Rating: 
Summary: Excellent movie with a great transition to DVD
Review: This movie was great on the big screen and it was phenomenal on DVD. The movie tells the story of an impending alien invasion and the way the world comes together, ironically on July Fourth to overcome the alien threat. The special effects in this movie, especially the battle scenes between the fighter jets and the UFOs are awesome. The DVD gives two different versions which can be viewed, one which was seen in the theater and the other with the deleted scenes added into the body of the movie. While the deleted scenes did not add much to the film, it was still interesting to see. I especially enjoyed the biplane ending which was eliminated from the final version.
Rating: 
Summary: MODERN-DAY WAR OF THE WORLDS
Review: Yes! That's what this movie is! Aliens in giant CYLINDERS come down from MARS--or that direction, anyway--touting POWERFUL WEAPONS. The human race is HELPLESS. We get to see some CLOSE-UPS of the aliens. We get KICKED AROUND from city to city, PANICKING as we do so. And in the end (SPOILER AHEAD!) we defeat them with a virus. But even though this movie borrows heavily from War of the Worlds, I still thought it was pretty good. Definitely NOT the best sciffy (sci-fi) movie ever made, but in the top ten or fifteen. The cropduster pilot seemed WAY out of place. Sure he contributed his two cents in the end, but how on earth did he learn to fly a JET in a matter minutes? This isn't the Matrix, where he could download a program to help him fly one. The use of Area 51 is a welcome addition, though, since just about everybody is at the very least curious about it. Will Smith adds a nice touch of humor, too. Some of the dialogue is dreadful and corny, but at least it's not throughout the film, only certain sections--the Prez's Independence Day speech. "Get off my planet" sounds all too much like "Get off my plane" from Air Force One (a dumb movie, btw). My favorite parts in this movie are: Area 51, the humor, dogfighting alien spaceships, nuking alien spaceships, and most impressive of all is the end.
Rating: 
Summary: CONTEMPORARY URBAN DELUSION
Review: I'm so ... proud to be an American! We saved the world! And did so with Morse Code! Geesh! Feel-good no-brainer presents attractive cast in a hopelessly stupid sci-fi film. Scooby-do has more believability! Our Prez was definitley not a speech major, "Today. We celebrate; our independence day." What is really celebrated is : ..., drunkeness, wild-cat nukeing, stupidity,... After a grand opening montage of shawdows over the moon, the film sinks immediatley into a frightfully irritating scene at SETI. Fourth-gradedly, the background song is, "It's The End of The World As We Know It...." How prophetic! (Did I mean to say "...?") The wooden characters are as dumb as mud...especially the President and his National Security Advisor, "I think we should move you to a secure location Mr. President." As an elementary school student, I was taught to believe there was a huge bomb-proof bunker several hundred feet beneath the White House. Now it appears that's not true. Therein lies the problem ~~ this film offers no suspension of dis-belief. It's much less science fiction, and much more speculative fantasy (pardone moi redundancy). They smoke cheap cigars in the alien mother-craft (sure). Do you realize that Space Ghost makes more sense then this banquet of idiocy? Put away your Sominex, and put in this tape/DVD. Worth watching once for the novelty only.
Rating:
Summary: The best sci-fi movie ever made
Review: Okay I know that the title will get many devouted Star wars fans upset and angry and yell "What do you mean this is better then Star Wars?!" Well Star Wars just didint capture me. It was OK in my opinion but not that good. Now Independence day is a fantastic movie that will hook you in the first minute of playing. Let me say this right off the bat. This movie has the BEST movie soundtrack I have EVER heard. It is incredebly patriotic and moving. It sets the mood perfectly and grips you the minute you hear it. It is so good in fact, you might expect it to be blasted over big speakers during WWIII battles. The special effects are spectacular. The "fire wall" sequence will scare the bejebers out of you. You will probably be terrified because you feel so sorry for all the people and annimals who face that thing. The jet-to-alien fighter sequences are stunning. They may be the best air attack seqeunces ever. The story is good and moving and will keep you engrossed to the very end. The last hour or so are by far the best. The moments when Jeff Goldbloom and Will Smith zoom up into the alien head ship is just incredible. The last jet battle is incredeble and extreamly well done. The music also helps a lot here, with incedibly patrisam and heroic tunes. Overall this is a fantastic movie that should not be missed.The Good: The BEST soundtrack EVER made (In my opinion) Stunning attack sequences, awsome special effects The Bad: Some moments are too heart grippingly sad and tragic. And the Ugly: None!
