Morning after the Night before

Rating: Null/10 (26 May 2004)

The equation runs like this:-
Does Dodgy CGI - Wooden Acting / Stereotypes * Big Message in this case equal Godzilla or does it raise (?) it's game to Independence Day?
We, lest people turn away at the mention of the rubber lizard be reassured, this movie does not in any way plunge to the depths of Godzilla. But it doesn't have the feeling of a runaway blockbuster like ID4 either. However lets look at the points compared to ID4 and Godzilla:-
1) Random Euro-references; this time (gasp) Scotland gets a minor role! Frozen haggis! And my home country gets a split-second mention on the local radio!
2) Painted backdrops; more of the same. Cunning mixture of wildly expensive CGI and hand painted stuff. Looks a bit odd sometimes ("look, the sky doesn't move")
3) Cute dog (ID4); This one wins hands down!
4) Oh-good-grief acting; Some people have been revising their soap opera acting skills - Hold that pose until I tell you to move again - wait- wait - wait - wait - wait - NOW move on, to the sound of creaking wood.
5) CGI helicopters; beats Godzilla hands down. Now they are neither believable or threatening, just plain silly.
So that just about covers it from a mechanics point of view. What is pleasant to see (as a Eurobod) is that the flag waving has been toned down and even a little touch of humility has crept into the scenario.

Of course, dealing with Nature not even the USA could claim they invented it. But the overall view of the picture from a "random guy in the front row with the big box of pop-corn" standpoint is much less cloyingly American. And judging by the other review posted here, it is a state of mind that is sadly not as widespread as the rest of us would like.
Let's get this straight. I don't care about who said what or who did what, who invented this or that, I go to the cinema expecting this film to be baseline entertainment, not a political battleground. And I review it as such. 6.5 out of 10 especially for NOT being Godzilla.