Someone please explain War of the Worlds ending to me

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Someone please explain War of the Worlds ending to me

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:30:20 AM EDT

My wife and I saw this movie last night, and aside from that annoying girl screaming and whining throughout the whole thing, the main thing that bothered us was the ending. When the credits started rolling, I immediately looked at my wife and, predicting what she was about to ask, said "I have no idea what killed off the aliens."

We discussed it on the way home... with the close-up on the water drop showing the ameobas or whatever they were, and Morgan Freeman's "explanation," it appeared that these little creatures somehow infected the aliens. Is that correct? In the million years or so of planning, they overlooked this? And, if I'm not mistaken, Freeman said something about the air being posioned as well. What was that all about?

Ok, fine... but what was the deal with the birds? Tom Cruise screams to the soldier "look at the birds" or something like that as the big machine is staggering around. He yells some other stuff, but I couldn't really hear.

Whisky tango foxtrot!

Anyone? I feel like a moron.

--Mike

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:31:24 AM EDT

[#1]

read the book

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:32:39 AM EDT

[#2]

Yes, it was the micro scopic organisms.

Millions of years ago, that strain probalby did not exist. The point is that humans have developed an immunity to these organisms that the aliens did not have.

The birds are only relevant because they were landing on the alien machines demonstrating that the force fields were down.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:33:43 AM EDT

[#3]

ending was lame, was abrupt, one day a martian's croacking in his ride the next minute there's giant amoebas on the screen. basically the martians got AIDS or something and died

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:35:20 AM EDT

[#4]

Quoted:
read the book

Or listen to the radio drama if you're feeling lazy.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:35:22 AM EDT

[#5]

My main problem with the ending was that the soldier with the M4 didn’t grease that rat fuck son of a bitch alien at the end!!

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:35:29 AM EDT

[#6]

The birds were landing on the tripods, thus showing that the force fields were down; that is why Cruise's character pointed it out.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:37:01 AM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
ending was lame, was abrupt, one day a martian's croacking in his ride the next minute there's giant amoebas on the screen. basically the martians got AIDS or something and died

That was the ending of the story by HG Wells as well.

F4YR and I talked about this a few weeks ago. He made the point that with all their technology they couldn't invent a HEPA type filter? Or filter the water? I could understand HG Wells not understanding that idea, but in today's world it's kind of a big hole in the story.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:37:39 AM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:
Yes, it was the micro scopic organisms.

Millions of years ago, that strain probalby did not exist. The point is that humans have developed an immunity to these organisms that the aliens did not have.

The birds are only relevant because they were landing on the alien machines demonstrating that the force fields were down.

+1 Cruise also noted the martian "weed" was dying.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:38:05 AM EDT

[#9]

Freeman's explanation said it all:

We earthlings have PAID for this planet through thousands of years of evolution, and infection and death.

We paid the price for immunity.

The new comers weren't immune to our bugs, and it got them.

Now why intersteller travellers don't have HEPA filters and biofilters, and vaccines.......well.......

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:40:13 AM EDT

[#10]

the moral of the story:

biological warfare will save mankind

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:40:34 AM EDT

[#11]

I heard somebody say that in the book, supposedly, the aliens had wiped out disease/infectious microorganisms on their planet and completely overlooked them.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:40:41 AM EDT

[#12]

I thought it was cool.

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:44:21 AM EDT

[#13]

Thanks... makes more sense now. I will now feel super-cool when I go home tonight and explain this to my wife.

But still, I got the impression that this was one of those typical Hollywood "oh shit, we only have 5 minutes left in the movie... we'd better wrap it up pretty quick" kind of endings.

--Mike

Posted: 8/2/2005 9:47:28 AM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
I thought it was cool.

Yup, it's just a movie!

Posted: 8/2/2005 10:40:20 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
I heard somebody say that in the book, supposedly, the aliens had wiped out disease/infectious microorganisms on their planet and completely overlooked them.

