More than your summer blockbuster

Rating: 7/10 (16 October 2002)

Independence Day is often classified with the usual summer blockbuster rubbish, but it does rise above it to better quality. It plays upon some good themes, more than action. It examines the true meanings of relationships we have with other people. There is a drunken father who has lost the respect of his children, mostly his oldest son. There is the ambitious wife who leaves her husband to maintain the growth of her career. True, some stereotypes lurk about, but the film is all about putting aside petty differences and concentrating on what is truly important. Oh, and shooting aliens.