WAR OF THE WORLDS: ANNIHILATION (2021) Reviews and overview

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War of the Worlds: Annihilation is a 2021 American science fiction film about meteorites that hit the Earth and release toxic smoke. Very loosely based on H.G. Wells‘ novel War of the Worlds.

Directed by Maximilian Elfeldt (Dracula: The Original Living Vampire; Apocalypse of Ice; End of the World; Avengers Grimm: Time War; Bachelor Night) from a screenplay written by Conor Dowling. Produced by Paul Bales and David Michael Latt.

The Global Asylum production stars Arie Thompson, Noel G. [Noel Gugliemi], Kennedy Porter, Emree Franklin, Rashod Freelove and William Baldwin.

Plot:
Meteorites are hitting the Earth and releasing toxic smoke. The military, led by General Skuller (William Baldwin, Minutes to Midnight, Backdraft) assume it’s an alien attack and is looking for a fight. Cyber ops specialist Ashlaya Wellish (Arie Thompson, Doctor Death) however sees several flaws in that theory but is, of course, ignored…

Our review:
War of the Worlds: Annihilation is bland, even beyond its The Asylum origins. Their Alien Conquest is a much better option for H.G. Wells inspired low-budget nonsense. Maximilian Elfeldt’s direction is pedestrian at best and Conor Dowling’s script is unimpressive and clichéd until the climax when things get dramatic. That said, the briefly seen alien spacecraft and giant mecha robots are better than the CGI creations that often grace The Asylum productions.
Adrian J Smith, MOVIES and MANIA

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Other reviews:
War of the Worlds: Annihilation is surprisingly good for an Asylum film. The CGI for the various alien craft and giant mecha-like robots is for the most part convincing. The things that don’t work, such as fire and explosions, are kept to a minimum. The same could be said for the plot I suppose, it’s patchy and derivative, but it sticks to what works. It also stays serious and avoids the winks and nods that turn up in other Asylum films like Meteor Moon and Devil’s Triangle.” Voices from the Balcony 

Release:
The blunt tool that is GDRP means we can’t watch this film in Europe, however, Tubi is available in the USA, Canada, Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.

Cast and characters:
Arie Thompson … Ashlaya
Noel Gugliemi … Tiago
Kennedy Porter … Lukale
Emree Franklin … Gwen
Rashod Freelove … Patlin
William Baldwin … General Skuller
Michael Marcel … Jutta

Filming locations:
Los Angeles, California

Technical details:
94 minutes

Related:
Alien Conquest (2021)

Trailer:

MOVIES and MANIA rating:

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