Divorced dad Ray Ferrier , played by Tom Cruise, is reluctantly saddled with his two kids for the weekend. They don’t like him, and really, he doesn’t like the two of them all that much either. But this weekend, Ray’s fatherly duty will extend beyond making dinner and checking their homework.

This weekend his fatherly duty is to protect his kids from a devastating invasion of hostile, other-worldly beings.

Based on the classic H.G. Wells sci-fi novel of the same name, “War of the Worlds” is a massive undertaking that could only have been directed by Steven Spielberg . Though often despised by film elitists and scholars because of his classification as “mainstream,” Spielberg is one of, if not the only director who can deliver overwhelming action and special effects, and still arrest his viewer emotionally.

Other directors would, for example, have Ray sweep young Rachel, played somewhat annoyingly by Dakota Fanning, up into his arms immediately when the action begins.

Spielberg, however, lets the kids chase behind him, begging for him, evoking feelings of frantic desperation in his viewers, who are still trying to pick their jaws up off the theater floor at the sight of the alien attack ships.

Action films typically rely only on special effects and explosions to tell the story. Spielberg relies on directing to tell the story, and lets the effects illustrate it. “War of the Worlds” in the hands of Spielberg is an action movie done right.

Other critics are whining, saying Spielberg’s film is too impractical. They complain the alien tripod attack ships are outdated, the aliens look silly and the space creatures have no logical reason to attack the earth.

But before the experience of the movie is ruined, let’s keep a few things in mind.

The story originated from an 1898 sci-fi novel, before being adapted to a radio show by Orson Welles and then onto the screen in 1953 .

A 19th century sci-fi novel, a 1950s alien movie, and Orson Welles — perhaps we all need to shelve our expectations for practicality. It’s Spielberg. It’s sci-fi. It’s fantastic. Enjoy.