Not the best film writing ever done, nor Pullmans' best work

Rating: 5/10 (12 January 2007)

I didn't particularly care on the whole for this film. Even though I watched it in its entirety, it had a few funny scene moments I give credit too.
The comic interaction between Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum gets your funny bone tickling at times, with Goldblums' classic, "Oops?? What's this oops???..." And the scene where Smith is dragging the dead alien through the desert, rambling and gripping about some barbecue.
Bill Pullman certainly wasn't allotted the greatest performance of his career with this so-called provincial presidential role - given a slightly weak and mediocre script he was forced to make do with. Bill is a very fine actor and film star---however this role certainly didn't do him much justice. But again, this tends to happen quite a bit under Hollywood film-making, regardless how much cash producers finance into bigger name projects. Generally it was just the case that millions were bank rolled into what ended up here a mediocre screenplay. Will Smith is given some good characterization to play with, as his adrenalin-pumped, street-witted personification projects. But again, its become his stereo-type with most of the high roller characters he's previously played, and in later films.
Overall -- the action and special effects could have been far better CGI generated, had the producer and crew put more effort into lessening the cheesiness of the alien attack scenes - which from a classic 60's or 70's B movie point of view, probably would be acceptable. But this film is supposed to be modern day. So the half-baked effects do not do it much justice. Very entertaining for the 13 and younger crowd. But for die-hard or serious comedy film-goers, this one gets a slight thumbs-down for so-so screenplay, effects, musical score, and overall direction.
PEANUT