The artwork and effects are the best Hollywood's produced yet: this is why I would recommend this movie to a friend. Nevertheless, the movie uses a cookie-cutter formula for 'rising-up'-type movies. There are no surprising plot twists, the dialogue is filled with miserable one-liners, and every character is a rehash of long-established stereotypes (the grizzled, hard-talking military antagonist; the passionate tough-as-nails scientist; the gum-chewing, one-liner spewing, androgenous helicopter pilot (with an amazing bustline); the reluctant hero defined by his vulnerabilities and inherent "I-am-the-one"-ness). This movie sucks, but the visuals are spectacular enough for me to recommend seeing it in the theater.