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| War Of The Worlds. Pictured: Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning. |
The explosive, action-fest is a dramatic departure from Spielberg's seminal feelgood sci-fi blockbuster ET. As Tom explains, you wouldn't want to cuddle up to these aliens.
"This is ET gone bad," he says with a laugh. "The Martians in Wells' book are evil and ugly not Steven’s usual gentle, bug-eyed ETs. These guys are coming to dominate Earth."
Though the film, which also stars Hollywood child star Dakota Fanning, is pure escapist sci-fi, it's a subject that has resonated deeply with Tom. The committed Scientologist believes the themes of War Of The Worlds are more relevant now than when they first appeared on the page more than 100 years ago.
"We live in a world in which we are able to communicate very quickly in many different ways and yet we find communicating more difficult than ever," he explains.
"We need communication more urgently than ever, because the enemies that threaten us are universal: drugs, illiteracy and crime and we have to fight against those things. The film is definitely a metaphor for that modern-day battle we all face.
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| Tom himself says he's got no doubts when it comes to his relationship with his son Conor, 10, and 12-year-old daughter Isabella, the children he adopted with ex-wife Nicole Kidman. |
“It also asks the question ‘To what extent would you go to protect your children?’. I think it's a film that represents what parents feel about how far you're going to go for your child and it's a film we've dedicated to our children and how much we love them."Though his onscreen character isn't the world's best dad, Tom himself says he's got no doubts on that score when it comes to his relationship with his son Conor, 10, and 12-year-old daughter Isabella, the children he adopted with ex-wife Nicole Kidman.
"I am a very different father than my character is. He doesn't understand kids at all, he only understands himself. When things go wrong he looks to them. He's more of a kid than they are."
Though the star says his children are his number one priority he's also made no secret of the fact that his scientology beliefs are central to his life. His new bride-to-be, who was raised a Catholic, has announced she will convert and the star even had Scientology ministers pitched in a special tent on the War Of The Worlds set.
"They were helping the crew and to help the sick and injured," he explains. "People on the set appreciated that. I've been a Scientologist for 20 years and I don't care what someone else believes, if they want to get off drugs or not be a criminal any more I can give them the tools that can better their life. I see myself as a helper."
Now it seems he's helping his young new fiancee see the light too and after a troublesome few years in which the star has undergone a messy divorce and seen his name slip from the top of the box office it looks like Tom is back in control.
"Something magnificent has happened to me," he beams. "I'm just really, really happy."
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