Reviewed by Stan Schwartz
Independence Day, arguably the most anxiously awaited of the summer blockbusters, has arrived. It has the action of The Rock, the sci-fi aspects of The Arrival, and special effects to rival Twister. But, alas, it should have something more: a sense of disturbed awe, almost metaphysical in quality, befitting the undeniable fact that alien beings exist, let alone the fact that they are trying to eradicate the human race. Occasionally, such a quality is achieved. For example, something more than just "thrilling," something truly unsettling, registers when we watch the White House being blown to bits. But there is not enough of it, this strange mix of awe and horror, and the more analytical adults in the audience may instead find themselves puzzling mightily over why certain characters are doing what they're doing. Let's face it, the best way to approach Independence Day is to leave your brains parked outside. It's the way all the kids will do it, and they'll all adore the film for the right reasons. On those terms, Independence Day is a great ride.
The ride starts out great: as the huge alien ship passes over the moon on its way to Earth, we see its shadow pass over the flag and plaque left by our astronauts on the dusty lunar surface. In the sky in the distance, the turquoise Earth glimmers innocently. It's a great opening: quiet, eerie, ominous, and poetic all at once. But it's the last moment you'll get like that. Seconds later, the ship enters the Earth's atmosphere and, as you can imagine, all hell breaks loose, and it's this frenetic, hellish tone that presides over most of the remaining two hours.
