Yeah, I know—it's stupid, but....

Rating: 7/10 (7 April 2012)

Independence Day, the massively successful summer blockbuster of '96, is a deeply flawed, predictably dumb, jingoistic, gung-ho piece of mainstream sci-fi/action nonsense that depicts the USA as the saviours of mankind in a desperate battle for Earth against hostile aliens.
Funny thing is, as formulaic, clichéd, moronic, plot-hole-ridden and over-sentimental as this flag-waving claptrap is, I don't find it anywhere near as irksome as I probably should, in part thanks to the great cast, but mostly due to the simple fact that it is just so much fun, a switch-your-mind off-and-enjoy-the-spectacle, slam-bang crowd-pleaser packed with exhilarating action and top-notch special effects.
Sometimes, all I need to pass the time are massive explosions (they don't come much bigger than this), slimy aliens (that they are), and a Jewish cable company employee uploading a virus to an alien mothership via his laptop, and that's precisely what ID4 delivers.