The Great Martian War 1913 - 1917

We all have to suspend belief when alternate history is the subject, and it's often a fun intellectual curiosity. Like what would America be like of JFK did not die. Or that Hitler has not been born. Or the great library of Alexandria survived. These are all key crossroads in our history that forever altered the future. In this case it is current day historians looking back at The Great Martian War. The Martians have landed in Germany in 1913 and the world mobilizes to fight them. Archival footage of that time is used and CGI seamlessly spliced in to give it an authenticated look and feel of that time. Various experts talk and show their displays - all with the reverence that real artifacts of that time deserve. Even veteran's of that time tell of their experiences. Various viewpoints are offered on different arguments, and prospects for the future. All in all what one would expect from a detailed and well crafted documentary. Except. It never happened :)

I have to commend the filmmakers here, as this movie completely fooled my grandmother. She watched this by herself on the History Channel and called my father in a complete panic due to the fear that the "cockroach headed and spider armed" aliens would return to earth.

This was accomplished due to the use of the CGI aliens being incorporated into actual WW1 footage. Also, the use of actors pretending to be former soldiers were convincing enough to her to prove that this story was real. Apparently, she was shaking and claimed that she couldn't go to sleep until the family was prepared to deal with the looming threat of alien invasion.

So I don't know if this review helps anyone, but if anything it shows how convincing this mockumentary can be and serves as a reminder to not necessarily believe everything you see on TV. Or the History Network.

I completely disagree with the first reviewer (JoeB131). This was an original idea done well. The historical footage was well modified, and the story mostly hung together. I enjoyed it a great deal.

The quality of the CG was, I believe, deliberate. It would have looked out of place to have high quality CG in the middle of historical footage.

The interviews were fascinating. They did liberally borrow from any part of the world they wanted to and from any time period.

The story did not follow the original tale, but that is to be expected in this kind of adaptation. Over all, well done.

How could anybody use WWI footage and make a mockery of it with Alians. It s very disrespectful

Very imaginative and well executed, plays like a genuine History Channel documentary. This "mockumentary" is not for laughs, but a fascinating vehicle for science fiction. I have long wished that someone would make a movie based on "War of the Worlds," and keep the setting in H. G. Wells' era when the concept of alien technology would be beyond the imagination of the people of those times. While this is not that story, this film comes closest to fulfilling my wish.