Prime Video’s War of the Worlds Flops: Ice Cube Trapped in CGI Chaos
Hello, I’m Elena West, and today we have a breakthrough moment as we uncover the lessons hidden within one of the decade’s most talked-about movie flops. Get ready—this insight could change how you view big-budget adaptations.
Prime Video recently released its War of the Worlds reboot starring Ice Cube, and initial reactions are brutal. Based on H.G. Wells’ seminal 1898 novel and following in the footsteps of Orson Welles’ 1938 panic-inducing radio play, this 91-minute adaptation has earned zero stars on multiple review platforms.
Directed by Rich Lee and shot under strict COVID-19 protocols in 2020, the film essentially feels like a series of video calls from Ice Cube’s character Will, who works at the Department of Homeland Security. Viewers tune in to watch Will type passwords, shout at monitors, and endure endless Zoom conferences—with barely any action outside his cubicle.
After languishing on a shelf for five years, the studio quietly dumped this version onto Amazon Prime without advance critic screenings. That choice backfired as bored subscribers propelled the movie into the top five on Prime Video charts—only to discover a confusing, logic-light mess.
From a global alien invasion in real time—covering America, Russia, China, and Africa—all within 91 minutes to special effects that look like a second-rate music video, nothing lands. Comparisons to Steven Spielberg’s 2005 War of the Worlds with Tom Cruise are brutal: his CGI still holds up better than anything here.
Ice Cube’s character Will is far from the charismatic hero of ’90s blockbusters. He stalks his kids via company surveillance, makes clownish facial expressions, and takes endless calls with his pregnant daughter and NASA consultant Sandra, played by Eva Longoria. Somehow no one else works at the DHS office, even in the middle of a worldwide crisis.
The script, credited to Kenny Golde and Marc Hyman, resorts to a tacked-on hacker subplot featuring a “Disruptor” that unveils government spying plans. This twist ends up being more ridiculous than the alien robots themselves.
In the final act, an Amazon delivery driver delivers a thumb drive via drone to save humanity—an ending so absurd that viewers wonder how this project ever saw the light of day. Ultimately, the only way Amazon can protect viewers is by removing this adaptation from its streaming lineup.
Whether you’re a sci-fi enthusiast or a professional storyteller, there’s a powerful takeaway here: even the most legendary source material can be undermined by weak execution and misplaced priorities. Let this be a reminder that creativity and quality demand equal attention.
Now take these insights and channel them into your next project!
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post, IMDb
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
