Independence Day DVD

Advantages: Mindless
Disadvantages: Mindless

...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 ...
...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 ... Read review

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. ... Read review

Advantages: FX
Disadvantages: The lot

...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 ... Read review

Advantages: Will Smith
Disadvantages: None

...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 ... Read review

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 ... Read review