Movie Review: Independence Day
Rating 2 and 1/2 Stars
I’m not sure when plot armor was invented, but if you ever wanted a full case study on the subject, I would happily steer you in the direction of Independence Day. As unflattering as that statement may read, or my 2 and 1/2 star rating would appear, I’ll be upfront and admit that Independence Day is a good time even at a lengthy 2 and a half hour run time.
Could the film be better written? Yea. Could the film be edited down to two hours? Definitely. Is Independence Day a good movie to pop in and enjoy with family or friends or on a late night when you’re looking for campy over the top entertainment?
That’s a question I would expect most viewers to answer a resounding yes to. Independence Day is a crowd pleaser. It’s the sort of movie that’s disappointed in those that don’t enjoy its boisterousness because you’re too busy wondering about the who’s, the what’s, the how’s, and the why’s?
What’s fascinating about Independence Day is that it’s a movie reflective of its time. It was cinematically impressive in 1996, but moviegoers have become inundated with spectacular effects enough times already that they aren’t novel anymore. Thus, the sequel in 2016 wasn’t received well. The nationalistic and humanistic elements of the original play far more well decades ago than they do now.
There are two scenes that tell you exactly what kind of movie Ronald Emmerich was making:
- A stripper named Jasmine, whom is the girlfriend of an army pilot, is running away from an explosion caused by the invading aliens. In tow is her son and their dog. While in a tunnel, Jasmine runs into a door in the tunnel, and calls for the dog, who jumps over a car just as the explosion blows behind him incinerating anyone still inside the tunnel. There’s a lot of people who die in this film. The dog does not die, and my mood would’ve been disrupted if it did.
- An alien spacecraft crashes chasing Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith being the hero we know he always is) as Hiller’s jet runs out of fuel. Hiller parachutes out of his plane, opens the door to the downed alien ship, and punches the alien in the face. The alien is knocked unconscious by Smith’s punch for the next several hours.
Emmerich’s directorial credits are typically based in the human disaster genre. He’s also the director of apocalyptic films such as 2012 and Day After Tomorrow. He was also the director of the 1998 installment of Godzilla where the movie’s poster tagline reads: Size Does Matter. Let’s say I doubt Emmerich has planned on winning any Oscar’s in terms of writing or direction.
There are three equally fascinating actor performances in Independence Day that are worthy of discussion.
The two usual suspects are Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum in his second most remembered role. There are several scenes toward the end of the film that would relay that a Smith and Goldblum buddy cop film would be comedy gold. Smith’s lasseiz-faire “I’m the badass no one can touch” attitude versus the neuroticism in Goldblum’s performance only coexists in a few moments but the potential is undeniable. If Independence Day is an action comedy based around Smith and Goldblum, there’s easily great film potential.
But alas, there’s a third role that vaults Independence Day to near satire if the film didn’t take itself as seriously as it does. Bill Pullman, Lone Starr in Spaceballs, is the United States President in Independence Day. President Whitmore is a veteran fighter pilot. Pullman plays the role with a twinkle in his eye because instead of hiding away in the bunker, President Whitmore is the first in a fighter jet on a counter-offensive to defeat the alien invaders.
If you’re unaware of the plot, allow to me recount. Aliens invade Earth with plans to destroy all life while taking all the natural resources and moving onto the next world. This information is conveniently learned when the same alien Captain Hiller punches in the face telepathies this information into the mind of President Whitmore. Whitmore attempted to negotiate unsuccessfully which is probably why is approval rating wasn’t too high as the film suggested in the beginning.
David Levinson, who would be better named Jeff Goldblum as himself, is the guy with all the answers. He apparently works for a cable company but also understands how to read alien signals and can also encrypt viruses into the alien mothership mainframe.
There’s not too much more that’s important to discuss in terms of plot unless you want to discuss each and every convenience in detail. Independence Day isn’t a good movie, it’s a fun movie. It successfully captures the spectacle that Emmerich hopes to provide. It’s a summer blockbuster for its time. It’s Smith’s first major blockbuster role and his second leading role after Bad Boys. Smith vaults his superstardom with Men in Black the year after.
Independence Day won the Oscar for Best Effects and was nominated for Best Sound. Also nominated for Best Effects were Twister and Dragonheart. Let that serve as a reminder for how technology has evolved in cinema.
