The picture is a multi-character piece about an alien invasion of earth, where huge ships fly over every major city in the world and destroy it. It bites many of the obstacles the world has against these aliens from H.G. Wells novel "War of the Worlds." Eventually, after the U.S. President, played by Bill Pullman (Spaceballs), learns we knew about the aliens' existence for quite some time, we coordinate with the rest of the world's national armies to fight the aliens off, on all days--July fourth.

There are so many little aspects of this picture which make it overly corny and completely hard to believe. For instance, Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park) and Judd Hirsch (A Beautiful Mind) hop in a car after learning the aliens were coordinating an attack through the world's cable TV network. Uh, what? So, they drive down to Washington D.C. to warn the President and Goldbum's character's exwife, who works in the White House and an aide to the Pres. The drive takes them five hours in the movie's timeline.

I know not everyone is aware of the driving time it takes to go from New York City to D.C., but it is NOT just over an hour. They could MAYBE make it in five hours if there was NO ONE on the roads AT ALL and they were going the speed limit the entire time.

As far as the picture's corny factor goes, there was a scene were a captured alien comes to life and through a plane of glass "zaps" the President's mind until his agents kill the creature with many rounds of bullets. the President is unharmed, but not until, while under the alien's mental hold, he says, "I read his thoughts, and they're planning to wipe us out entirely." What a freakin' cop out on behalf of the writer.

The President, while having what is probably the equivalent of a brain hemorrhage, has enough forethought to reach into the mind of his assailant and figure out the entire armada's plans for the earth. Yeah, he wouldn't fall over and cower like a little girl. Course not. That to me is where the picture hits rock bottom. Oh, and the whole Randy Quaid flying a jet fighter into a ship's "soft spot" yelling "I'm back!" after trying to warm our hearts with "Tell my kids I love them." By that point in the movie, I couldn't have cared less.

There are way too many characters in this pictures. I could only bring myself to give a crap about a couple of them. The first lady? F**k her. Vivica Fox's dog? F**k him. Let them all get burnt up, I say. Maybe that would shorten up the picture a bit, since it is WAY TOO LONG for what it is.

Will Smith (I, Robot) was very funny, and Hirsch had very amusing moments. Playwright Harvey Fierstein (Mrs. Doubtfire) had a couple of great laughs in the first act. Randy Quaid (Christmas Vacation), however, phone this one in. I rolled my eyes every time he appeared on the screen.

The one great thing about this picture is the annihilation sequence. It is very intense and exciting and scary, even though some supporting characters survive situations they WOULD NOT be able to in real life. For those of you who just said, "Come on, Benn. Suspend your disbelief," I must say "Disbelieve THIS." At $7-plus a ticket, filmmakers have to at least try to gain my believability. When they write it off as if I'm stupid, then I get aggravated. Otherwise, the end of act one is awesome to watch.

This movie is good to put on the TV when you have to clean house. This way, you won't be distracted by something I like to refer to as "quality cinema." See "Independence Day" just for the big annihilation sequence, but it all goes downhill from there. Go do something else after act one.

Benn - Where's the Humanity?

This was an entertaining movie, but not a good movie. It fulfilled my sense of action and did have some funny scenes but overall it was very uninspiring and the aliens were about as intimidating as an 8 year old with a pair of curved scissors.

This movie gets its laughs from stereotypes and clichés. Judd Hirsch playing the incredible the most Jewish parent that film has seen since Kyle Broslofski's mom in South Park. Jeff Goldblum and his computer nerd nature loving Al Gore wanna be pain in the ass hero/anti-hero. Oh and lets not forget the walking Stereotype Harvey Feirstein and his prancing around asking, "David, why did I send my mother to Atlanta?" The clichéd bad guy who is in charge of the CIA and the ineptitude of the military, who would have guessed that? Let's add Brent Spiner's clichéd and stereotyped mad scientist who works for the government, a classic.

Possibly the worst character in the movie was Bill Pullman's President Thomas Whitmore. I swear this guy was a bigger wimp then Jimmy Carter and made the most uninspiring speech in movie history. If I was one of those pilots listening to his "independence day speech" I would have shot him and given myself to the Alien's. Easily one of the top five worst speeches in movie history.

Now the action was great and the special effects, except for the aliens, were very good. Will Smith as an action hero is money in the bank. But the aliens were one step above the rubber costumes that we used to see on the original Star Trek episodes.

This movie will make its way into my collection but not because it's good, but because its mind numbing. So remember if you watch the movie, take your brain out or you may become so incoherent, and unaware of reality, that you may actually want to vote for John Kerry at the next Presidential election.