Some squandered potential here: the premise (which I assume comes from Wells) of a world war so catastrophic that it dramatically reshapes future history is intrinsically interesting to me. And some of the filmmaking here recalls the editing techniques of the early Soviets in a way that thrills and fits the subject material. Unfortunately, the acting and screenwriting are pretty bland and forgettable across the board--British films of the era continue to disappoint me.

[spoiler] A lot happens. World war. Biological warfare disease. Totalitarian dictatorship. And finally a technocratic utopia. In all scenarios we learn all societies succumb to the human nature of conquest in some way.

Is the movie relevant today? Consider something like biotech. The intention is to make the rich richer by controlling that emerging market from inception and creating the demand, as well enabling population surveillance. This is under the guise of progress and protection of some sort.[/spoiler]

The movie lacks depth in order to jump through timeline plot to tell the story, but it's understandable and I don't mind. I can see the story structure being a problem for some, and some timelines did drag on more than others. But the movie is ahead of it's time. It looks good and is imaginative.

I watched the colour version of this on a boring flight home! The predictions of a devastated world didn't come true. But, bearing in mind this was made in 1936, some of the future technology like flat screens, tablets and watch phones were pretty spot on. More accurate than some films made decades later.

If you like old sci-fi films, it's worth giving this a go. I did find the first part a little slow, though.