(12A, 116mins) Tom Cruise. Dakota Fanning, Justin Chatwin. Directed by Steven Spielberg

It's fitting that Steven Spielberg, the visionary who directed ET The Extra Terrestrial and Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, two films imagining a harmonious relationship between humans and intergalactic visitors, should now direct War Of The Worlds.

"This is not one of my sweet, cuddly, benign alien stories," says Spielberg - something of an understatement.

In a little under two hours, he draws upon his mastery of human drama and jaw-dropping, big-budget spectacle to deliver the summer's most exhilarating and moving blockbuster so far.

From the moment the first tripod rises majestically out of the earth and unfurls its deadly mechanical tentacles, the film holds you in a vice-like grip.

War Of The Worlds is a seminal story of conflict inspired by H G Wells, as seen through the eyes of one family battling to survive the alien apocalypse.

Dockworker Ray Ferrier (Cruise) is a terrible father to his headstrong teenage son Robbie (Chatwin) and young daughter Rachel (Fanning).

He is also a terrible husband, which explains why his wife Mary Ann divorced him and has now found herself a reliable, wealthy boyfriend called Tim.

When Mary Ann and Tim are called away to Boston for the weekend, they reluctantly leave the children in Ray's care, shortly before a powerful lightning storm strikes the city, knocking out all power and telecommunications.

As curious citizens race to an intersection where lightning bolts struck an incredible 26 times, all hell quite literally breaks loose.

A towering three-legged machine rises from out of the earth and begins to incinerate every living being in sight.

Ray grabs the children and embarks on an extraordinary journey across country, with thousands upon millions of other refugees fleeing the merciless extra-terrestrial army.

War Of The Worlds delivers everything you'd expect of a Spielberg blockbuster - awesome special effects, shocks and surprises.

But there are elements of this film which are completely unexpected - a lynch mob scene and a sequence in a farmhouse basement which hammers home the point that people will go to extremes to protect their loved ones.

Cruise delivers a strong performance and enfant extraordinaire Fanning is amazing as ever.

With its carnage on a grand scale, War Of The Worlds more than merits its 12A certificate.

Little Rachel spends much of the film screaming and whimpering - I imagine small children will probably have the same reaction. E T, please go home.