Too much hype steals thunder of ID4's visuals

Independence Day, the much-anticipated and overly-hyped science fiction epic of the summer season, has officially opened and promises to make a mint before the season is over.

The film is very similar to the 1953 science fiction classic The War of the Worlds, only Independence Day has special effects 1990s style amplified to the billionth power.

The film opens almost like a soap opera -- the scenes alternate from one couple to the next. We meet Jeff Goldblum and Judd Hirsch, computer genius and father, respectively; Randy Quaid as a crop duster who also claims to have been abducted by aliens; Bill Pullman as the president of the United States; and Will Smith as a Marine fighter pilot. The first third of the film concentrates on these characters as they react to the impossibly large UFOs beginning to scatter themselves over the metropolitan areas of the world. The fun begins then.

When the visitors from another world prove themselves to be not so friendly, it's up to the surviving members of the human race and the president to thwart the annihilation of mankind. The ensuing battles and ultimate end are exciting, crammed full of amazing special effects, tense action and several scenes of laugh-out-loud humor.

One aspect that makes Independence Day so interesting is its depiction of mankind banding together and fighting the enemy with courage and hope -- two parts of human nature usually missing in today's society. Hope is ultimately mankind's future and without it, we have nothing.

The only flaw of Independence Day is not the film itself but the heavy advertising and promotion. You've probably seen the tantalizing movie trailers and TV commercials since early spring. That's the problem -- some of the film's best scenes have already been showing for weeks. When you finally go see the movie, it's old hat. It's like the old saying about the magician who shows how too many of his tricks are performed.

Regardless of the over-promotion, Independence Day is still a terrific summer film and well worth the price of admission. The true blockbuster of the summer movie season has finally arrived -- now go and see it.