Rating:
Summary: The coolest alien film ever made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Review: Great movie. Good plot and Awsome special effects. Its special edition version is so cool. Tons of great deleted scenes that play during the movie like they were never deleted. Its 2.35.1 animorphic widscreen transfer was perfect. The sound was one of the best doby digital soundtracks I have heard. They menus were fun with there aspects of the movie. The two making of documentarys were great giving the story of the making of the film. The mocumentary was my favorite acting like a news report. The game "Get off my planet" was the best game I have ever seen on a DVD movie. The biplane ending was funny but I am glad they changed it. One of the best DVDs I have seen.
Rating: 
Summary: They're Here
Review: Not unlike a 70's disaster film, this bloated, boring mess is a typical Hollywood Blockbuster: syrupy, artificial character development, false drama. Before it was even released, there have been reasons to doubt Independence Day's creative foundation. After all, it comes from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin...........I suppose it is too much to hope that a movie featuring aliens attempting to conquer Earth actually achieve their goal (and while these oh-so-superior aliens were building their incredible flying machines, couldn't they have set aside just one hour to review basic military tactics?) Either way, what the aliens are attempting to do in the movie is really no different from what humans have been doing to each other for centuries, and what humans will do to other worlds as soon as we milk the Earth for all its worth.
Rating:
Summary: Absolute Refuse
Review: I can suspend disbelief. I can put pretension and artistic concerns aside and simply enjoy a movie for sheer entertainment value. I cannot condone or recommend this humongous pile of dung that millions of tastless morons have actually claimed to enjoy. Acting: horrible. Plot: embarrasing Effects: whoopee, the White House just exploded, big deal. If I want to see two hours of explosions I'll set off M-80's in my backyard. Oh my god look Randy Quaid is a crop duster turned state of the art multimillion dollar jet fighter pilot and just saved the world! Wow! Will Smith somehow knows how to pilot an alien spacecraft! And his stripper girlfriend still has to go to work even though the "mother ship" is floating over L.A. Give the girl a break geez! Give ME a break.
Rating:
Summary: A fun, thrilling ride!
Review: This DVD has a lot of extras, so if you like extras you will love this DVD. The first DVD has the original movie or the special edition of the movie. The second DVD has Making of and all kinds of other stuff. The movie is a lot of fun if you take it for what it's worth - entertainment! So many people scrutinize this movie that they just can't seem to just sit down and enjoy it. The DVD has great sound and a perfect picture (especially if you have a THX receiver)! I had to turn down the volume quite a few times because I kept scaring the wife. I have to admit the ending with uploading the virus? I thought that was corny, but you have to end it somehow. Great popcorn movie!
Rating:
Summary: Fun Thriller
Review: Although it doesn't stand up to much scrutiny, such as why do alien ships that large need weapons when they can use their own gravity to cause tidal waves? They could have conquered the Earth merely by moving a little bit. It is easier to accept that flaw when considering our heroes are Will Smith, Harry Connick, Jr., Jeff Goblum, and Harvey Firestein. The special effects and the feel good message of a united mankind make the movie a fun way to kill an evening with a group of friends. You can all cheer loudly when the classic scene of the White House getting blasted shows up on screen.
Rating:
Summary: This didn't kill their careers???
Review: Two and a half hours of pain. That's the best way to describe this train wreck of a movie. There are two scenes in this movie worth seeing: the White House being destroyed, and Will Smith punching out the alien, saying "Welcome to Earth". Aside from those, it's two hours of bad acting, inane dialog, gaping plot holes, and pathetic stereotypes. Watch it for the pretty special effects, enjoy throwing popcorn at the screen, and go home wondering why Randy Quaid still has a career after mouthing "Here I am Mr. President". Wonder why Judd Hirsch accepted the insulting role of "the wise jew". Wonder why Robert Loggia couldn't find anything better to do with his time. But please, don't pay to see this disaster. Wait for cable.
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