Production Year: 1996 - Science Fiction - Director: Roland Emmerich - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Jeff Goldblum more
Mysterious spaceships appear in the sky and satellite communication systems cease to work. The population at large is unaware of the visitors' hidden agenda. Only one man knows... more
a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of mis...
a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of mis...
mysterious and powerful aliens launch an all-out invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear in Earth's skies. But wonder tur...
Independence Day
One of the biggest box office hits of all time delivers the ultimate encounter when ... more
mysterious and powerful aliens launch an all-out invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear in Earth's skies. But wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. Now the world's only hope lies with a determined band of survivors, uniting for one last strike against the invaders - before it's the end of mankind.
Independence Day
One of the biggest box office hits of all time delivers the ultimate encounter when ... more
powerful aliens launch an invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear. Wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. Now the world's only hope lies with determined survivors, uniting for one last strike against the invaders - before it's the end of mankind. Experience all the excitement of Independence Day as never before with this feature-packed extended edition containing restored footage not included in the theatrical release.
Production Year: 2006 - Science Fiction - Director: James Hawes - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Noel Clarke, Camille Coduri, Penelope Wilton, David Tennant, Billie Piper
Production Year: 2008 - Science Fiction - Director: Doug Liman - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Hayden Christensen
Production Year: 2007 - Science Fiction - Director: Francis Lawrence - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Alice Braga, Charlie Tahan, Dash Mihok, Will Smith, Salli Richardson, Willow Smith
A review by TheNeil on Independence Day (DVD) September 19th, 2002
Author's product rating:
Did you enjoy it?
Disliked it
Story
Satisfactory
Characters / Performances
Weak
Special Effects
Outstanding
How does it compare to similar films?
Satisfactory
Advantages:
Mindless
Disadvantages:
Mindless
Recommend to potential buyers:
no
Full review
Oh I love this film. Admittedly you're going to get sad watching any film that involves a dog falling down a well and having to be saved but The Dog That Fell Down A Well And Had To Be Saved is something else. Firstly...Err Neil, this is supposed to be a review of Independence Day. Is it? Err, could you just remind me how that one goes again? Marauding aliens attack Earth. Oh yeah...that's the one where those Mexican ladies kept doing things to farmyard animals wasn't it? No, that was one of those 'adult' films that can send you blind - Now stop stalling and get writing.
When an alien ship approaches Earth, the US (of A, I hasten to add) welcomes them with open arms but despite their best efforts the aliens refuse to respond. With their giant ships hovering over major cities everyone is at a loss as to what the aliens want. While the government plots what to do next, the people of the world hold their collective breath but disgraced scientist David Levinson discovers something quite worrying. Hidden amongst the undecipherable alien transmissions is a countdown - but a countdown to what? The answer becomes all too clear when the timer runs out and the alien ships unleash a devastating attack on the planet. Can mankind survive and defeat the seemingly undefeatable invaders?
You can kind of tell that my enthusiasm for this 'epic' was not at it's highest by the way the Laserdisc sat on the shelf for nearly three years before finally getting an airing. At the time of it's release the world had gone seemingly mad for it (as I believe they say in Manchester) but was the world right to? Now, after all the hype has died down, does Independence Day (ID4 hereafter) deserve a repeat viewing?
The obvious thought that springs to mind when you watch ID4 is that this is V with a decent budget (and for the uninitiated, V was a 1984 mini-series in which alien visitors came to Earth and...err tried to give us a good kicking. And there was some eating of gerbils and the well fit Jane Badler). The two do have many similarities with the most obvious being the actual ships in which they travel and the ultimate goal of the marauding aliens (i.e. wipe out mankind). But to call ID4 and V one and the same is actually wrong as V (for all it's faults) was actually deeper and more moralistic. Think I'm lying? Well put it this way, compared to ID4 it was.
