However, the film's nationalistic overtones were widely criticized by reviewers outside the U.S. "Movie Review UK" described the film as "a mish-mash of elements from a wide variety of alien invasion movies and gung-ho American jingoism." The speech during which Whitmore states that victory in the coming war would see the entire world henceforth describe July 4 as its Independence Day, was described in a BBC review as "the most jaw-droppingly pompous soliloquy ever delivered in a mainstream Hollywood movie." In 2003, readers of "Empire", voted the scene that contained this speech as the "Cheesiest Movie Moment of All-Time". Conversely, "Empire" critic Kim Newman gave the film a five-star rating in the magazine's original review of the film.