Entertaining film - probably not for Derek Malcolm.

Rating: Null/10 (27 February 2002)

Regret only read about 22 user comments. Just from those, most of my observations have already been written. One or two more things, for the sake of good order: much of the plot occurs through 'happenstance' not least the arrival of, and general area of the U.S. covered by, the alien craft. As I recall, Asia - the world's largest land mass - barely featured. I know the survivors were short of time, but it was a jolly good thing that the ergonomics of the alien craft suited the human pilots so well, and the seats looked virtually tailor made. (We viewers know, though, that the boffins in the underground centre had been modifying the craft over time for this very eventuality.) A high tech airplane - no need for such extraneities as pilots' headgear. Sadly, the human race is a bit more weathered today than it was in 1996 and, trivial though it may be, it would be something if our special effects aces worked on a bit more realism. With respect to their work, the fireballs replete with debris, the motor vehicles spinning in mid air and the seemingly total lack of dust when an entire city is being destroyed fail to convince people post 11 Sep 01 - if, indeed, they convinced before. Why are we given all these fireballs, anyway - are building materials so highly flammable? As mentioned elsewhere, the stereotypical characters were in place - in keeping with the quality of the script. Comforting, though, that Hollywood is STILL employing pseudo English actors to speak with caricature English accents. Many of these 1990s films seem to have a pre-packed video flavour to them, so formulaic are they. I genuinely like the national pride: 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' adorns the fuselage of Air Force One, and am minded to request Buck House to paint 'ENGLAND' on the side of the Queen's Flight aircraft. Well, they're doing a Jubilee rock concert at the Palace this year.
In final analysis, an entertaining picture but I wouldn't want to see it again just yet. Rating: 6.75 out of 10, some of that credit to Judd Hirsch.