Don't remember that in the book. But you have to be aware of a virus to have a vaccine. We are aware of many and develop vaccines for several of them. We have also naturally developed immunities to others.

But a bacteria or virus that evolved on another world will be as different from our bacteria and viruses as their life forms may be from ours. As a result we will not have had evolutionary contact and developed immunities from them, nor will we have had the opportuntity to attempt to develop vaccines.

It works both ways.

Posted: 8/2/2005 10:41:48 AM EDT

[#16]

Quoted:
My wife and I saw this movie last night, and aside from that annoying girl screaming and whining throughout the whole thing, the main thing that bothered us was the ending. When the credits started rolling, I immediately looked at my wife and, predicting what she was about to ask, said "I have no idea what killed off the aliens."

We discussed it on the way home... with the close-up on the water drop showing the ameobas or whatever they were, and Morgan Freeman's "explanation," it appeared that these little creatures somehow infected the aliens. Is that correct? In the million years or so of planning, they overlooked this? And, if I'm not mistaken, Freeman said something about the air being posioned as well. What was that all about?

Ok, fine... but what was the deal with the birds? Tom Cruise screams to the soldier "look at the birds" or something like that as the big machine is staggering around. He yells some other stuff, but I couldn't really hear.

Whisky tango foxtrot!

Anyone? I feel like a moron.

--Mike

You are kidding, right? Ever read the book or watched the original movie?

Posted: 8/2/2005 10:54:48 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:
Thanks... makes more sense now. I will now feel super-cool when I go home tonight and explain this to my wife.

But still, I got the impression that this was one of those typical Hollywood "oh shit, we only have 5 minutes left in the movie... we'd better wrap it up pretty quick" kind of endings.

--Mike

The book ended the same way.

Aliens! Doom! Death! Destruction! For most of the story.

Last bit: Aliens catch a cold and die.

Av.

Posted: 8/2/2005 10:57:04 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
But a bacteria or virus that evolved on another world will be as different from our bacteria and viruses as their life forms may be from ours. As a result we will not have had evolutionary contact and developed immunities from them, nor will we have had the opportuntity to attempt to develop vaccines.

It works both ways.

On the other hand, most aliens as we imagine them are similar to Earth life, however, this would most likely be completely untrue. They would have evolved completely differently. Who's to say that, say, they wouldn't have aluminum-based blood, if they had blood? Why would they follow the standards of Earth life? They might not even be cell-based. If there is extraterrestrial life, most likely, if they have any equivalent of viruses and bacteria, we wouldn't be infected by theirs, nor they by ours.

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:04:26 AM EDT

[#19]

regarding the bacteria killing the aliens.

www.huntermfgco.com/hLand_4_2_4A.cfm

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:05:48 AM EDT

[#20]

what i don't get is that these guys have been around for millions of years, fly through space, and their best man hunting stuff is an eye on a rope? no thermal imaging? no zoom power super intergalactic scopes? they have to get the eye right up on you to see you?

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:10:43 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
what i don't get is that these guys have been around for millions of years, fly through space, and their best man hunting stuff is an eye on a rope? no thermal imaging? no zoom power super intergalactic scopes? they have to get the eye right up on you to see you?

Well, why did they not nuke from orbit? Every, and I mean EVERY space fairing civilization with its salt knows that nuke + orbit is the ONLY safe way to deal with unwanted infestiation.

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:12:08 AM EDT

[#22]

u went to see it and never saw the 1st movie?

go rent it...

www.netflix.com/MovieDisplay?movieid=1103939&trkid=181026

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:12:10 AM EDT

[#23]

It's called Irony. And I'm entertained by the folks that don't get it, or mock it.

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:15:27 AM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Quoted:
what i don't get is that these guys have been around for millions of years, fly through space, and their best man hunting stuff is an eye on a rope? no thermal imaging? no zoom power super intergalactic scopes? they have to get the eye right up on you to see you?

