This could have been an interesting adaptation of the classic "War of the Worlds" in not only anime form but also in its incorporation of elements of steam punk, giant robots, and alternate history. In other words, it is definitely not for everyone; but if you enjoy any or all of the above sci-fi troupes then at least you might want to give it a try.

The animation is serviceable and the characters not particularly well-drawn. No cutey anime girls or guys here, but the facial expressions are noticeably limited and the movements a bit wooden. The voice-acting is passable if not inspired. Probably this is due to the use of non-Japanese actors who do not have a lot of voice-acting experience. Had the movie made use of more talented actors, this would have greatly improved the final product. Instead, much of the dialogues sound more like people simply reading their lines without much if any emoting.

The story itself is loosely based on "War of the Worlds" - yes, there are the Martians and their war machines. But everything else is different. This actually makes for an interesting take on the classic, and had the story been better executed it could have really taken Goliath to the level of perhaps memorable genre-blending anime such as "Ghost in the Shell" or "The Sky Crawlers". Instead, one is left feeling disappointed and wondering what was the point of making this movie.

In other words, despite the initial promise of something unique in the blending of different genres, the end result is nothing more than a slightly entertaining but ultimately forgettable version of "War of the Worlds". In the end, nothing about this anime - whether its nod to sci-fi, steam punk, or mecha heritage - brakes any new ground. Final verdict: Maybe worth watching once, but you won't remember why afterwards.

I don't know where this "style" of animation comes from. No, seriously, I don't know. But it seems like a lot of similar stuff was cranked out back in the eighties in shows like "He-Man" or "GI Joe." Every man a steroid-abusing lunk, every woman an astringent big sister. Is that how the world looks to eight-year-olds? I don't know.

I do know that what we see here is an alternative Earth where Martian steroid technology was adapted by Nicolai Tesla to enable all men to be gigantic muscle gods. Or something. But the 'roids also cause them to have bizarre behavioral changes--including constant teeth-clenching, weird grimmacing and a propensity to engage in suicidal fights--with each other, with Martians, with inanimate objects. All the actors spit out their lines like they are The Pharaoh cursing the Israelites. "Where're my pancakes!" sounds like a call to battle in this demented world where everything is macho and nothing is...well, um, "un-macho"?

It's all about the booming and the bashing and the hitting and the smacking, with unintentional comic relief provided by the tiny (of course)"girl" who has one heck of an anime hair-do. Anything--anything would have helped this dead whale get off the ground, except what they did. In this demented world, everything is based upon the social structure and skills of eight-year-olds. Conflict? Fight! All it needs is music by Metalica to be a perfect example of why maturity is a good thing.

Give this one a pass.

War of the Worlds: Goliath (2012) is visually pretty but storytelling wise, it is absolutely boring. If it wasn't the awesome concept from the novel and the effort on visuals, this one honestly might end up being the second animated feature I'd rate 1 star. But I rated it 5 stars anyway, as some of you might like it for whatever reasons.

When compared to all older Malaysian animated features, War of the Worlds: Goliath (2012) does has a nice feel to it but the plot is unfortunately quite bad. There are so many illogical scenes that are left unexplained or unfinished even until the end. The backstory? Certainly without much thought as it is not clear or even established in the animated feature itself.

I understand alien invasion and steampunk are interesting but the series of random elements and events here won't make it a great storytelling or an enjoyable, at least for me even though it is the prettiest Malaysian animated film. (Out of four that I have seen.)