Well, thanks for the effort BBC, but I am STILL waiting for the definitive tv or cinematic portrayal of this famous novel. As I said earlier, this version could have been reduced to two episodes. Filming it as part of the World Staring Championships didn't really help either! And the references! Alien crystalline formations (Superman). Leaping spider-like Martians (Eight-legged Freaks) with three pointy legs (Quatermass And The Pit, Starship Troopers). Projectile mouthpart (Alien). The nod in the direction of the original text was our characters being holed up in the building with Martians outside. But the representation of the creatures out of their machines was pure Hollywood. Very powerful-looking and threatening and obviously invincible one to one. Unlike Wells' description of them as ungainly, sluggish and affected by Earth's heavier gravity. And their final demise wasn't even shown. At least the Tom Cruise version showed silent motionless tripods whose pilots had succumbed to microbes. The BBC surely missed a trick here by failing to show a dead Martian hanging out of its machine being pecked at by crows, and having Ogilvy provide the explanation. Oh, and of course we got the "messages" didn't we! Breast-beating George rattling on to a bellicose Frederick about how it was all probably a punishment from God for what the English had done to other people. And Frederick responding with "That's the trouble with you lot. You always see the other chap's side!" And who dreamed up the eco-awareness sequence? Another God v Darwin exchange followed by Ogilvy producing Typholiser, the new wonder fertiliser and alien weed killer made from infected blood and rotting flesh. Amy wins the Staring Championship as she uncovers the green shoots of recovery. Then gives us a bonus stare by gazing upwards to see the sun breaking through the leaden clouds. All together now "Look for the silver lining. Whenever clouds appear in the blue......."
Review of Beautiful!