ID4 as a concept isn't too bad but it does try to update that 70's product, the disaster movie. Being the 90's though things were bigger (i.e. global) but we still get the cast list of thousands, the multitude of 'small' stories, and mankind standing up against adversity. Actually, when I say mankind, I really mean America. Now in our post September 11th world America has gone jingoism mad but ID4 was well ahead of the game on this front and to a non-US audience it kind of grates. Yes it would have been stupid to try to make this a global story with vignettes from around the globe but ID4 really shoots itself in the foot with it's whole attitude of America being brilliant and the rest of the world being idiots (hmmm, why are the words 'pot', 'kettle', and 'black' springing to mind). The stereotypes come into play and once again the world must hide behind the shield of global protection that America creates. The US goes takes on the alien invaders single handedly and organises the rabble that is the rest of the planet. But being America, stealth and intelligence go out of the window and, in truth, who needs them when you have some hot shot pilots armed with some gung-ho lines (usually involving the word 'sucker').
But if we put the jingoism to one side what are we left with? Admittedly it's not much but even what IS left isn't that hot. Making the aliens pretty much faceless is a good approach and a lack of explanation regarding what they were after actually works well here as the audience are just as frustrated (if you care that much) as the cast. We don't have any forewarning of what's coming and that's one in the film's plus column. Beyond this though there's little. The characters are 2 dimensional in the extreme and there's almost a complete lack of history or emotional depth. Yes Jeff Goldblum has a dad but that's about as far as it goes. Also, being a blockbuster, logic goes out of the window and in it's place we have coincidence. Lucky that David's ex-wife (or something) works with the Pres isn't it?
And finally we come to the cast. As this a galaxy of stars production I'll have to skip many but the main players will get a mention. It would be nice to think that ID4 could whip up a great cast in the style of the 70's disaster movie. Yes the films were hideous and the stars were obviously slumming it but they WERE stars - not so here. The less than brilliant Will Smith once again pretends that he's an actor and you can think of Smith as being the black Chris Evans - you either love or loathe. I, surprise surprise, fall into the second category but which ever way you line up on the Smith debate, this is very much business as usual. Delivering his nonsensical lines in the same 'home-boy' style way as in everything else he's ever done, Smith relies far more on 'attitude' than actual talent...and that kind of sets the pattern for the pretty much whole film. Bill Pullman tries to be earnest as the President but the structure and style of the film soon shift him away from being believable and turn him into a another gun-totting 'hero' (in the hour of destiny the Pres...jumps in a fighter jet and leads the attack himself - Wooooo, go America (oops, sarcasm overload)).
It's Jeff Goldblum who is actually the best the film has to offer and as the 'quirky' professor type, Goldblum is very much in his element. He is definitely the best the film has on show and he works well with his 'dad' Judd Hirsch. Small roles for Robert Loggia and Randy Quaid reassure us that there is actually some acting talent out there but looking down the cast list you see that there really aren't any big names to draw the crowds in. Media celebrities yes, but genuine talent? Hmmmm.
Director Roland Emmerich also co-wrote the screenplay and as such he should have a great understanding of the material and from what we can see on screen, he does - it's just a shame that the material is of a combat fatigue style rather than a multi-layered effort. ID4 is unashamedly action orientated and if you're looking to get whipped up in a seemingly never ending stream of explosions and 'macho' moments then it'll be very much the film for you. Emmerich does this side of things well but it's the other aspects of the story that are undeniably weak. There's practically nothing beyond the action, there's no moral, no questioning of man's fragility, or anything even approaching an intelligent thought. From a story point of view he tries to encapsulate so much but while the use of terms such as 'Area 51' might get X-Files fans excited, the reality ends up being almost cartoon-esque. The wiry haired scientist, the 'broken' spaceship (that only Goldblum can fix and only Smith can fly), the stream of coincidences and 'lucky' breaks - it's lazy storytelling that treats us (the audience) with scant regard. Ever get the impression I wasn't impressed?
The effects are excellent though and in this department the film can't be faulted. The scenes of The White House being blown to smithereens are now almost iconic and from an effects point of view, ID4 is excellent.
