Director Roland Emmerich, known for annihilating Earth in a plethora of movies (“2012,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “Godzilla” to name a few) entertained audiences in 1996 with one of his best, “Independence Day.” The film, which grossed $306 million domestically, pits a president, a soldier, and a rogue mathematical genius against a horde of invading aliens with technology Earth is ill-suited to combat. It features a star-studded cast with the likes of Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Will Smith, Randy Quaid, Vivica A. Fox, and Mary McDonald, explosions aplenty, and, surprisingly, a story to match. It’s a great way to celebrate the 4th of July – or really any other time you want a fast paced thriller.
What works about “Independence Day” is that it takes the concept of what that day means to Americans and tests it with a real crisis. The film doesn’t waste a lot of time on theories of aliens and scientific discoveries like other films. What it does is have a group of hostile aliens appear, have the world watch helplessly on as they annihilate city after city, and, by pulling together, attempt to mount a defense. It features a lot of in-fighting between members and romantic histories both past and present. It’s fun; it doesn’t give audience enough time to decide wether or not they believe in aliens. They are here and must be stopped. The film’s success lies in its breakneck pace and its simplicity.
“Independence Day” is a character driven film, and we’re introduced to a host of players that are fun to watch that we grow to care for. There’s Russell Case (Randy Quaid), a drunken war veteran who can barely perform his duties as a crop duster and father. He also claims he was abducted by aliens years ago; this will of course work into the film in profound ways later on.
Then we have David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), a smart man, divorced from one of the President’s chief aides (Margaret Colin), who discovers a signal embedded in the alien fleet and attempts to convince the White House of its importance. He has a bit of checkered history with the President, played warmly by Bill Pullman (“Spaceballs”); their need to work together sets up some nice scenes later on. Along for the ride are David’s dad, “Ordinary People’s” Judd Hirsch, and Captain James Hiller (Will Smith), who is trying to balance his dream to be an astronaut with his relationship with his son and live-in girlfriend Jasmine (Vivica A. Fox), who just happens to be a stripper.
The way “Independence Day” brings these people together is similar to how it must bring the world together. As the crisis intensifies, countries abandon the idea of borders and work together to stop the threat at all costs.
Emmerich and cinematographer Karl Walter Lindenlaub highlight the film’s intensity and excitement with a solid CGI package and pleasing shots. While this is 2018, and many have seen this film, I won’t spoil it by giving away the ending. But it should come as no surprise that several buildings are destroyed. Emmerich plays with his legacy here in his 2013 film “White House Down” when one character jokes, during a White House tour, that this was the part of the estate that “was blown up in ‘Independence Day.’” The explosions are aplenty, and we see the complete destruction of both the Empire State Building and the US Bank Tower in full. The ensuing explosions are some of the best CGI I’ve seen in film apart from “Die Hard” and the excellent “U-571.”
While a lighthearted action film, “Independence Day” has its emotional moments, and makes a strong case for world peace in the process. As the U.S. military mounts an offensive we see the working together of govt. and civilians in a joint effort to stop the aliens. And, later, when a weakness is discovered in the aliens’ defensive capabilities, it’s an effort that must be shared with the entire world. At the film’s epic climax, Pullman’s Pres. Whitmore delivers an impassioned 4th of July speech that is not nationalistic but humanistic; everyone knows what they’re fighting for and the stakes are high.
At the end of the day, “Independence Day” is a thoroughly enjoyable late ‘90s action film laden with special effects, solid acting, and excitement and emotion in the right places. It will excite you, make you laugh, and all its characters turn in great performances. It’s 2 hours and 25 mins of non-stop fun, complete with a touching ending that vindicates its characters and more. Looking for a fun-filled way to spend this 4th of July? “Independence Day” is a sure thing.
– by Mark Ziobro
