Hollywood Production

As the chief West Coast selection expert for the Regal Theater Chain, Jossman naturally wouldn't miss a super blockbuster with a reported production budget of $100 million. Not to mention, this was the work of Duke Rosenberg, a director who had already blown up the summer season twice in a row. He still clearly remembered the test screening for The Rock last year, and the box office numbers that followed certainly hadn't disappointed Regal Entertainment Group.

Another explosion flared on the screen. Amid the deafening sound effects, Jossman felt as if he had been blasted into the sky himself. The fiery blasts were as dazzling as Independence Day fireworks, effortlessly drawing the audience into the joy of defeating the evil aliens. The sheer thrill bursting in his chest felt like a spray of the most beautiful colors.

The film was nearing its end. Jossman gradually calmed down and quickly formed his baseline assessment of the movie.

The plot wasn't particularly outstanding. An alien invasion of Earth was a tired trope in Hollywood, and the scenes piled high with individual heroism had long since been done to death by the industry.

However, Jossman still gave it an A+ commercial rating in his mind. The film's flaws were obvious, but its selling points were even greater!

First was the casting. Duke Rosenberg had clearly given it careful thought. The most heavily weighted and brilliant roles were given to white, Jewish, Latino, and African American actors—the largest and most influential demographics in North America. They all played massive, even critical, roles in defeating the aliens in the film. This wouldn't just appease the traditional white audience; it was bound to attract moviegoers from other ethnic backgrounds as well!

Second was the spectacle. The film's massive set pieces rolled out one after another. You could only experience the full, magnificent visual impact on a giant theater screen. The special effects were so realistic they commanded admiration, and the adrenaline-spiking explosions were relentless. Jossman felt that even the widely praised effects of Jurassic Park were no better than those in Independence Day.

Then there was the plot. It was indeed average, but it carried the most crucial element of a successful summer season movie: it was incredibly simple. Independence Day had a clichéd premise, but its main storyline was crystal clear. It threw the audience straight into the apocalyptic crisis of Earth's final days right from the start, getting straight to the point without any drag.

There was one more key point: Independence Day required zero brainpower to understand. It didn't bother with elusive concepts like deep meaning or high art. It was a classic entertainment blockbuster that offered a feast for both the eyes and the ears. Even though the film ended with the same happy resolution as every other Hollywood blockbuster, what audience didn't want to see world peace, lovers uniting, and justice triumphing over evil?