# War of the Worlds - has there been such a thing as a decent, faithful screen version? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 5, 2007, 11:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801 "2007-01-05T11:50:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/21 "2007-01-05T18:27:19Z")
Various images of _HMS Thunder Child_, in her moment of final glory. [http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/2a/500px-Omni2.jpg](http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/2a/500px-Omni2.jpg) > **[Signing in](https://www.bentley.com/products/e-on-software)** [http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/other/corke1.jpg](http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/other/corke1.jpg) Compare these images to the photos of _HMS Polyphemus_, a real Torpedo Ram. > **[HMS Polyphemus](https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_polyphemus.htm)** > > Torpedo Ram HMS Polyphemus. The only ship of its kind to enter the Royal Navy. HMS Polyphemus built at Chatham dockyard and launched 15th June 1881, completed September 1882, a concept produced by Nathaniel Barnaby, the director of naval... > [@](#): > > The leading features of the “Polyphemus’” design, as our photographs show, are a low hull, exposing only a small mark for an enemy’s fire, the portion of the ship above water being also turtle-back shaped and covered with thin armour to project light gun projectiles that may strike. A high rate of speed was given the ship from the first, between 17 and 18 knots, with a powerful ram-prow and a torpedo equipment of five submerged tubes. These are her special means of offence, the ship’s defensive armament being confined to a few light guns for repelling boat or torpedo attacks, mounted on the superstructure above the hull, where the ship’s boats are carried and whence the ship is worked at sea. The “Polyphemus” is a vessel of 2640 tons displacement, with length 240ft, beam 40 ft and mean draught 20ft. She cost originally (according to Brassey’s Annual) £174,450, and has cost since then, owing to alterations and reconstructions, probably a good deal more over again. No gun turrets. Nobody has ever tried for realism in a WOTW film. :mad: ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/22 "2007-01-05T18:32:31Z")
[QUOTE=Subway Prophet] Dark Horse Comics released a somewhat-faithful comic book adaptation which they [published on the web](http://www.darkhorse.com/zones/wotw/wotw_popup.php?p=0). It’s missing some important parts, and is a bit off in many areas, but otherwise is a half-decent visual study of the original story. [/QUOTE] That was pretty good! ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/23 "2007-01-05T18:36:00Z")
[QUOTE=Bosda Di’Chi of Tricor] Various images of _HMS Thunder Child_, in her moment of final glory. [http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/2a/500px-Omni2.jpg](http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/2/2a/500px-Omni2.jpg) > **[Signing in](https://www.bentley.com/products/e-on-software)** [http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/other/corke1.jpg](http://drzeus.best.vwh.net/wotw/other/corke1.jpg) Compare these images to the photos of _HMS Polyphemus_, a real Torpedo Ram. > **[HMS Polyphemus](https://www.battleships-cruisers.co.uk/hms_polyphemus.htm)** > > Torpedo Ram HMS Polyphemus. The only ship of its kind to enter the Royal Navy. HMS Polyphemus built at Chatham dockyard and launched 15th June 1881, completed September 1882, a concept produced by Nathaniel Barnaby, the director of naval... No gun turrets. Nobody has ever tried for realism in a WOTW film. :mad: [/QUOTE] Come to think of it, H.G. Wells **himself** was wrong–no Torpedo Ram has gun turrets. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/24 "2007-01-05T21:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=Subway Prophet] Dark Horse Comics released a somewhat-faithful comic book adaptation which they [published on the web](http://www.darkhorse.com/zones/wotw/wotw_popup.php?p=0). It’s missing some important parts, and is a bit off in many areas, but otherwise is a half-decent visual study of the original story. [/QUOTE] That’s pretty good, there’s a [related story](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_Traces) of a Britain that assumes world dominance using the remains of martian technologies too. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/25 "2007-01-05T23:22:39Z")
Forget Richard Burton for a moment. I know that’s hard, and I truly appreciate his performance in the lead/narrative role in the Jeff Wayne musical version, but if you were casting a WOTW movie today, voice would still have to be quite high on the list of priorities for the lead/narrator position. What sort of voice do you think would be most appropriate? - given that we’d be trying to realise the vision of HG Wells himself, rather than just reproduce Burton. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/26 "2007-01-05T23:48:16Z")
Also, how do you personally interpret the description of the sound (described in the book predominantly as ‘Ulla’) made by the martian fighting machines? How does [this](http://www.gurman.co.uk/stuff/ullah.mp3) sound? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2007, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/27 "2007-01-05T23:56:17Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] What sort of voice do you think would be most appropriate? - given that we’d be trying to realise the vision of HG Wells himself, rather than just reproduce Burton. [/QUOTE] As a journalist, I expected something a bit livelier perhaps? That sound file is from the Speilberg movie isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/28 "2007-01-06T00:09:02Z")
No, I made it myself - I haven’t seen the Spielberg version. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2007, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801/29 "2007-01-06T00:10:09Z")
[QUOTE=Pushkin] As a journalist, I expected something a bit livelier perhaps? [/QUOTE] That’s a good point; in the book, he does come across as somewhat excitable and energetic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/war-of-the-worlds-has-there-been-such-a-thing-as-a-decent-faithful-screen-version/386801.md?page=1)