Ice Cube headlines Amazon's latest adaptation of H.G. Wells' 'War of the Worlds', a screenlife thriller that confines the alien invasion to a single computer desktop. The rapper plays Will Radford, a surly domestic terror analyst for the Department of Homeland Security who monitors surveillance cameras nationwide.
The film, directed by Rich Lee and produced by Timur Bekmambetov, follows Will as he tracks his two children and coordinates a raid on a hacker. The action unfolds entirely on his computer screen, with glitchy video clips and video calls.
Critics have panned the film for its cheap-looking visuals and limited action, with the global destruction reduced to blurry smartphone footage. The one notable moment comes when an asteroid cracks open to reveal a three-legged fighting machine.
Despite the alien plot, the film's central theme is parenting. Will is depicted as a control freak who learns to give his children space only after a global catastrophe. Ice Cube's performance is noted for its two expressions: a resting scowl and nuclear overreaction.
The film also features Eva Longoria as a NASA scientist and includes two minutes of adverts for Amazon Prime subscribers before the 90-minute runtime.