Is it worth a watch though? Well if you haven't seen it and you're in something of an action orientated mind, then yes it's worth a look. It'll take you on a rollercoaster ride of thrills and spills (eurgh, I hate using that phrase) and as brain dead entertainment it's great. If you're looking for more than brain dead entertainment though, ID4 is probably not for you. The stars and stripes waving style of the film grates enormously and if you got annoyed with films like U-571 then this will certainly have you pulling great chunks out of the chair arm.
It did usher in a new wave of disaster style movies (where America saved everything and everyone time and time again) and can be seen as the 'serious' version of Tim Burton's Mars Attacks but at the end of the day this is little more than an update of Wells' War of The Worlds (even down to using a 'virus' to defeat the aliens). Unlike Wells though ID4 is un-intelligent fodder and never challenges us mentally for a second. It never makes us ask 'what if...?' or force those tiny grey cells to work for a change.
And wouldn't you just know it, in this age of the sequel there's ID4-2 somewhere on the horizon. What are you going to try this time guys - letting the rest of the world have a go?
Advantages: special effects Disadvantages: predictible
Somehow I managed to miss Independence Day the first time round, I recently watched it and haven't been missing much. On the plus side Independence Day is dramatic in places with brilliant special effects. The downsides are it's predicitibility, melodrama and one dimensional characters. It's a good, but not original idea for a film, the whole idea about what would happen if we made contact with life outside earth and what would happen if there was ... ...something like this, an extra terrestrial signal is picked up near earth. All very exciting, a concrete sign of life outside earth. However, an unidentified object is seen to be heading for a collision course with earth. Cut to high level talks at the white house and lots of generals with uniforms full of medals. Before a decision can be made the aliens arrive in huge city length space ships which hover menacingly over most of the worlds major cities. ...
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...4, and the coming of Independence Day, a larger than life recreation of the whole War of the Worlds phenomenon ... it was all about enormous, vivid eye candy and we were all suitably impressed by this over the top greatest story ever told ... except ...
They forgot that there is more to film making than simply giving the software free rein and letting their imaginations run riot, with just the byeline, "So go ahead punk, make my day, blow my mind..."
... ...ready, willing and waiting for Independence Day and lapped up every larger than life second of it, willing to forgive all the flaws and lack of development ... all we really wanted to see was mankind teetering on the very precipice of destruction as the invasion happened and then fighting back with fists and feet to KICK SOME JOLLY GREEN BUTT.
Independence Day is all about the spectacular special effect and larger than life set piece, and certainly ...
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...the action packed, alien saga Independence day, released on July 3rd 1996, and starring Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman. This is to date my favourite Will Smith action will along side Bad Boys 1 and 2. It's probably the movie that made Will Smith into an international box office success, and was certainly a step up from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
I was actually a huge fan of this film, and I would have to say it ranks in my all time ... ...Production and Filming Locations: Independence Day was filmed in several locations worldwide including America, Egypt, Sweden, Australia and Iceland. The film crew even filed in the Nevada Dessert with the help of the American army, however it is reported that the production team asked if they could film inside area 51, which obviously was rejected, and lead to production being moved away from the Army base.
The Box Office Performance:
• Domestic ...
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Advantages: Cast, bird, effects, White House decimation Disadvantages: Story could be better
Independence Day. Billed as a rather good film, It is a rather good film. There is one simple reason for this. The White House gets blown up. We English did it back in past days (pity we couldn't now), and aliens do it again. A wave of satisfaction washed over me when that happened. Scary huh?
The Characters
The lead player here is Will Smith - general cool guy. He's a top USAF pilot, pushing for a job with NASA, married to a stripper with one ... ...the crop duster (Randy Quaid, shot to fame with National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation -see my op on that), Jeff Goldblum as a random nerd, along with gasping friend and cool dad, and various screaming strippers and ordinary people. Everyone does their job well, no obvious weak links, and a couple of stars (Smith and Quaid). No probs.
The Story
If you don't know this you should be shot. We have a happy America, happy world, then some nerd picks ...
