The film was described as an anti-war film , as civilians run and only try to save themselves and their family instead of fighting back against the alien Tripods . Debra J. Saunders of '' San Francisco Chronicle '' described the film as " If aliens invade , do n't fight back . Run . " Saunders compared the film to '' Independence Day '' , where the civilians do run , but they support the military efforts . Many reviewers considered the film tried to recreate the atmosphere of the September 11 attacks , with bystanders struggling to survive and the usage of missing-persons displays . Spielberg declared to '' Reader 's Digest '' that beside the work being a fantasy , the threat represented was real : " They are a wake-up call to face our fears as we confront a force intent on destroying our way of life . " Screenwriter David Koepp stated that he tried not to put explicit references to September 11 or the Iraq War , but said that the inspiration for the scene where Robbie joins the Marines was teenagers fighting in the Gaza Strip – " I was thinking of teenagers in Gaza throwing bottles and rocks at tanks , and I think that when you 're that age you do n't fully consider the ramifications of what you 're doing and you 're very much caught up in the moment and passion , whether that 's a good idea or not . " Retained from the novel is the aliens being defeated , not by men 's weapons , but the planet 's smallest creatures , bacteria , which Koepp described as " nature , in a way , knowing a whole lot more than we do "
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
War of the Worlds (2005 film)