I have to agree with the OP. The film was a travesty of the book. It had a pukey ending that was just annoying.

Very little of what Spielberg wrote into the story made any sense. In the book, Wells shows the inadequacy of the religious mindset with the Reverend Nathaniel going to pieces. Spielberg was just too cowardly to ever present such a theme to the fundamentalists.

The special effects were good, but the directing and the acting were just lazy. The focus on the child's point of view was just irritating. Although there were some scary moments, the pacing was wrong and the sub-plots didn't work. Where did that news-crew come from? It was a device to get the audience to see more into the inexplicable lightning at the beginning.

Overall Spielberg has too much money and too much control. He achieved his major task of all of his films - to eliminate or demonize the British and to reassure middle America that despite everything thrown at it including unprovoked attack by aliens, the American way of life will continue.

__________________
"If lightspeed has something to do with speed.
how come things can move fast in the dark?"
-James Driscoll (Spaceman), kook, imbecile, idiot.