this movie started it all(unfortunately)

Rating: 1/10 (28 August 2005)

This is the movie that became the template for all the incredibly stupid, formulaic summer blockbusters we've seen in the past 10 years. It's a very simple formula. Start with a big, supposedly awe inspiring special effect of some destructive force(giant radioactive lizard, resurrected Egyptian sorcerer, devastating climate change, long dormant volcano becoming active in a major metropolitan area, newly sentient combat jet wreaking havoc on home soil, etc, etc, etc) . Then show people fleeing in terror from this force. Enter some young, handsome/beautiful protagonist who, unlike the herd of fleeing people who are unceremoniously slaughtered, survives the onslaught by virtue of, I don't know, their box office drawing power. Finally we come to the inevitable "climactic" conclusion where our hero manages to overcome/defeat this force by way of a completely implausible plot contrivance(in the case of this movie, a computer virus created by an earthling on an earth computer being uploaded to and working on an alien computer system). In order to enjoy these movies you have to forget all the movies exactly like it that have come before it and disable your higher reasoning abilities. Every movie asks that you suspend your disbelief to one degree or another but they shouldn't ask that you shut down your brain as well.
I know I'm missing parts of the formula so if anybody thinks of any others feel free to share.