Subject: Retrospective: Independence Day (1996)

From: David Bridson <[email-masked]>
Date: 31 Jul 1999 06:20:14 GMT

Title    : Independence Day
Director : Roland Emmerich
Year     : 1996
Length   : 142 minutes
Rating   : ***** (on a 1 to 5 star scale)

Will Smith ....  Captain Steven Hiller  
Bill Pullman ....  President Thomas J. Whitmore  
Jeff Goldblum ....  David Levinson  
Mary McDonnell ....  Marilyn Whitmore  
Judd Hirsch ....  Julius Levinson  
Robert Loggia ....  General William Grey  
Randy Quaid ....  Russell Casse  
Margaret Colin ....  Constance Spano  
James Rebhorn ....  Albert Nimzicki  
Harvey Fierstein ....  Marty Gilbert  

In June/July/August what the audience wants is something which is
non-stop entertaining. Any movie which is not non-stop entertaining
during the Summer is likely to have people walking to the Lobby to get
their hands on an Ice-Cream, then going to sit in a nice, ventilated
place with lots of shade.
	Any movie which slows down in pace during these months isn't really
going to do too well. Perhaps this would explain why Independence Day
(or ID4, according to Trailers/Adverts) was such a success. It doesn't
contain anything which would even remotely challenge the audience, and
it just takes the audience on a ride for over 2 hours, rarely letting
them stop for a few breaths.
	This movie is pure entertainment. It's not going to challenge you, but
that's exactly what you need in the Summer. It has its faults, but I
really think these are insignificant in an otherwise extremely
entertaining movie.
	If you didn't know from all the trailers and general hype, this movie
is the story of an Alien plot to destroy the world. It's been done
countless times before (most notably by Orson Welles' "Mercury Theatre"
troupe). It's not the most strikingly original story, but the film is so
well done that it betters many of its predecessors.
	The cast is really one of the best you could hope for, with Bill
Pullman as the President charged with the task of ridding the world of
the aliens, Will Smith as Captain Hiller, a fighter pilot, and Jeff
Goldblum as a "cable guy".
	You wouldn't expect it from a disaster flick, but this is really a
feel-good movie. Sure, millions of people are killed (without much gore)
yet man's triumph over the aliens is just great.
	Also unexpected from a disaster movie: you can take the kids to this
one! I can't recall more than a few swear words in the entire film, and
there isn't much violence (well, a little sci-fi violence, but it's not
real).
	Overall, unmissable. If you haven't seen it, rent (or even buy, as I
have) it now!

David Bridson