Independence Day (1996)

“All you need is love. John Lennon. Smart man. Shot in the back, very sad.” – Julius Levinson

Number of Times Seen – at least 10 times (Theater in 1996, video, DVD, 23 Oct 2001 and 10 Feb 2014)

Brief Synopsis – As alien ships appear in the sky, everyone wonders whether they come in peace or looking for a fight.

My Take on it – The decade of the 90’s saw the re-emergence of the global disaster blockbuster.

This movie was one of the most successful ones.

It works well because we get to know the characters and instead of focusing on numerous storylines spread across the country, this script takes the stories of a few people who’s stories all intersect which gives us one big story to follow.

The cast here is great.  Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn and Brent Spiner are all excellent here.

This movie is a combination of a drama and an action movie peppered with a bunch of humorous lines and it’s nice when those aspects collide at different points during the story.

As with many movies like it, yes, there are lots of plot holes, but when watching a movie like this it’s so easy to overlook them because it’s just in front of us for the entertainment factor.

I remember seeing this one on the big screen and this is one of those movies which has a bigger effect on the viewer if seen in a theater (especially with surround sound).  I recall a particular moment in the movie when the sound effects are so loud and great and then abruptly, there is silence.

Truly a great action packed movie!

Bottom Line – One of the best Disaster pics of the 90’s.  Excellent cast and fun characters to follow. A great popcorn movie that doesn’t need to be too cerebral.  Highly recommended

Rating – Oscar Worthy

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