The War of the Worlds: The Guide to (Almost) Every Adaptation. Part One.

"No one would have believed that in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's".

It's one of the most iconic and memorable opening lines to ever enter popular culture and one that to this day continues to spark our imaginations and ignite our passions for new adaptations of that iconic original story.

Since the original "War of the Worlds" was published in 1897 we've had video games, graphic novels, rock operas, movies, tv shows, radio dramas, stage shows and even full-on immersive experiences...and yet we still clamour for more.

Of course, not every adaptation can be as satisfying as the others and so, we've endeavoured to rank them from the very worst to the very best. Due to the number of entries, we’ve split this guide into two parts. Read on to find out whether your favourite made it into Part One or Part Two.

25. Jeff Wayne's Video Game Version of The War of the Worlds (CRL Group: 1984)

ZX Spectrum Video Game

Average Rating: 2/10

This 1984 game on the ZX Spectrum is the first of many versions of Jeff Wayne's musical adaptation of the HG Wells classic to appear on this list, and it's definitely the worst by a good distance.

The "bleep bloop" reproduction of that memorable main theme has some old-school charm but, even for the early days of video games, it's a laughable attempt to recreate Wayne's epic score and loses all of its impact and grandeur.

The familiar invasion story is told via lines of expositional text appearing on screen one letter at a time at an excruciating pace and if that wasn't frustrating enough, the gameplay itself is slow, boring and entirely the opposite of fun. Some of the static scenes of the Martian war machines look decent enough for the time but in motion, the game looks horrible.

"Jeff Wayne's Video Game Version of The War of the Worlds" was one to avoid in the '80s and it certainly hasn't matured with age. For retro game enthusiasts only.

24. The Classic War of the Worlds (Pendragon Films: 2006)

Straight to DVD Movie

Average Rating: 3/10

Since its first release in 2005, "HG Wells' The War of the Worlds", went through a few revisions before director Timothy Hines finally settled on his final director's cut "The Classic War of the Worlds."

This adaptation is notable, not only for remaining faithful to the source material but for being the first film to be set in the same Victorian-era as the book, which is quite amazing considering the book was first released in 1897.

Unfortunately, that's where the praise begins and ends as the film is a bit of a mess plagued with poor acting and rubbish special effects which sadly make it a slog to watch.

Despite some critics drawing comparisons with the output of Ed Wood, "The Classic War of the Worlds" doesn't quite hit that mark of "so bad it's good" and it's unlikely to achieve cult status anytime soon.

23. HG Wells' War of the Worlds (The Asylum: 2005)

Straight to DVD Movie

Average Rating: 3.2/10

Another straight to DVD effort, this time coming from The Asylum, well-known purveyors of sci-fi horror schlock such as "Vampires vs. Zombies", "Mega Shark Versus Giant Octopus" and the actually excellent zombie show "Z Nation".

Released just one day before Stephen Spielberg's blockbuster adaptation, this "mockbuster" re-tells Wells' classic tale in a modern setting with some fairly liberal changes from the text (including six-legged tripods and acid-spitting Martians).

The Asylum's version of "HG Wells' War of the Worlds" is pretty disappointing and suffers from the usual complaints associated with lower budget films including overacting and sub-par special effects.

Despite its flaws, the movie was quite popular on release, which led to the release of its sequel "War of the Worlds: The Next Wave" in 2008. The less said about that, the better.

22. The War of the Worlds (BBC: 2017)

Radio Drama

Average Rating: 5/10

A recent full cast radio dramatisation for BBC Radio 4 adapted from HG Wells' novel by award-winning writer Melissa Murray. At around 2 hours in length, it's fairly short.

Whilst Murray's version deviates from the book considerably, it does maintain the setting of Victorian England. Many have criticised the drama's laser-sharp focus on its cast of extremely unlikeable human characters, with the Martians barely getting a mention.

This is perhaps its biggest asset and its biggest flaw. The adaptation tries something different by dealing with the smaller picture and how a group of humans might react, forced together in a time of hardship but, for fans of the original at least, it ends up being a bit of a non-event.

An adaptation that should be commended for its unique take on the story but one that will leave many listeners cold.

21. The War of the Worlds (BBC: 2019)

TV Mini-Series

Average Rating: 5.1/10

The BBC's most recent adaptation (and the first for British television) was hotly anticipated ever since its announcement way back in 2015, appearing to be a relatively faithful retelling of the novel with its Edwardian setting.

There are some changes though. The story shifts its main focus over to a female protagonist which is a welcome change but sadly the story itself is lacklustre and often preoccupied with boring melodrama.

Flash-forward sequences show the full extent of Earth's apocalyptic future after the Martians have been defeated, but they're implemented in such a way that they stop the story from building any drive or momentum.

Whilst there are a few excellent set-pieces, depicting the battles between the military and the tripods, they are few and far between and ultimately the show ends up being a major disappointment.

