War of the Worlds the Movie!

Okay, so yesterday I went to see War of the Worlds with my mummy. I thought that even though it was barely like the book, I enjoyed it anyway, although I didn't like the ending. If I hadn't read the book I wouldn't have known what happened. Here are some points:
1. The kids. I hated the kids so much. The little girl was screaming all the time, and I'm like "shut up!" When she got takent by the aliens, I'm like "yes!" But then Ray had to go and save her. And the boy was all like "I HAVE to see this!" and it was like he would die if he didn't. I mean, tanks killing aliens ARE really cool, but I'd rather live.
2. The dude in the basement was a composite of the three characters in the book who have dialogue. When the guy was like "we have to live" and whatever, that was the soldier, when he went all crazy and was like "not my blood!" that was the curate, and then he had Ogilvy's name.
3. There was some racial discrimination. When they're in the little cage and the alien is picking them up to eat them, this Chinese guy was grabbed, and no one helped. But nooooo when Tom Cruise is picked up they all help him and pull him down. Mom says that was because the soldier knew he had grenades, but I don't think so. I also thought it was funny how Tom looked down at his hand and looked all surprised to see the pins there.
4. Other than the line "I'm dead set on living" my favorite was the discourse between Tom and his son, Robbie. Tom left the kids in the apartment and he went out to see what was happening and he saw the aliens creating chaos and killing people, and he was in shock and he took his kids to the van to get away, and here is the convo:
Robbie: I want to know what you know.
Tom: There are things out there killing people (or something, I can't really remember)
Robbie: Like, are they from here?
Tom: No, they're from somewhere else (said very meaningfully)
Robbie: What, like from Europe?

The movie didn't develop some points very well, such as the plants. In the book they were just growing plants maybe to make it more homey, but in the movie, my take (actually my mother's) was that they were trying to make it into a copy of Mars.
And also, if I wasn't told about Tom taking the van because of EMP I would not have gotten it at all. I also didn't spot any Mustang. They also didn't develop the point about Japan. In the book, they all die of diseases, so I don't think the Japanese figured out how to kill them at all.
The stupid girl, who's name was Rachel, was so STUPID! She went to go pee, and she's so scared of sitting in the van but doesn't mind being out of sight of her dad. And then she's just standing there looking at the bodies floating down the river. It's beyond me how the bodies got in the river in the first place. They just kind of flew.
Anyway, I'm going to go shopping! Send me an email everyone! Maria, if you're reading this, you haven't been on msn for awhile. I'm feeling abandoned.
Oh, one note before I leave. I'm now reading Digital Fortress by Dan Brown, the last Dan Brown I have to read. Even though it is filled with computer terms I don't understand (what the heck is an algorithm? Or a diagnostic? I DON'T KNOW!!) I am still enjoying it. Such is the genius of Dan Brown. Heidi, have you read the Da Vinci Code? And do you need Angels and Demons? PLEASE COMMENT.
Ciao!