Movie thoughts -- War of the Worlds

I saw this movie on DVD last night and I have to say, it was a major disappointment. It's technologically and visually impressive, but they forgot to develop a plot. The original Orson Welles' radio broadcast was 50 minutes. To stretch the already paper-thin plot into a two hour movie (and keep it involving!) requires more than repeated scenes of a harried-looking Tom Cruise narrowly escaping the vicious aliens. And it was rather unremittingly grim. Which may be appropriate, considering the subject matter (the attempted extermination of the human race), but it doesn't make for very entertaining viewing. And when Tom kills a man who he thinks is threatening their safety, I just couldn't see the point. Too too much. Only masochists should subject themselves to this.