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Advantages: White house blown to hell Disadvantages: That Bi-plane ending...
...i'm talking about ID4, Or independence day, the film made record amounts of money, and made people think that will smith might be able to handle a 'real' film role! If you have never seen ID4 then i really suggest that you rent a copy or borrow it from a friend before you buy it as it is very much a two camp film, you love it, or can't stand it! The story is about earth being attacked by aliens from another planet, yet again America saves the day ... ...(you can't really blame them for this though, they MADE the film and so have full right to make themselves look good, heaven knows they need all the help they can get...) On may 2nd the people of the world wake up to huge ships closing in on the planet and setting up orbit over the capital cities, these city ships have a mixed effect upon the general populace, some welcome them, others fear them (one even tries to warn the world about what they did ...
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Advantages: Good story, Great Acting, Will Smith! Disadvantages: None from me
...scenes. The music throughout the film was good but nothing amazing. The tracks which were used were appropriate for the paces used and helped with the setting of the scene.
I did find the addition of Brent Spinner to the cast a nice surprise. He played the role of Dr Brackish Okun, he has not been seen in many films since his Star Wars days and I think he did a great job in this film.
My only concern with this film was that I found the ending was very predictable and fro half way through I had worked out just what was going to happen and there was just no surprise to it at all but aside from that then this film really is wroth a watch.
The DVD which I have does have some special features which includes:-
- Main feature includes 8 minutes of restored footage - not included in the theatrical -release, DTS audio and restored...
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Advantages: Great blockbuster Disadvantages: A little unbelievable, but it's a film about aliens!!!!!
...IndependenceDay is the 1996 film from director Roland Emmerich tackling the subject of aliens coming to the planet, and not in a good way! The director made this off the back of a run of films such as Godzilla and The Patriot, and it was considered one of the biggest blockbusters made upon its release.
The Plot
On the 4th July, a series of spaceships position themselves strategically around the Earth. The planet's powers hope this is a friendly gesture, but unfortunately it is not, as they are soon to find out. Only a small band of men and women including the President of the US, a geeky scientist and a fighter pilot can save the entire planet, and it is up to them to come up with a way and rally the troops to make what could be mankind's first and final stand against hostile aliens.
The Cast and Performances
Will Smith tops...
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Advantages: Bargain Price, 2 Great Films Disadvantages: None
...This DVD is a brilliant value for money double pack containing both The Day After Tomorrow / IndependenceDay movies. You can get both of these great movies for under £20. What a bargain !!!
THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW
The day after tomorrow was released in 2004.
Genre: Action/Sci-Fi/Thriller
Directed by Roland Emmerich (The Patriot, Universal soldier and Independanceday).
Produced by Roland Emmerich & Mark Gordon (Speed, Broken Arrow and Saving Private Ryan).
Written by Roland Emmerich & Jeffery Nachmanoff (The Big Gig).
The Soundtrack for The day after tomorrow was composed by Harald Kloser. It contains the following
Tracks:
1. The Day After Tomorrow (03:27)
2. Tornado Warning (02:00)
3. Sam ! (01:20)
4. Tidal Wave (03:14)
5. Body Heat (01:50)
6. Russian Ghost Ship (01:24)
7. Hall's Plan...
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Plot: Mysterious spaceships appear in the sky and satellite communication systems cease to work. The population at large is unaware of the visitors' hidden agenda. Only one man knows what's really going on...
DVD Description
Mysterious spaceships appear in the sky and satellite communication systems cease to work. The population at large is unaware of the visitors' hidden agenda. Only one man knows what's really going on...
Release details
DVD Region: DVD
Studio(s): 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment; Deluxe Video Service - Fox
Release date: 17/05/2004
No of Discs: 1
Catalogue No: 04118 VDVD
Barcode: 5039036017350
Languages
Main Language: English
Technical information
Special Features: 8 Minutes Of Restored Footage, Audio Commentary By Roland Emmerich And Dean Devlin
Sound: DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1
Dubbing Sound: DTS 5.1 English Dolby Digital 5.1 English
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