Well, why did they not nuke from orbit? Every, and I mean EVERY space fairing civilization with its salt knows that nuke + orbit is the ONLY safe way to deal with unwanted infestiation.

they needed humans for fertilizer for the weeds....food source or something. Remember the scene where the tentacle thingey was sucking the guy's blood and spraying it everywhere?

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:28:00 AM EDT

[#25]

Alien farmers and farm equipment.

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:28:49 AM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:

they needed humans for fertilizer for the weeds....food source or something. Remember the scene where the tentacle thingey was sucking the guy's blood and spraying it everywhere?

I think they put that in there to shock people lol...so you wouldn't root for the martians. 2/3 of the way through the movie, I *wanted* Cruise and the kid to buy it. He was a dumbass, who murdered the guy who saved his and his daugther's life, (because he was a war mongering gun nut hehe), and the kid was just plain obnoxious from the get go.

The only other movie I can remember seeing where I wanted most of the main characters to buy it was Deep Impact. (well, all except Leelee Sobieski). What a truly horrid excuse for a movie that was.

Posted: 8/2/2005 11:31:31 AM EDT

[#27]

Quoted:
It's called Irony. And I'm entertained by the folks that don't get it, or mock it.

+1

I doubt I will see the new movie version until it comes out on cable but I've read the book, heard the original radio broadcast, seen the old movie and recently replace the Jeff Wayne version on CD.

Posted: 8/2/2005 12:40:50 PM EDT

[#28]

Quoted:
Quoted:
But a bacteria or virus that evolved on another world will be as different from our bacteria and viruses as their life forms may be from ours. As a result we will not have had evolutionary contact and developed immunities from them, nor will we have had the opportuntity to attempt to develop vaccines.

It works both ways.

On the other hand, most aliens as we imagine them are similar to Earth life, however, this would most likely be completely untrue. They would have evolved completely differently. Who's to say that, say, they wouldn't have aluminum-based blood, if they had blood? Why would they follow the standards of Earth life? They might not even be cell-based. If there is extraterrestrial life, most likely, if they have any equivalent of viruses and bacteria, we wouldn't be infected by theirs, nor they by ours.

Even IF they were completely different (say silicon based) we could still be succetable to alien viruses.

Posted: 8/2/2005 12:49:10 PM EDT

[#29]

Most people will not "get" the end of the book, or the (new) movie.

Spielberg plays on one theme over-and-over, and it can be seen everytime you look at the expression of one of the "refugees." When you take away Mankind's dominant status at the top of the world's pecking order, we are lost. We are reduced to life as vermin.

The ending just magnifies that theme. It wasn't some cool super weapon that got the "aliens," it was the bacteria that God put here in the first place.

It's all in the intro monologue and the final monologue. Although the part about "the death of everyman" having a purpose was not in the original (I believe, it's been a LOOONG time since I read it.)

I think it's an awesome movie, saw it three times in the theater.

Posted: 8/2/2005 3:58:17 PM EDT

[#30]

Saw it, liked it. A lot actually.

One thing though, they sure wasted a lot of tasty red blood with their frikin laser beams!

Best ending would be that their machines croaked and humans had to wipe out the actual aliens brass n' lead style!

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:02:14 PM EDT

[#31]

Quoted:
My wife and I saw this movie last night, and aside from that annoying girl screaming and whining throughout the whole thing, the main thing that bothered us was the ending. When the credits started rolling, I immediately looked at my wife and, predicting what she was about to ask, said "I have no idea what killed off the aliens."

We discussed it on the way home... with the close-up on the water drop showing the ameobas or whatever they were, and Morgan Freeman's "explanation," it appeared that these little creatures somehow infected the aliens. Is that correct? In the million years or so of planning, they overlooked this? And, if I'm not mistaken, Freeman said something about the air being posioned as well. What was that all about?

