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 the United States, and the larger-than-life plot made this sci-fi thriller one of the biggest commercial draws of its time. From an entertainment point of view, Independence Day deserved all the attention it received. In particular, because Independence Day is an epic that a wide and diverse audience of moviegoers will find fun and enjoyable …
As Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) awaits acceptance by NASA into the astronaut training program, he experiences a rude awakening as strange cloud movements loom over the area and reveal themselves as alien spacecraft. As the world’s leading governments and armies go on high alert, the world holds its collective breath waiting to see what will happen next. In the context of this world event, David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) notices a peculiar pattern in the unfolding of the spacecraft. Along with his father Julius (Judd Hirsch), he travels urgently from New York to Washington DC to warn the president of impending danger. (You can do this because your ex-wife is an assistant to the president, which provides you with a means of access.)
Despite their past differences, David manages to convince President Whitmore (Bill Pullman) that the alien ship’s true intention is invasion, and no olive branch of peace will appease them. When David’s claim turns out to be correct, most of the world’s major cities are completely destroyed by a super laser emanating from the underside of monstrous city-sized alien structures. As all-out war ensues, Earthlings quickly discover that alien ships are protected by an impenetrable force field, rendering desperate human counterattacks useless.
As refugees flock to rural America, Captain. Hiller is taken to Area 51 and introduced to the president. This once mysterious location is revealed to be home to an alien spacecraft identical to the ones now threatening Earth, and plans are put in place to make this ship work again. But, even so, the problem remains how to defeat the alien invaders. In a plot twist reminiscent of Star Wars, the answer comes to David when his father warns him not to catch a cold …
Overall, I wasn’t expecting that I would like this movie, but yes. Surprisingly unoriginal in its display of the same plot device used by George Lucas in the hit movie The Return Of The Jedi, Independence Day is nevertheless a fun and enjoyable movie. The story of a battle between humans and aliens tends to evoke a surge of subconscious adrenaline in even the most casual viewers, leading to an audience that is emotionally involved and eager to discover the outcome of this modern war of the worlds. While it should by no means be considered one of the best movies of all time, it is completely entertaining. Take a chance and go see it if you haven’t already …
