Okay, I just want to get some general thoughts out early on this one, before we can take it apart in earnest if the frak party. I was going to call in on this, but I figured I could articulate it better (and keep my grammar pristine, for the cop’s sake) in the forums.
I’m admittedly a cinematic curmudgeon, and I maintain a notably high bar of expectations on all films, sci-fi and fantasy in particular. I will say, though, that while ID is not exactly a career-defining piece of work, and I’ll agree with RMHPH and Default Prophet that I often fight the urge to tear it asunder, it has redeeming qualities if you take it in the right light: this is intended to be what I refer to as a “candy bar film” – satisfying while it’s right in front of you, but if you analyze the label for too long, you’ll just find too many things to criticize.
The entire piece just smacks of the classic pulp sci-fi books, comics and creature-features of the late fifties and early sixties, especially when you factor in (a) the malevolent alien force bend on destruction, (b) the military response to “blow 'em to kingdom come”, © numerous scenes of the populace fleeing the cities (as in Godzilla flicks, etc.), and (d) the maverick who saves the day (and for those of you still playing the election drinking game, yeah, that counts). If you are willing to view the film through that filter, there’s no reason why you can’t sit back, put your disbelief in check, and enjoy.
I’ll save plot point and dialogue discussion for the scheduled frak party, I just wanted to put this comparison out there for pre-emptive thought…see what kinds of parallels you see with the “It Came From…” films of the space race era, when our favorite entertainment diversion from early Cold War concerns was to look to the skies for a less-than-human (or greater-than, depending on your view) enemy to worry over.
Oh. Wait. There’s another factor about the film I may personally not ever get over, however, and that’s the casting. Putting Will Smith and Harry Connick, Jr. in the same scenes effectively renders me without a wife for the duration, and no amount of, “Honey? Hello, are you listening to me? I said, ‘The cat is on fire’” will pull her out of her daze. Nice job, Mr. Emmerich, for THAT little piece of marital assistance. What’s next, Brad Pitt and Johnny Depp in some deserted island survival flick? :::fume:::
