Independence Day is highly regarded as the best guilty pleasure film of all time. It has quite a good legacy behind it and its been around for nearly 20 years. This is regarded as being stupid fun but not really a great film in it’s own right. Just dumb action. So, leading up to the 20th anniversary of Independence Day and the sequel that sequel the comes out very soon, I’m going to take a crack at reviewing Independence Day.
I don’t agree with the statement that this film isn’t very emotionally deep or complex in anyway. The story itself is quite simple and easy to follow. The story is just a simple aliens invade earth story with quite a bit of action that keeps the audience engaged. Although, the film does take fifty minutes for the action to finally start. The climax of the film is just great as well. Everything comes into place and the action is just superb and very clever as well. The action is very well done with the stakes constantly changing and new elements being added in and the stakes are constantly being risen as the protagonists seem out matched. The only problem with the story is the fact that all of the main characters seem to meet each other in a very convenient way and seemed to far-fetched. But then again, so does the entire film. The film was also brilliantly paced with lots of action and spectacle.
Everyone involved in this is very good. As in the actors did a very good job. There are emotional moments and when they’re there they are done very well by the cast. Will Smith gives a very cocky and comedic performance and his chemistry with Jeff Goldblum was great as well. My favourite scene from Will Smith was when he is carrying the alien body he acquired and is walking through a scorching desert and constantly complaining about the alien body’s weight and how much it smelt. It is a really funny scene and shows Will Smith’s comedic talent.
All of the characters in the film are very well written as well. They all have backgrounds and developed feelings. Will Smith’s Steven Hiller is shown with his family and adds some stake for his family and that he wants to come back for them. Jeff Goldblum’s David Levinson has a interesting background that is very developed and has got a lot of time to have his character fleshed out. Bill Pullman’s character is fleshed out with the responsibility of the world on his shoulders and trying to protect his wife and daughter.
The effects in the film are fantastic as well. The use of practical effects and the sequences such as the scene were the White House is blown up are fantastic and especially the shots with the mothership and all the other ships are all just great showing the sear scope of these ships. The aliens are also great as well. Not just the practical effects of the aliens but the threat and menace they bring to the film and really show a lot of threat in the film.
The soundtrack unfortunately was very forgettable and didn’t have a very good impact on the action and emotional moments. The designs of the sets and costumes were all very good and some of the sets gave off a very atmospheric tone in some of the scenes in Area 51.
The science fiction elements are used well here infused with a lot of action elements and fit well together. The alien ships and the way they destroyed cities in strategic places was very good.
The dialogue was fantastic in this film and the comedy, emotional moments and action all worked very well with it. The alien’s strategy was compared to chess by David Levinson which was a very nice touch.
Overall, Independence Day is not just a fun action film but it’s a great emotionally deep film with three dimensional characters and a great story. The action, effects, script, acting and design were all great but the soundtrack was disappointing and the pacing was quite off with the plot only really starting fifty minutes in. I highly recommend this.
Independence Day (1996): 8.5/10
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