H.G. Wells' chilling novel of a Martian invasion of Earth becomes even more frightening in this 1952 film adaptation that's widely regarded as one of the greatest sci-fi movies of all time. An Oscar. winner for Best Specia... more »l Effects, The War of the Worlds delivers eye-popping thrills, laser-hot action and unrelenting, edge-of-your-seat suspense. No one who has seen the film's depiction of the swan-shaped Martian machines-ticking and hissing menacingly as they cut their path of destruction-will ever forget their ominous impact! Today's Science-Fiction extravaganzas all pay tribute to this pioneering classic from Producer George Pal (The War of the Worlds), which won an Oscar® for its spectacular special effects. An impending collision with a runaway star signals the destruction of earth. The government refuses to listen to scientists, but private industrialists finance the building of a spaceship, which will carry a limited number of people to another planet to begin a new civilization. As doomsday approaches, they race against time and the panic of those who will be left behind. The potential pulverizing impact of the collision, the massive tidal waves and devastating earthquakes and the final cosmic smashup make a chilling panorama of disaster. The balance between human and planetary drama is excellently maintained as the movie builds to its fascinating, unforgettable climax. The government refuses to listen to scientists, but private industrailist finance the building of a spaceship, which will carry a limited numer of people to another planet to begiin a new civilization. As doomsday approaches, they race against time and the panic of those who will be left behind. The potential pulverizing impact of the collision, the massive titdal waves and devastating earthquakes, and the final cosmic smashup make a chilling panorama of disaster. The balance between human and planetary drama is excellently maintained as the movie builds to its fascinating, unforgettable climax.« less
2/5 Rating - The War of the Worlds (1953) - Without all of today's CGI but with a solid plotline. The beginning was pretty fun but it began to slow down in the middle until the end.
Movie Reviews
Video Quality Apparently Compressed from Original
The Weary Professor | NJ, USA | 08/24/2007
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I own the War of the Worlds stand alone release, but wanted When Worlds Collide, so I picked up this double feature disk. Not only are the extras from the War of the Worlds release missing, but the film seems to have been remastered at a lower bitrate to fit it on a single dual-layer DVD along with When Worlds Collide. I actually noticed a difference on my TV, so I popped the disks in the computer and confirmed it. These are just the films with no extras at all. My advice: Order the single disk releases for better quality and extras at a relatively small price difference."
Early 1950's Movies
Lynn Frank | Cumming, GA | 08/25/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Of course, I had seen them before, but truly loved seeing them again. They are excellent! Lena"
50's SCIFI movie combo
Ted Heilmann | Metro Milwaukee, WI USA | 06/03/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"If you enjoy fun, entertaining and visually satisfying science fiction, then this combo is no disappointment. Cream of the crop 1950's movies here. There's a lot of effort in the visuals in these films. And these films don't need gore to hold your attention. Most everyone over 40 years old knows these films and appreciate the quality of workmanship for the time they were produced. Every member of the family can enjoy these classics. The price for this combo is reasonable in my opinion. I can finally retired my VHS versions."
Two Great Classic Sci-fi Movies
Roy A. VanDeventer | Lacey, WA USA | 05/19/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Two of the greatest classic Sci-Fi movies ever done - on one DVD. Best special effects for their time. Great story line. I loved them"
War of the Worlds plus
Glenn R. Smith | CITRUS COUNTY, FL | 01/23/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
""War Of The Worlds": 1954. This interpretation of H.G. Wells' novel is the best one. George Pal's production and Byron Haskin's direction created a really interesting and exciting film. Gene Barry is terrific as is Ann Robinson. Many films of that time would promote certain new technologies by putting them in the film. They would need the miltary's cooperation in some way and the military would want something in return so the newest plane or other military wonder would be made a part of the film. This film's military wonder was the ill-fated B-49 "Flying Wing" which drops an "atomic" bomb on the "Martians" who have invaded southern Califonia. Why they chose to invade southern California I have no idea unless they were looking to get into the movies. If that's the case they went about it all wrong. Blowing up everything! That puts people off. But of course the humans can't beat the "Martians" (nobody ever proves they are from Mars, it's just assumed). So it's time for nature to take over and "the littlest things" - the bacteria that we have long ago become immune to - start killing off the Martians. There is, of course, a religious message at the end (this was the 1950's after all) and God saves the day! It must be noted that almost every Sci-Fi film of that era had something to do with the "atomic" bomb and UFOs! Little green men (and women too) were always about to come and attack and conquer the human race.