Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Will Smith | ... | Capt. 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 Nimziki | |
Harvey Fierstein | ... | Marty Gilbert | |
Adam Baldwin | ... | Major Mitchell | |
Brent Spiner | ... | Dr. Brakish Okun | |
James Duval | ... | Miguel | |
Vivica A. Fox | ... | Jasmine Dubrow | |
Lisa Jakub | ... | Alicia |
On July 2nd, communications systems worldwide are sent into chaos by a strange atmospheric interference. It is soon learned by the military that a number of enormous objects are on a collision course with Earth. At first thought to be meteors, they are later revealed to be gigantic spacecraft, piloted by a mysterious alien species. After attempts to communicate with the aliens go nowhere, David Levinson, an ex-scientist turned cable technician, discovers that the aliens are going to attack major points around the globe in less than a day. On July 3rd, the aliens all but obliterate New York, Los Angeles and Washington, as well as Paris, London, Houston and Moscow. The survivors set out in convoys towards Area 51, a strange government testing ground where it is rumored the military has a captured alien spacecraft of their own. The survivors devise a plan to fight back against the enslaving aliens, and July 4th becomes the day humanity will fight for its freedom. July 4th is their ... Written by Gustaf Molin <gumo@hem2.passagen.se>
Independence Day is really just patriotic drivel in means of plot and adventure. But the film comes into its best moments when the action sequences hit the screen. Buildings explode and men die in beautifully choreographed fashions that raise the bar for many modern action films today.
The film is predictable, and none of the characters are particularly memorable - you aren't really bothered whether they live or die. The plot is so much like War of the Worlds, with more sky battles and aliens, that you may feel that it is just another remake under the same title.
But Roland Emmerich (the director) deserves to be called the undisputed king of action movies - he beautifully directs his films, and the special effects and sound in his films are truly stunning. This was his biggest success, and deservedly so - though The Day after Tomorrow was just as spiffing.
The script ain't strong and the plot ain't great, but this is an action-epic film, and on that scale, Independence Day delivers. It is an extremely memorable experience, and beats action flicks that are being made ten years on. A stunning job that deserves to be called a huge success (in the box office, of course). Great! 8/10