A movie you either go with or completely resist, this cheerfully disreputable science fiction blockbuster actually has more in common with its '50s film brethren than many other modern films. Unlike the director's heavily dismissed follow-up effort Godzilla, Independence Day revels in its genre conventions and aliens-from-Mars clichés, not to mention its steadfast rah-rah patriotism that pervades throughout. Borrowing heavily from such films as Alien and especially Star Wars, the film has enough broad performance style and overheated exchanges to fit in nicely with the films it semi-parodies. In fact, at times, it almost feels like a product of Cold War paranoia, especially in designing its alien invaders as predators before we even get to know who they are. Director Roland Emmerich pulls out all the stops, and even if it's not to everyone's liking, you can't blame the guy for trying. An Oscar winner for Best Visual Effects, and part of the $300 million-plus box office club, though it's one of those blockbusters that has as many detractors as admirers.