Ok, fine... but what was the deal with the birds? Tom Cruise screams to the soldier "look at the birds" or something like that as the big machine is staggering around. He yells some other stuff, but I couldn't really hear.

Whisky tango foxtrot!

Anyone? I feel like a moron.

--Mike

Everyone has AIDS. The pope has it and so do you...

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:02:20 PM EDT

[#32]

Quoted:
My main problem with the ending was that the soldier with the M4 didn’t grease that rat fuck son of a bitch alien at the end!!

+1

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:02:47 PM EDT

[#33]

For the first time I can say....

DUPE, DUPE, DUPE

Because I asked the same question during the movie's opening week.

(That felt good being on the other end...now to read down the thread to see if anyone else beat me to it, and then I'll be back on the recieving end.)

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:04:05 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
what i don't get is that these guys have been around for millions of years, fly through space, and their best man hunting stuff is an eye on a rope? no thermal imaging? no zoom power super intergalactic scopes? they have to get the eye right up on you to see you?

Well, why did they not nuke from orbit? Every, and I mean EVERY space fairing civilization with its salt knows that nuke + orbit is the ONLY safe way to deal with unwanted infestiation.

they needed humans for fertilizer for the weeds....food source or something. Remember the scene where the tentacle thingey was sucking the guy's blood and spraying it everywhere?

In the book they were using humans for food - extracting their blood and injecting it directly into their veins -- even for HG that seemed a *bit* far fetched -- unless he was precient and knew that more than half of the world's population would be so hooked on drugs that the aliens could get high simply by injecgting their blood

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:40:26 PM EDT

[#35]

TOM CRUISE JUST BORED THE ALIENS TO DEATH WITH HIS MENTAL BABBLE.

Posted: 8/2/2005 4:52:57 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
Quoted:
what i don't get is that these guys have been around for millions of years, fly through space, and their best man hunting stuff is an eye on a rope? no thermal imaging? no zoom power super intergalactic scopes? they have to get the eye right up on you to see you?

Well, why did they not nuke from orbit? Every, and I mean EVERY space fairing civilization ~~with~~ worth its salt knows that nuke + orbit is the ONLY safe way to deal with unwanted infestiation.

Posted: 8/2/2005 5:03:34 PM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
...I think they put that in there to shock people lol...so you wouldn't root for the martians. 2/3 of the way through the movie, I *wanted* Cruise and the kid to buy it. He was a dumbass, who murdered the guy who saved his and his daugther's life, (because he was a war mongering gun nut hehe), and the kid was just plain obnoxious from the get go.

Actually, Cruise kills the guy in the basement because the guy is about to attack something with more firepower and armor then a battleship, with nothing more then a damn shotgun. If Cruise stands by and lets Elmer go out in a blaze of glory, then he and his obnoxious daughter will be killed too. Elmer should have kept his mouth shut and tried to hide like the invisible man.

But to tell the truth...I would LOVE to see someone kill Tim Robbins with their bare hands.

Posted: 8/2/2005 5:15:31 PM EDT

[#38]

Quoted:
For the first time I can say....

DUPE, DUPE, DUPE

Because I asked the same question during the movie's opening week.

(That felt good being on the other end...now to read down the thread to see if anyone else beat me to it, and then I'll be back on the recieving end.)

You DUPE NAZI's are all alike.

For Christ sakes that was over a month ago.. Get over it.

If it was a Topic that you started yesterday then I would not be taking you to task, but a month ago.. Get a life.

Posted: 8/2/2005 6:17:03 PM EDT

[#39]

It is a logical ending, and it followed what happened in the book.

As you historians may recall, vast numbers of native American Indians in the new world were WIPED OUT by SMALLPOX (thanks to the Spanish Conquistadors and others)--because they had absolutely NO immunity. Indeed whole tribes disappeared!

There are more bacteria by weight on this planet, than all of animal life combined (fish, birds, insects, mammals etc.)

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Someone please explain War of the Worlds ending to me

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