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Monday, July 1, 1996

'Independence Day' takes no prisoners in the fight for box-office cashBy Michael Horowitz

Summer Bruin Senior Staff

"Independence Day" attacks the audience with a scope unparalleled in cinema.

For that alone, it deserves to rake in the box-office bucks and reap "oh-my-Gods" and "did-you-sees" worldwide.

Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the duo who opened the insipid "Stargate," unleash every weapon in the Hollywood filmmaking arsenal for almost two hours of nonstop activity. Well-worn cliches (some that hit, some that miss) and special effects galore rocket at the viewer too fast to be judged, and the overall reaction is one of awe. It's ambitious to the point of critic-proof.

From the take-no-prisoners trailer to the planes that flew over campus, the concept behind "ID4" is simple and perfect. Aliens come to fuck with Earth. No negotiations, no peace talks, no love lost. Just all out war until one side is dead.

On our side, and hopefully no one's rooting against humanity, are a bunch of B-list performers. Will Smith's a studly fighter pilot, Jeff Goldblum is a nebbishy genius and Bill Pullman is President Clinton. Harvey Fierstein, Randy Quaid, Mary McDonnell, Brent Spiner and Harry Connick Jr. are other characters with webs of connections that make this ensemble drama something like "Two Degrees of Separation."

All performances are passable, some really winning. Smith is enjoyably cocksure, able to handle the most hackneyed of the film's dramatic scenes with ease and man enough to battle his alien foes. Pullman gets to show a passion he hardly displays playing his usual "the other guy." Divided into three segments (July 2, July 3, July 4), "ID4's" act structure and passage of time are precise, like the alien attack on our planet. The first two-thirds are almost flawless, crammed with just the right amount of annihilation and desperation. Devlin and Emmerich bat us from one situation to another with the greatest ease, never letting the momentum flag or allowing a dramatic scene to get overly cheesy. Their story has no real story, thus nothing is a transgression and all subplots are equally compelling.

Which brings us to the last act. Not quite a stumble, but it leaves "ID4" considerable steps short of the holy Trilogy to which parallels are constructed. This film ends up just shy on imagination. The effects start looking a little more fake, and soon it approaches dumb. It almost seems like our valiant filmmaking duo couldn't figure out a cool way to defeat their invincible aliens.

This film will enter that esteemed sci-fi pantheon where it's broken apart piece by piece as if it made rational or scientific sense. "ID4" will provide a tough measuring stick for the comeback of Earth-under-attack flicks like "Mars Attacks" and "Aliens 4." And this film will also do wonders for Smith and the filmmakers.

But perhaps the best thing about "Independence Day" is that it is the summer blockbuster ­ two hours of unadulterated enjoyment, unhindered by pathetic storm-chaser psychobabble or Tom Cruise's version of acting. Just aliens and the people who hate them.

FILM: "Independence Day," directed by Roland Emmerich. Grade: A-

(Far left) A large UFO casts a dark shadow, threatening life on Earth.

(Left) Jeff Goldblum bravely attempts to save the planet from hostile invaders.

Will Smith (below) battles alien forces in "Independence Day," which sneak previews Tuesday night.Independence Day, w/ Shockwave: www.id4.com

ID4 and other movies, w/ Shockwave: www.hollywood.com/movies/independ/bsindepend.html