The War of the Worlds adaptations have always been varied in their success, with Tom Cruise's 2005 version being just okay, but it's Citizen Kane compared to Ice Cube's War of the Worlds, which has crashed straight into a legendary 0% Rotten Tomato score. Critics and audiences have not been kind, labeling it silly, shoddy, and essentially a feature-length infomercial masquerading as sci-fi escapism. From the moment it hit Prime Video, the film's reputation was sealed.
Don't expect some cult 'so bad it's good' flick, as many can't even make it through the whole 90 minutes. Not even the presence of Clark Gregg and Eva Longoria can salvage the story. War of the Worlds' tagline, "it's worse than you think," seems apt for this movie. As a screen life thriller, all the action unfolds on a computer screen. Conceived during the pandemic, it's an understandable format, yet not necessarily a good one.
The premise of aliens stealing our data as a threat to all existence falls flat. Ice Cube's character, William Redford, inexplicably still uses data throughout the movie. The aliens don't seem to affect platforms like Amazon. Ice Cube's role as a Homeland Security analyst, working from his home office while casually tracking his family, chatting via Zoom, and attempting to halt an alien apocalypse, comes off as lazy.
The blatant Amazon product placement is noteworthy, making the film feel more like a shopping channel than a movie. Reddit users have been vocal about its shortcomings. Criticism includes Ice Cube's poor acting, subpar special effects, and nonsensical plot elements alongside pervasive product placement.
In this low-budget adaptation of War of the Worlds, the gimmick falls flat with little action. Despite Ice Cube's character attempting to use an Amazon drone in a climactic scene, there's no redeeming twist or narrative payoff, resulting in a straightforward, clunky, and ultimately tacky film.