If the trailers and effects were bad, I probably would have avoided this.

Rating: Null/10 (11 May 1999)

This movie blew me away the first time I saw it (that is, because I wasn't thinking very clearly). The next time I saw it, I was shocked at how many people came to see this movie. I guess they were impressed with the effects and a very ominous trailer(which notoriously explodes the White House). But Roland Emmerich, whose sci-fi duds include "Stargate" and the wretched remake of "Godzilla", hasn't learned much. Hopefully, his box-office bomb "Godzilla" knocked some sense into him. By the way, if it wasn't for Will Smith, this film would have sunk before it was up. The most human characters in the movie are actually the aliens! If our world was inhabited by characters as silly, ignorant, and stupid as the ones in this movie, you wouldn't blame the aliens for wanting to destroy it. To get through this, you have to ignore the plot and acting, and enjoy the amazing special effects. However, ignoring a literally plotless plot, without memorable(I meant to say likeable) characters can get a bit trying after a while. Oh, and if you did happen to like this, that doesn't mean you'll necessarily like "Godzilla"!