'Indepedence Day' fare for July 4th
By Brian Offenther |
July 2, 2012, Monday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
WHAT'S forgotten is that by the mid-1990s, "Jaws" seemed a bit quaint. Spielberg himself traded in a lurking shark for a slew of dinos in 1993's "Jurassic Park." But as good as that movie is, there's something that feels old hat about it, even if it's just the recognition of Spielberg's tropes.
What really moved the blockbuster to its second phase was "Independence Day" three years later. What's the difference? Will Smith.
Smith represented - and continues to represent - a cross section of all that is "good" in the world. He's hip, but not crass; he's handsome, but not intimidatingly so; he's well spoken, but with a street-style wit. He's toothless but his seeming contradictions make him compelling. Basically, he set the groundwork for Barack Obama, and he did it by saving the world.
Smith plays an air force pilot, a replica of Tom Cruise's Maverick from "Top Gun." He's a brash and cocky fighter pilot with a heart of gold.
He's part of a mission to fight an invading alien race that has already attacked and invaded major cities and world capitals.
Although the fighter pilots are decimated by the aliens, Smith is able to rescue one of them. The two are then picked up by a group of ragtag survivors lead by Randy Quaid, an alcoholic veteran who claims to have previously been abducted by the aliens.
The group joins up with the President of the USA (Bill Pullman) and a neurotic scientist who predicted the attack (Jeff Goldblum).
Then there are shadowy government types, boatloads of alien bad guys, unlikely escapes, and quips galore. "The Avengers" isn't merely like "Independence Day." It clearly studied it in film class.
"Independence Day" works because along with great action sequences, it has a very unlikely and superb supporting cast. Smith's everyman is balanced out by quirky performances by Goldblum and Randy Quaid, his wackiness balanced by Bill Pullman's levity.
Even smaller roles are populated by actors who are able to give their screen time some spark, such as Harvey Fierstein as Goldblum's boss and Harry Connick Jr as Smith's best friend.
In the end though it's about Smith, who found himself as the zeitgeist of his generation and responded appropriately with a swagger that would be imitated for years to come.
What really moved the blockbuster to its second phase was "Independence Day" three years later. What's the difference? Will Smith.
Smith represented - and continues to represent - a cross section of all that is "good" in the world. He's hip, but not crass; he's handsome, but not intimidatingly so; he's well spoken, but with a street-style wit. He's toothless but his seeming contradictions make him compelling. Basically, he set the groundwork for Barack Obama, and he did it by saving the world.
Smith plays an air force pilot, a replica of Tom Cruise's Maverick from "Top Gun." He's a brash and cocky fighter pilot with a heart of gold.
He's part of a mission to fight an invading alien race that has already attacked and invaded major cities and world capitals.
Although the fighter pilots are decimated by the aliens, Smith is able to rescue one of them. The two are then picked up by a group of ragtag survivors lead by Randy Quaid, an alcoholic veteran who claims to have previously been abducted by the aliens.
The group joins up with the President of the USA (Bill Pullman) and a neurotic scientist who predicted the attack (Jeff Goldblum).
Then there are shadowy government types, boatloads of alien bad guys, unlikely escapes, and quips galore. "The Avengers" isn't merely like "Independence Day." It clearly studied it in film class.
"Independence Day" works because along with great action sequences, it has a very unlikely and superb supporting cast. Smith's everyman is balanced out by quirky performances by Goldblum and Randy Quaid, his wackiness balanced by Bill Pullman's levity.
Even smaller roles are populated by actors who are able to give their screen time some spark, such as Harvey Fierstein as Goldblum's boss and Harry Connick Jr as Smith's best friend.
In the end though it's about Smith, who found himself as the zeitgeist of his generation and responded appropriately with a swagger that would be imitated for years to come.
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