Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds flops with a 0% Rotten Tomatoes score. Critics slam the sci-fi remake for bad acting, poor CGI, and Amazon product placement. Is it the worst sci-fi movie ever?
When you think of the War of the Worlds, images of Martians invading Earth, creepy sound effects, and survival tales probably spring to mind. H.G. Wells’ original novel is a staple of science fiction, and the many adaptations — ranging from Orson Welles’ infamous radio show in 1938 to Spielberg’s 2005 film — have carried on that legacy.
When Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds was announced, science fiction fans were cautiously excited. A remake of a classic with a new spin sounds like it could be something worth talking about. Instead, we got a filmmaking catastrophe that is now making the news for all of the wrong reasons.
The Reception: Rotten To The Core
Let’s not beat around the bush; the numbers don’t lie.
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 0% (from critics)
IMDb Score: 3.2/10
Audience Responses: Brutal, disappointed, and meme-worthy.
Critics have been unrelentingly harsh. As Moneycontrol reported, both professional reviewers and casual moviegoers have labeled it “one of the worst sci-fi movies in recent memory.” That’s a serious accusation in a genre that has had its fair share of failures (hello, Battlefield Earth).
What Went So Wrong?
1. The Wrong Approach: Screenlife Done Wrong
“Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds” made a choice to utilize a screenlife format, which is the medium where everything is viewed via screens (like webcams, messages, browser windows, etc.).
Screenlife had success with thrillers like Searching and Host, so you can imagine that this would work well for a sci-fi epic. But in actuality, sci-fi (or any type of epic) does not work with this genre. When audiences wanted tension, drama, and jaw-dropping visuals, instead, we got static Zoom calls, messy interfaces, and extremely abrupt cutaways that unearthed the immersive experience.
2. Poor CGI & Production Values
The visual effects looked like a YouTube fan edit from 2008 rather than a movie that will premiere in 2025. Aliens that would be frightening were done in a way that appeared cartoonish and glitchy. Explosions looked like a GIF overlay.
It’s astounding that today, indie filmmakers with free software like Unreal Engine or Blender can produce better VFX. How did such a low-quality visual presentation get through post-production?
3. Uneven Acting & Flat Dialogue
Ice Cube is a star, but his star power couldn’t save the film. Critics responded harshly, to say the least. The performances were criticized for their lack of emotion and energy. The characters behaved like non-performing characters (NPC), reading from a prompter, not real people coping with an alien invasion.
One particularly viral quote from the movie, “They’re here…and they want Prime delivery,” elicited groans, not gasps, from the audience.
A 2-Hour Amazon Ad?
That’s right.
Multiple reviewers stated the movie felt like a poorly disguised ad for Amazon. From characters using Alexa to defeat aliens (gross) to product advertisement (Echo Dots and Kindle e-books), they were more interested in selling gadgets than actually telling a story.
One YouTube reviewer noted, “It’s less War of the Worlds and more War of the Widgets.”
Audiences don’t necessarily dislike product placement when it’s discreet, fits the storyline (think Cast Away and FedEx), but here it was forced, it felt gimmicky, and was frankly insulting.
How Does It Stack Up with Other Sci-Fi Flops?
To put things into perspective, let’s take a look at some other notable sci-fi failures:
Movie IMDb Rating Rotten Tomatoes Notable Failings
Battlefield Earth (2000) 2.5
3% Over-acting, confusing plot
After Earth (2013) 4.8 12% Awful dialogue, nepotism
The Happening (2008) 5.0 17% Comedic script, awful acting
Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds (2025) 3.2 0% CGI, script, acting, product placement
Clearly this latest installment stacks up (in the worst way possible) to past genre misfires.
Is There Any Redemption?
A small handful of individuals found redeeming value in the film’s inclination toward “innovation,” in the sense that it takes some guts to try something new in an already over-populated genre. The (albeit poorly executed) screen life format is a viable option with a more adept director.
Lessons Future Sci-Fi Filmmakers Can Take Away
While “Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds” may just be a punchline at this time, there is some value in “failure” if anyone is willing to use it as a learning opportunity.
Here are some of the easy takeaways:
Respect the IP. Modernize, sure. But don’t lose the soul of it.
Do not let the technology dominate the story; use technology to support the story.
Avoid brazen advertising that distracts/ejects the viewer from immersion.
Good writing and direction should be prioritized before thinking about the cast.
A Galactic-sized Misfire of Sci-Fi
“Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds” will forever remain in history books—but not for what its creators had hoped. Instead of a bold new vision for a sci-fi classic, we got an unoriginal and messy product placement and poorly constructed storytelling.
FAQs
1. What is “Ice Cube’s War of the Worlds” about?
The movie is a new take on H.G. Wells’ novel, reflecting the story in a screenlife approach to reveal the alien invasion through webcams, chat logs, and screens.
2. Why is it receiving such terrible reviews?
Critics and audiences cite lackluster acting, poor CGI, a terrible script, and insane product placement. It has a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
3. Is it really the worst sci-fi movie ever?
While everyone’s taste is subjective, the reception is so overwhelmingly bad that it could honestly be a contender for worst movie—possibly alongside classics like Battlefield Earth and After Earth.
4. Does Ice Cube have a large role in the movie?
Yes, he is the main character, but Ice Cube’s star power could not elevate the bad script and disjointed performance.
5. Is it worth watching to experience “so bad it’s good”?
It could be funny if you enjoy train wrecks, or if you plan on having a bad movie night with friends.
6. Where do I get to view it?
You can check it out on Amazon Prime Video—indeed, one of many brands featured in this film!