G. Wells: The Father of Science Fiction - this archival program takes a closer look at the life and legacy of H.G. Wells and the latter's socio-cultural significance. Included in it are clips from archival interviews with writer/director Nicholas Meyer (Time After Time, Dr. John Partington, actor Forrest Ackerman, and amongst others. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).

• Radio Broadcast - presented here is the classic scandalous Mercury Theater radio adaptation, directed and narrated by Orson Welles. The program was broadcast live on October 30, 1938. In English, not subtitled. (59 min, 1080p)

• Photo Gallery - a large collection of vintage materials from the production of The War of the Worlds. (5 min, 1080p)

• Imprint Trailer - a promotional trailer for Via Vision Entertainment's recently launched series. (1 min, 1080p).

The War of the Worlds Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Via Vision Entertainment's release is sourced from the new 4K master that the folks at Criterion also worked with to produce the upcoming North American release of The War of the Worlds. There is a small color adjustment that was made on the Criterion release, but I personally do not find it that important. (You can read more about it in the technical section of our review). Additionally, this release has two more audio commentaries, and the exclusive one is actually really nice. So, if you are a big fan of the film and can afford it, it is probably best to have both releases in your library. Via Vision Entertainment's release is Region-Free and all of the bonus features on it are perfectly playable on North American players. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.