Independence Day DVD
Fox Home Entertainment
Rated: PG-13
Genre: Sci-Fi
Length: 153 minutes
Director: Roland Emmerich
Year: (1996)
Britt Gillette's Independence Day DVD Review
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects, Independence Day is a true summer blockbuster in the traditional sense. Released on July 4, 1996, the film enjoyed a long run in theaters across America, and the larger than life plot line made this sci-fi thriller one of the biggest commercial draws of its time. From an entertainment standpoint, it deserved every bit of attention. Because Independence Day is an epic that a wide-ranging number of movie-goers will find fun and enjoyable…
When Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) looks forward to his acceptance by NASA in the astronaut training program, he experiences a rude awakening when strange movements of clouds hover into the area and reveal themselves to be alien spaceships. As the world's leading governments and militaries go on high alert, the world holds its breath waiting to see what will happen next. Against the backdrop of this worldwide event, David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) notices a peculiar pattern in the spaceship deployment. Along with his father Julius (Judd Hirsch), he urgently travels from New York to Washington DC in order to warn the president of impending danger (his ex-wife is an aide to the president, thus providing him with a means of access).
Despite their past differences, David manages to convince President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) that the true intent of the alien spacecraft is invasion, and no olive branch of peace will appease them. When David's assertion proves to be right, most of the world's major cities are utterly destroyed by a super laser emanating from the undersides of the monstrous, city-sized alien structures. As all-out war ensues, earthlings quickly discover that the alien craft are protected by an impenetrable force field, thus rendering their desperate attacks useless.
As refugees crowd into the rural areas of America, Capt. Hiller is brought to Area 51 and introduced to the president. The once mysterious location is revealed to house an alien spacecraft identical to the ones which now threaten earth, and plans are put in place to make this craft operational once again. But, still, the problem remains of how to go about defeating the alien invaders… The answer comes to David when his father tells him not to catch cold.
With a new plan, David and Hiller fly the alien spacecraft right into the bowels of enemy territory. Captured inside the mothership, Smith and Goldblum act out one of the more memorable scenes of the movie when they enjoy a pair of cigars while held in captivity. Goldblum's character, who earlier derided cigars as deathtraps, can now appreciate some of the finer aspects of a life he now realizes could end at any time. In fact, it makes me want to go light up a fine Arturo Fuente right now!
Overall, I didn't expect to like this film, and I did. Surprisingly similar in its plot devices to the George Lucas hit The Return Of The Jedi, Independence Day is nevertheless a fun and enjoyable film. The storyline of human versus alien tends to evoke a subconscious adrenaline in even the most casual of viewers, leading to an emotionally involved audience anxious to discover the outcome of this modern day war of the worlds. Although by no means is this to be considered one of the greatest films of all time, it ranks as a definite must-see as a result of its overall entertainment value. Take a chance and go see it if you haven't done so already…
Britt Gillette
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Read more Independence Day DVD Reviews (MRQE)
Read more Independence
Day DVD Reviews (MRI)
Posted on 28 January 2005