Independence Day (1996)

Modern PC Stereotypes and Fear of "the other"

No wonder this movie is so popular. It combines state-of-the-art CGI explosions with jingoistic nonsense and modern PC stereotypes. The kids get their explosions, the conservatives get their war on, and the liberals get their modern stereotypes and everyone goes home happy.

Ah conservatives, gird your loins, men, because they are coming, whoever "they" are. Sometimes a "real American" has to fight to save the world from smelly aliens. Being the best country in the world is such a drag because everyone else is so incompentent, jealous and ungrateful. Fortress America because everyone is else is dangerous and/or stupid.

Ah liberals, so easily pleased. A hip black dude who happens to be intelligent and successful teams up with a money and power distaining cool Jewish nerd to save the world. The movie even has a non-minority sidekick who dies heroically halfway through the movie. What a givaway. Isn't it cool that the First Lady and a black stripper have a special moment. How open-minded and modern of her...the black stripper, I mean. We should all feel sorry for alcoholics but, admit it, they're fun to watch. Little old Jewish men who say the word "mensch" in the White House and drive ten miles an hour are adorable. The nice, caring gay guy gets zapped while trying to drive to his mom's house. Man, that Manhattan traffic is just killer.

The President is a selfish jerk who should leave the fighting to the professionals. I liked the explosions. December 24, 2008

In Your Pants Day

This is a great film until you get to the part where Will Smith punches the alien and says "Welcome to Earth". And then the wheels come off big style. Lots to like in this film, V-Style giant dustbin lid flying saucers, lots of action, but the gung-ho lameness of the "USA, USA" patriotism is the sort of stuff that has the 5 and three quarter billion people in the world who are not American covering their eyes with embarrassment. It is somehow fitting that the climax to the film involves Randy Quaid flying up the bottom of one of the giant binlids..still, as a man, we need a fix of explosions and aliens and jets and stuff like that, and there is plenty of that going on. And just in case you think I'm a big meany, I quite liked Battlefield Earth apart from the hideously lame end (and insult to all Harrier Jump-Jet Pilots everywhere), and "War of the Worlds" which also had a totally lame end, although I'm sure a positive impact on real-estate prices in downtown Boston (handy for the shops and alien proof!). I'm sure that if an ill tempered alien race had the technology to send a fleet of giant binlids interstellar distances, they could crush us like ants without even taking their alien sausage sandwiches out of their mouths.

Mind you, if they did arrive, I expect that the Number One quisling collaborator in their alien conquest would be Tom Cruise. Why, he is probably talking to them already, by e-mail. Why does this tinfoil hat make my head itch?
December 12, 2008

no plot, no surprise

The scenario (if any) is so predictable, the clichés so evident, it's hard not to fall asleep. December 9, 2008

Independence Day

This DVD would not play, it appeared to be blank. The replacement DVD did not play either. November 20, 2008

One of Will Smith best movie

This is the one that started Will Smith movie career. Best movie from Will Smith October 21, 2008

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