Action: OK. Plot, technical holes and stupid behavior

Rating: 3/10 (12 July 2005)

One of my peeves, and this movie had enough that I noticed watching it once, are stupid technical inconsistencies. I.E., something a simple as a plain wristwatch stops working, but video camera works just fine!? And, replacing a starter solenoid fixes only that one car? Starter solenoids are not used at all on cars already running, yet all the cars died.
But an even bigger peeve is when main characters act just stupid. Especially when they have an responsibility such as taking care of their children. I could go on and on, but even the little dumb things like they're in a basement, and all the windows are blowing in. Action stops, so main character sticks his face RIGHT IN A WINDOW very soon after?! Duh. Or, much bigger - announce that he is aware that people may want to take the only running vehicle. Then, drive it right into a huge crowd of unruly people. Amazingly, the vehicle gets taken from them. But, leave the child in the car while he jumps out to physically fight EVERYONE in hand-to-hand combat. Real smart. Then, uses his gun - but not effectively, since that should have been used to quickly get away, not stand there until someone stronger comes along. Double duh. Okay, during the initial attacks, how long and how many times did he need to see everything being completely destroyed and people being vaporized before he "gets it", and actually keeps getting away. No, buildings are being destroyed, so hide behind a building. Smart. And, leave the kids - constantly. Leave the girl to go pee out of sight. Leave the kids in a house while you go far away to wander around - and, not obtain useful items, but ask stupid questions of others I.E. "where you on that plane?" What does it matter?! Or, you know you have no food, so tell the kid to grab all the food. Then, scold him for not grabbing food! Then, run to where the aliens are likely to attack - they already survived the initial attack - twice, and keep running from where they were safe already! Go to the mom's house, but don't grab ANY useful supplies. On and on. What a stupid, intelligence insulting movie. Appropriate for a cheap horror flick. Bitterly disappointing for an "action" movie, and shocking that this was a Steven Spielburg film.