My definition of an energetic, old-fashioned summer popcorn flick

Rating: 9/10 (28 August 2010)

Even though it is packed full of conventions, stereotypes, and clichés of the science-fiction genre and its detractors are right in calling it old-fashioned and dopey, "Independence Day" is actually a terrific feel-good popcorn flick from Roland Emmerich and Dead Devlin, the Hollywood cognoscenti for the genre. These two filmmakers love the popcorn movie genre, as they have stated numerous times and proved even more times with their pictures. None of their movies, from "Independence Day" to "Godzilla" to "The Day After Tomorrow" to the more recent "2012" were created with the intention of being taken seriously. They are continuing the tradition of the silly disaster films from the 70s and occasionally the silly science-fiction flicks of the 50s. Their superlative film is "Independence Day," the box office champ of 1996 that started a broad interest in aliens as bloodthirsty war-mongers again.
The cast is populated by a wide variety of Hollywood talents perfectly matched to the stereotypes written in the screenplay. Bill Pullman is the weary-eyed, weary-voiced president of the United States; Will Smith is the smart-mouthed fighter pilot ready to kick some alien tail while shelling out punch lines, Jeff Goldblum is the nerdy but smart TV cable man who figures out before everybody else that the aliens are going to attack, his ostensibly Jewish father is played by Judd Hirsch, and Randy Quaid is the drunken, delusional crop duster pilot who claims he once had a close encounter before.
The aliens in the movie are even less original, having been pulled off the shelf of the creatures from the 1950s. The only real update is that they've now been generated using modern-day special effects and not puppets, men in suits, and stop-motion animation. Their ships are also a very good visual achievement, and the sight of a 15-mile wide flying saucer hovering over L.A. looks really darn cool.
You would think by the way I've been pointing out stereotypes in my review that I didn't think too terribly much of "Independence Day" and that it was too clichéd for me to praise or recommend. You would think wrong. This is just my style of reviews; I point out the good and the bad in every movie I see.
So you want to hear what I liked about "Independence Day." Three words: it was fun. Three more words: it's a popcorn movie. Four words now: I *love* popcorn movies! This is the type of movie that if done wrong can be dreadfully boring, but if done right, as here, then is sheer entertainment. Sure, we've seen the like of a movie like this before in terms of substance. And it most certainly is a movie with style over substance. Of course "E.T." and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and the original "The Day the Earth Stood Still" are better movies because their substance is more prominent than their style. But admit it, every now and then you are in the hankering for a good, old-fashioned flick. Sometimes those kitschy black-and-white films really fill in the void for you. So therefore, I see nothing wrong with continuing this tradition using a bigger budget and modern technology.
Another reason why "Independence Day" works is that it enthusiastically embraces its kitschy charm. Every single moment of it is played for visual spectacle or an old-fashioned charm or gag. And this stereotyping in the cast is repetitive, but it's used in a way where it is amusing, not offensive. Take Will Smith's character, for example. Even though he is just playing the same mentality of his beloved character from "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" (they seldom let him do anything else, after all) he brings a lot of charm and screen charisma to his performance. In the hands of a lesser actor, this role might have come across as annoying. But Smith is such a great performer that he makes it work. Randy Quaid is also in prime for as a deliberately comical drunk with a heart. And his final scene in the movie has deservedly gone on to become famous.
And Roland Emmerich is very good at handling special effects sequences. There are numerous highly implausible moments, such as a fighter pilot maneuvering through a canyon while fighting off miniature UFOs, but the directing and the pacing is so tight that you don't stop to really nitpick over it, but embrace it. If there had been more dead air, you would have no choice but to stop and gripe.
And unfortunately a lot of people do stop and gripe throughout the film. But even though I do enjoy this movie enormously, I can acknowledge and understand their points. This is the kind of movie you will either welcome and love for what it is or detest and scorn for what it is. As a summer popcorn movie flooded with enthusiasm and testosterone, I think it does its job most commendably. Roland Emmerich has made some really good popcorn flicks, but this is his best one.