That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy the second half. There is so much fun to be had in this movie, especially for those who don’t mind the idiotic plot. It turns out that Emmerich has a few nifty surprises up his sleeve (one including a visit to Area 51), and he injects enough gung-ho adventure into the formula to keep us steadily entertained. The appearance of the alien lifeforms is, while rather creepy, somewhat of a disappointment. The script often lets us down. Recycled garble involving protective shields, uploaded viruses and even a “mother ship” appear early and often. As long as you don’t apply too much knowledge while viewing, you’re going to have a blast. The film recalls sci-fi classics from the 50’s and 60’s in a competent, enjoyable fashion. The cast is also solid, even with such familiar roles. Smith and Goldblum fair okay, adding a personal charm to their boring and obvious caricatures. Pullman is perfect as the President, and Robert Loggia adds swift assurance to every scene he is in. Meanwhile, Hirsch is just right, and Randy Quaid is surprisingly strong while attempting to juggle one of the film’s biggest defects. His fate, as you’ll discover early on, is entirely predictable (but still worthwhile after all). Don’t accuse Independence Dayof being moronic. Of course it is. Not only that, it’s obvious, manipulative and downright corny. But if you’re in the mood for some old-fashioned entertainment with new wave special effects, you couldn’t do much better than this exciting film.