Subject: REVIEW: INDEPENDENCE DAY (1996)

From: [email-masked] (Chad Polenz)
Date: 23 Jun 1997 15:11:52 GMT

INDEPENDENCE DAY
                       A film review by Chad Polenz
                        Copyright 1997 Chad Polenz

**** (out of 4 = excellent)
1996, PG-13, 145 minutes [2 hours, 25 minutes]
[science fiction]
starring: Bill Pullman (President Thomas Whitmore), Will Smith (Captain Steve
Hiller), Jeff Goldblum (David Levinson), Margaret Coplin (Connie), produced
by Dean Devlin, written by Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich, directed by Roland
Emmerich.

Wow! I am so blown away by "Independence Day" I am nearly speechless. Rarely
does a film come along that is such a good mix of excellent storytelling,
great characters, suspense and adventure, and is able to synchronize it as
well as this film does. It's a 1950s sci-fi flick updated for the 90s and it
works wonderfully.

The story starts out with some scientists realizing something huge is
nearing the moon and is giving off a signal that is reducing itself as it
constantly recycles (a warning of some type). It gets closer until they
realize it is actually a group of huge UFOs about to enter the Earth's
atmosphere. The sense of intense excitement builds quickly, as we are
wondering who these aliens are and why they are here.

Soon the ships enter the atmosphere, and mass hysteria ensues. President
Thomas Whitmore (Pullman) addresses the country and tries to calm everyone
down, but doesn't advocate evacuation. He even stays in the White House with
a UFO right above it. David Levinson (Goldblum), the scientist who discovered
the alien signal has an ex-wife named Connie (Coplin) who is an assistant to
the president and is able to meet with him and warn him of the countdown. 

The entire first act introduces us to all the aforementioned characters and
at least a dozen more around the country. In Nevada we meet Russell Case
(Randy Quaid), an alcoholic crop duster who says he was abducted by aliens.
On the west coast we meet Captain Steve Hiller (Smith), his girlfriend
Jasmine (Vivica Fox), and friend and co-pilot Jimmy (Harry Connick Jr.).
There is a definite sense of camaraderie and intimate relationships between
these people, so that when they are separated, we hope (and know) they'll get
back together.

Maybe the first act is a bit long, but the payoff is worth it. The scenes of
disaster are beautifully photographed in conjunction with the great special
effects, but it is the suspense that makes it so exciting. Even the cliche
last second escape scenes work.

Most of the film goes through the motions you'd expect it to. We try our
hardest to fight back  which is fantastic in and of itself (our own military
up against flying saucers - how cool is that?). Unfortunately more tragedy
ensues, but at the same time there are moments of sheer joy, such as Hiller
outmaneuvering an alien ship in the Grand Canyon, or when a dog jumps to
safety in a split second. Yes, there are many elements here that are
miraculous, plugged-in sci-fi stuff like Area 51 and all the loopholes that
are found, but because the film is so interesting to watch with its great
editing and story structure, everything works as its supposed to. 

The film also has a great sense of humor which stems from a layer of clever
satire, not just one-liners. There are many inside jokes and parodies that
pay homage to the film's inspiration, not to mention the characters
themselves who are hilarious at times. This keeps everything lighthearted,
which in turn adds to the sheer fun of it all.

The final act is a fast-paced, last ditch effort at fighting back, much in
the spirit of the "Star Wars" films. It's a dangerous risk the entire world
embarks upon, but a speech given by Whitmore raises morale and is quite
moving on a metaphysical level. Risk, when used properly, yields great
suspense, which in turn makes the resolution grand, which is what we get
here, not once, but twice (you might even say three times)!

"Independence Day" is a love-it or hate-it movie. You could scrutinize every
little detail and unrealistic point but that would be a waste of time. If you
leave your cynicism behind you'll experience something so fantastic  words
will not be able to describe it (well... I guess I could describe it after
all). 

Please visit Chad'z Movie Page @ http://members.aol.com/ChadPolenz