misunderstood genius

Rating: Null/10 (28 September 2000)

This film is severely misunderstood. Admittedly I am from England, and will credit most things I come across with at least some intelligence, but I really cannot believe that almost the entire world cannot see that this film is a genius-like comedy spoof.... ...on action films, hence the buddy relationship/ludicrous landmark explosions/identikit top-gun and star wars scenes/sly defence secretary stereotype/numerous countdowns/jammed bombs etc etc....on sci-fi movies, hence aliens/alien abductions/roswell and area 51/geek hero/oddly imperial American commanders etc etc. ...on American jingoism and OTT patriotism, hence hilarious presidential speech/sly references to vietnam and gulf war etc etc.
How can you not see this film as a comedy??? Just because the special effects are half-decent and the jokes are relatively subtly executed doesn't mean it's playing itself straight. Does Jeff Goldblum's laptop have to wink at the camera when it says "hello dave" for you to notice it's spoofing 2001 or what? This is not a Mel Brooks or David Zucker film, but a far more subtle product.
I think a lot more people would enjoy this film if they looked at it just that little bit differently. Though, as a spoof, it does take elements from many other films, it has an incredibly tight and economical screenplay (better than many of the films it takes off, in fact), with not a word of wasted dialogue in the whole 2 and bit hours, and it is genuinely tense and dramatic.
If you watched this film expecting real science in your sci-fi or deep messages from your drama, then of course you will have been disappointed. Those expecting massive explosions in their action will have come away a little happier, but I urge all of you to please NOT switch off your brain, instead turn it up a notch and watch this film again, for laughs. It will be worth it.