Tom Cruise goes to war in his latest summer blockbuster. But this is not any war on foreign soil. This war takes place right underneath the feet of every American man, woman and child. The enemy is not some foreign dictator or terrorist. No, it is something much more deadly and much colder than any person on Earth. Welcome to the universe of “War of the Worlds.” It is a universe where Americans are refugees in their own country, migrating from town to town trying to find shelter from an unstoppable army of killing machines. “War of the Worlds” was originally a book published by the great H.G. Wells who was known for other science-fiction classics, including “The Island of Dr. Moraeu” and “The Time Machine.” The book took place in turn-of-the-century Victorian England where cylinders rained from the sky. Massive tripod walkers emerge from the cylinders holding boxes that shoot heat so powerful it is invisible, but burns everything in its path. Steven Spielberg and Tom Cruise decided to remake the 1953 classic, which took place in California. This new version was based on a David Koepp script. Koepp has been known for great films like “Jurassic Park,” “Carlito’s Way,” and “Mission: Impossible.” This time, “War of the Worlds” takes place in modern day New Jersey and focuses on Ray Ferrier (Cruise). Ferrier is a cookie-cutter deadbeat dad with two kids (Dakota Fanning and Justin Chatwin) that he cares nothing about. His ex-wife drops them off for the weekend. Soon after, a strange electrical storm develops over the neighborhood and triggers a series of events that leads to the war of the worlds. Massive tripod machines emerge from the ground and begin toasting everything in their path with their heat rays. Ray struggles to keep his children safe as he fights his way down to Boston in hopes of finding his ex-wife. Along the way, he meets Ogilvy (Tim Robbins), a half-crazy ambulance driver whose family was lost in the initial attacks in New York City. He takes the Ferriers in with an idea of leading a resistance against the intruders. “War of the Worlds” is rated PG-13, but definitely pushes the limits. There are some curse words throughout the movie. But there are three scenes in particular, including a river full of dead bodies that really adds that kick-in-the-jaw to the movie. The movie feels so realistic that I actually felt totally immersed in the movie. I would go so far as to say this movie had just as much emotion as “Saving Private Ryan.” “The Day After Tomorrow” touched on Americans fleeing the United States in hopes of a better life elsewhere, but this movie hits home with it. There is a scene where the Ferriers pass a bulletin board with missing persons pictures and descriptions. While above, an American flag flaps proudly in the wind, even in trying times. While Dakota Fanning may be the next Elizabeth Taylor in the movie industry, her reputation takes a hit with this movie. Her character was supposed to bring more emotion and sorrow into the story, but she seemed to be more of a hindrance than anything else. Right after the attack, she begins screaming at the top of her lungs so loud that it made my ears ache. Through the whole movie, she is out of place and annoying. Rumors were spread during the filming that this movie would break two-and-a-half hours, well above the average movie time. Instead, without the credits, this movie clocked in at less than two hours. It appears as if Paramount Studios demanded this movie be that short. The ending is very rushed and weak, and was the one thing that will keep this from being mentioned with such science-fiction greats as “2001: A Space Odyssey” and “Star Wars.” Spielberg spared no expense on the special effects and computer generated imaging. The tripods are so lifelike, they deserve an Oscar. “Revenge of the Sith” has been the flagship for the Best Special Effects Oscar, but it would be a travesty for this not to win. The whole scene when the tripod first emerges is nothing short of amazing. The destruction is the best that has ever been filmed on camera. It blows away the likes of “Independence Day” and “The Day After Tomorrow.” Even with its weak ending and annoying moments, “War of the Worlds” is a must-see for any science-fiction fan or Spielberg fan. It may not be as good as “Jurassic Park” or “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” but it is very close. “War of the Worlds” hit DVD shelves on Nov. 22 in two different sets. One is the single disc set that has just the movie and one small featurette about designing the enemy, while the second set is $10 more but contains a load of extra features including behind the scenes, trailers and deleted scenes. It is well worth the extra money if you are a movie lover or looking for a gift for a movie lover.