20. War of the Worlds: Goliath (Tripod Group: 2012)

Theatrical Film (Malaysia)

Average Rating: 5.4/10

"War of the Worlds: Goliath" is a Malaysian animated sequel to Wells' original story set 15 years after the first Martian invasion.

In this alternative future, one changed by the technology left behind by our would-be conquerers, humanity is on the verge of World War I. With the looming threat of a second Martian invasion on the horizon, humanity must put aside their differences to fight their common enemy, but this time with giant tripods of their own!

Visually, the film looks fantastic, and the steampunk future is especially satisfying. Unfortunately, the voice acting and story make this one feel a little bit like a big-budget Saturday morning cartoon.

Imagine if Michael Bay made a "War of the Worlds" movie and you'll pretty much get "War of the Worlds: Goliath". It's all bulging biceps, giant war machines, over the top destruction and cliched dialogue.

19. War of the Worlds (Fox Networks Group: 2019)

TV Series

Average Rating: 6.1/10

A joint venture between Fox and Studio Canal, "War of the Worlds" is a much more liberal reimagining of the Wells story than many of the other adaptations on this list. It premiered in France in October 2019 but is still yet to be aired in most other territories.

The story is brought bang up to date, delivered as an 8 episode mini-series, and set in various locations across modern-day Europe including London and Paris.

In this version, mankind is quickly annihilated by the Martian invaders. Only small pockets of human survivors remain, left to wander a strangely empty world, giving the show a level of "The Walking Dead" style tension in its tone and atmosphere.

The drama unfolds slowly and tentatively with little focus on action, an approach that will enthral some but bore others.

18. War of the Worlds (Paramount Pictures: 2005)

Theatrical Film

Average Rating: 6.5/10

Stephen Spielberg's blockbuster starring Tom Cruise (as a divorced dad trying to protect his estranged kids during a Martian invasion) is one of the most well-known movies on this list.

Like many other adaptations, it picks and chooses where and when it wants to align with the novel and it's a decent enough attempt at creating a bombastic summer action extravaganza.

The special effects are generally stunning and there are some incredible single-shot action sequences but it's ultimately fairly forgettable.

It's hard not to wonder if Stephen Spielberg could have given us a definitive classic had he attempted this 10 years earlier, but then we might not have gotten Jurassic Park or Schindler's List.

17. War of the Worlds (Paramount Domestic Television: 1988-1990)

TV Series

Average Rating: 6.6/10

This Canadian set TV show is staged as a sequel to George Pal's 1953 film adaptation (more on that later) but rewrites the lore by introducing "Mor-Tax" an alternative home planet for the alien invaders.

The show explores what would happen if the "Martians", sorry "Mor-Tax-ians", hadn't died at the end of the film and instead slipped into a state of suspended animation. Inevitably the alien threat is reawakened and sets about preparing the Earth for the arrival of another invading force.

Ultimately the show hasn't dated all that well and the storylines for each episode are basic "alien plan of the week must be foiled" type fare. The result is often goofy and cheesy rather than the more serious sci-fi fare some viewers might expect.

16. The Great Martian War 1913-1917 (History: 2013)

TV Movie

Average Rating: 6.9/10

One of the most curious entries on this list. "The Great Martian War 1913-1917" is an alternative history documentary told in the typical "History Channel" documentary style.

What makes this film unique is the use of actual footage, events and stories from The Great War, edited and adapted to imagine that the conflict was actually between the Earth and a Martian invading force.

Using a mixture of historical footage and interviews with modern "historians" the result is a successful and enthralling experience for documentary lovers and sci-fi lovers alike. However, if you want your documentaries to be 100% factual then this one is not for you.

15. The War of the Worlds (Paramount Pictures: 1953)

Theatrical Film

Average Rating: 7.1/10

George Pal's classic movie is the first film adaptation of The War of the Worlds and to this day it's still the best of the bunch with a tight script that throws out Victorian England in favour of a more modern-day setting: a 1950's America still reeling from the effects of World War II.

Upon release, the film was a critical and box office success and it's easy to see why. It's well written, well-acted, exciting, tense and moves along at a decent pace. Oh, and the special effects aren't too shabby either.

Despite some similarities to the book, there are many changes (the tripods are replaced by hovering spacecraft and there is no red martian weed to poison the landscape) but they serve the story and the technical limitations of the time.

Until something comes along that betters it, this is the only essential version of The War of the Worlds ever put to film.

14. Jeff Wayne's The War of the Worlds (Pixelogic: 1999)

PS1 Game

Average Rating: 7.4/10

It's taken a long time to get to the second video game adaptation on this list, which can only mean one thing: the quality has significantly improved.

First and foremost, the music soundtrack and sound effects are excellent, due to the inclusion of Jeff Wayne's classic soundtrack and the competence of the high-end sound chip on Sony's PS1 console.

The graphics may be dated but the 3D vehicular combat style of gameplay remains very playable to this day. Blasting away at evil Martians with WWI artillery vehicles while listening to a 70's progressive rock opera is not a bad way to spend a few hours.

Worth going back to for a bit of nostalgic fun.