History YMMV / WarOfTheWorlds2005

** Some of the imagery is reminiscent of the actual Holocaust, such as victims' clothes falling from the sky, invoking ashes from camp crematoriums falling back down to Earth like snow.

* DelusionConclusion: As with the original book, some viewers think Ray and Rachel actually did die in the tripod basket, with the scenes of their escape, the aliens dying, and their reunion with Robbie is simply their afterlife.

* {{Glurge}}: The ending, where despite all the devastation caused by the aliens, the entire family somehow survives and happens to reunite at the same spot at the same time. Doubly inexplicable for Robbie, who seemed to have been killed but survives and reunites with the family.
** To be fair, [[OlderThanTheyThink the original book had the protagonist and his wife reunite in similar fashion]].

* AngstWhatAngst: Ray and Rachel don't seem too disturbed by [[spoiler: Ogilvy's death]], as they're sleeping peacefully together in the very next scene, and they don't even mention him for the rest of the film.

* AngstWhatAngst: Ray and Rachel don't seem too disturbed by [spoiler: Ogilvy's death]], as they're sleeping peacefully together in the very next scene, and they don't even mention him for the rest of the film.

** The resolution of the basement sequence, with [[spoiler: Ray killing Ogilvy to protect Rachel]], provides a major emotional catharsis.

** The aliens’ defeat. From the moment Ray and Rachel see the red weed is dying, it just gets more and more satisfying, with the military blasting the last tripod to pieces with Javelin missiles after its shields go down, while Ray hugs Rachel in relief and carries her over so she can see for herself as the aliens drop dead due to their lack of immunity to Earth's pathogens.

* HarsherInHindsight: A news broadcast says that Ukraine is the first country to be targeted by the aliens.

* ShockingMoments / BigLippedAlligatorMoment: One scene, a clever nod to the original story, involves a crowd of people, including our protagonists, walking through town, when a railroad crossing signal sounds. Everybody clears the tracks as the gate comes down. Then the train passes. [[spoiler:It is ''on fire'']]. It leaves, the gates go up, and it is not commented on ''by anyone''. Creator/RogerEbert, who gave the film a mixed but mostly negative review, called this scene "unforgettable".

** After an hour and a half of the aliens mercilessly slaughtering people without taking ''any'' damage, it is '''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome extremely]]''' satisfying to see Ray blow up a tripod with a belt of grenades, followed shortly thereafter by the military blasting one to pieces with Javelin missiles after its shields go down. Similarly, it's pretty satisfying to watch the aliens stumbling around sick and dropping dead due to their lack of immunity to Earth's pathogens.

** The resolution of the basement sequence, with [[spoiler: Ray killing Ogilvy while Rachel sings her lullaby]], provides a major emotional catharsis.

* CatharsisFactor: After an hour and a half of the aliens mercilessly slaughtering people without taking ''any'' damage, it is '''[[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome extremely]]''' satisfying to see Ray blow up a tripod with a belt of grenades, followed shortly thereafter by the military blasting one to pieces with Javelin missiles after its shields go down. Similarly, it's pretty satisfying to watch the aliens stumbling around sick and dropping dead due to their lack of immunity to Earth's pathogens.

** Robbie is viewed as either impressively brave or just plain stupid.

* JerkassWoobie: Ogilvy starts out as this. He's not a nice person, but he's a man who's just lost his entire family, combined with watching the world get taken over by aliens. He loses sympathy as he becomes more antagonistic toward Ray, to the point of not caring if he and Rachel die because of him.

** Ogilvy crosses this in Ray's eyes when he assaults Ray for trying to reason with him and keep him from getting them killed, then wishes death on him and Rachel [[WouldHurtAChild (a 10-year old girl)]], [[spoiler: which convinces Ray that he has to kill him]].

* {{Glurge}}: The ending. Despite taking arguably the dumbest course of action at every possible turn, the entire family somehow survives and happens to reunite at the same spot at the same time. Doubly inexplicable for Robbie, who spends the entire movie trying to get himself killed but survives and reunites with the family.

** Ogilvy crosses this in Ray's eyes when he assaults Ray for trying to calm him down and keep him from getting them killed, then wishes death on him and Rachel [[WouldHurtAChild (a 10-year old girl)]], [[spoiler: which convinces Ray that he has to kill him]].

** Ogilvy crosses this in Ray's eyes when he assaults Ray for trying to reason with him and keep him from getting them killed, then wishes death on him and Rachel (a 10-year old girl), [[spoiler: which convinces Ray that he has to kill him]].

* MoralEventHorizon: The aliens cross it by attacking Earth and going on a planet-wide genocide.

* HilariousInHindsight: ''Anime/DragonBall'' toys are visible in Robbie's room. Of course, this was before his actor, Creator/JustinChatwin, was known for his infamous portrayal of Goku in ''Film/DragonballEvolution''.

* WhatAnIdiot:
** Robbie for blindly charging into battle when he sees the US military already being slaughtered, and he's not just a civilian, he's a ''kid''. Nothing he was doing served any other purpose than [[spoiler: almost getting himself killed.]]
** Rachel to a lesser extent. She may be just a frightened child, but her ear-piercing screams and decision to run out of the house in a panic serve to very nearly cost her her life despite all of Ray's efforts as well as endanger the life of her father.
** Manny, the mechanic who was too busy chewing out Ray for commandeering a van parked at his garage while there's a massive panic unfolding all around him as the tripod approaches ''right behind him''. Ray even says ''flat out'' he's gonna die if he doesn't shut up and get in. Sure enough, that's exactly what happens to him.

* SignatureScene: The Tripod's first appearance out of the ground and the ensuing destruction it brings is almost always ''the'' scene that people bring up when it comes to this film.

* HilariousInHindsight: ''Anime/DragonBallZ'' toys are visible in Robbie's room. Of course, this was before his actor, Creator/JustinChatwin, was known for [[Film/DragonballEvolution his infamous portrayal of Goku.]]

* HilariousInHindsight: ''Anime/DragonballZ'' toys are visible in Robbie's room. Of course, this was before his actor, Creator/JustinChatwin, was known for [[Film/DragonballEvolution his infamous portrayal of Goku.]]