First came the stars from Hollywood and the senior leaders from Washington, D.C. Then came the aliens from outer space.

Soldiers at Fort Huachuca were among the first to see "Independence Day: Resurgence" thanks to a special Tuesday screening put on by the Army and 20th Century Fox at the Arizona installation. The film opens wide this weekend, and it comes with a substantial Army recruiting tie-in — since spring, prospective recruits have been directed to a special website to learn more about Army science, mathematics and engineering careers via tie-ins to the movie's Earth Space Defense force.

Some soldiers at the installation, home to the Army Intelligence Center, had the chance to interact with "Resurgence" stars Jessie Usher, who plays the son of Will Smith's character from the 1996 original, and Judd Hirsch, who reprises his role as Julius Levinson, father of ESD Director David Levinson (played by Jeff Goldblum — allegedly).

Hirsch served in the Army prior to his acting career, reportedly spending time at Missouri's Fort Leonard Wood. He was awarded a Soldier For Life pin by Army Undersecretary Patrick Murphy at the screening.

Army Undersecretary Patrick Murphy, right, awards actor Judd Hirsch ("Taxi," "Independence Day") a Soldier For Life pin.

Photo Credit: Army

A second phase of the Army-movie partnership launched last week, with a 30-second clip featuring "Resurgence" footage and directing viewers to GoArmy.com/independence to learn more about service options.

While soldiers and guests got a sneak peek at the film, U.S. critics didn't — the studio reportedly didn't screen the movie domestically, which may be a bad omen for audiences. Reviews from international critics have been less than kind, resulting in a 44 percent rating at RottenTomatoes.com.

Kevin Lilley is the features editor of Military Times.

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