Rating: Summary: OH, PUH-LEASE Review: This is one of those movies which really makes you question the state of Hollywood today (another is a certain movie about a big ocean-liner which hits an iceber - oh, never mind). "Independence Day" is defended as a sci-fi bash which is somehow exempt from the laws governing what makes sense and what doesn't. Movies do exsist which side-step these laws - "Men in Black" is a sci-fi flick which is both entertaining and non-sensical at the same time. Unlike "ID4," "MIB" is clearly a joke - a satirical poke at itself and at science-fiction. It's a joke we get. Nudge-nudge, wink wink. It's funny, and the humor is witty and intelligent."Independence Day," however, posseses the unfortunate pretense of seriousness. We have scenes dripping with cliched melodrama; we have an attempt by the writers to create a scientifically sound language of gadgets and plans. Moreover, ID4 is plaugued with a disgusting macho, "chest-thumping" American-ness which can only make the eyes of the intelligent viewer roll. The dogfights are ridiculous; Jeff Goldblum's magical virus-uplink with the technologically surperior alien mother-ship is a riot. The special effects are a bit cool, but they're NOTHING we haven't seen before. The Star Wars trilogy (ca. late 70s early 80s) used giant models more effectively; the computer-generated fighter-planes and alien attack craft are dwarfed by Spielberg's dinosaurs. It's dissappointing that every time I've seen ID4, the aliens lose. This is a planet which NEEDS to be destroyed.
Rating: Summary: Excellent Sci-fi! Review: One of the great sci-fi movies of our time, ID4 Independence Day is a roller-coaster ride of a movie. Action, Adventure, Humor, Romance, you name it this movie has got it. Anyone that thinks this movie stinks does not deserve the honor of being a movie fan. It is an excellent and powerful ride of a movie. It's even better widescreen
Rating: Summary: This movie is great fun and it makes a good point! Review: Sure, you can slam the writing but do we really want to see this move toned down just to make it more real to life? This movie has it all action, romance, aliens, space ships, jet fighters, nuclear bombs and great special effects! the heck with writing - if you want writing go read a book. If you want thrills, spills and good fun then this is your movie. Oh yes, the point that I feel this movie makes is that humans may not be the center of the universe (even though we think and act like we are) and if we keep blindly advertising our existance with radio waves etc. we just might attract a life form that is higher on the galactic food chain than we are and we had better be prepaired!
Rating: Summary: It Stank Review: This movie epitomizes everything that's wrong with Hollywood moviemaking today. A ludicrous plot, stock characters, pathetic dialog and a host of other ills make it unsuitable for anyone with an intellectual age in excess of 12. END
Rating: Summary: Great movie! Review: This was a great 90's science fiction movie. It had a detailed story line and smash-bang special effects. The cast was made up of several hip movie stars such as Will Smith and Bill Pullman. I especially liked the aerial battle scenes. They were da bomb. I recommend this movie to anyone who wants a movie they can watch over and over and never tire of. END
Rating: Summary: READ THIS Review: The person or persons resposible for writting this film should be punished. If your going to make a serious a movie, then make a serious movie, if your going to make a comedy, make a comedy, don't mix them. You can do that with some films, but not the one because it does not cleary draw the line at where the seriousness begins and the comedy ends. What makes me even more mad is that I saw a critic on T.V. who said that it was THIS generations STAR WARS, this scum should never even look the way of STAR WARS. The special effects are the only thing that sold this poor excuse for a science fiction film, and to tell you the truth they weren't anything that SPECIAL. END
Rating: Summary: A great up lifting movie. Review: I really enjoyed this one. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and it had me cheering for the good old U.S.A Great affects, great acting, and has a few funny scenes in it. A must see for those who enjoy this type of movie.
Rating: Summary: No No NO NO NO NO Review: Boring disappointment. Oh yes, folks, I said boring. Not recommended.
Rating: Summary: Typical Big-Budget Fun Ride Review: Director Roland Emmerich (The Day After Tomorrow & The Patriot) became a popular name in big-budget summer movies with the successful 1996 blockbuster "Independence Day". Massive alien spaceships mysteriously enter the Earth's atmosphere and unleash a devastating assault on the world's major cities. Now, a small human resistance organizes a final stand against the powerful invaders. "Independence Day" is a 153 minutes of pure movie fun. Its simple plot and stereotypical characters are rather predictable but still quite enjoyable. Its amusing humor, intense battle sequences and outstanding special effects are this Sci-Fi film's true highlights. The all-star cast features Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Judd Hirsch, Randy Quaid, Vivica A. Fox and Robert Loggia. "Independence Day" Limited Edition is a worthy bargain DVD. Both theatrical and extended cuts are presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. The DVD contains an amazing picture quality with rich color detail and great resolution. The clear 5.1 Dolby Digital sound delivers some well balanced surrounds and awesome bass, but a DTS audio track should have been included in this new release. Among special features, it contains two audio commentaries by filmmakers and FX crew, and a sneak peak at Emmerich's FX epic "The Day After Tomorrow". Despite the lack of supplements, "Independence Day" receives a pleasant "B-".
Rating: Summary: There's always something... Review: This fulfills all of the expectations of a summer blockbuster; things flying around, stuff blowing up, flag waving, etc etc and yes it is escapist and all good fun all good stuff (although a little over done, as others have pointed out, with the flag waving bits -- but then given the title, i think people must have known that before going in) but it does fall foul of the usual fault of having one supremely bad plot element. i'm referring to the odd idea that the alien shields can be taken down by injecting a computer virus (oh so easily). in this case, it is a cop out -- a cheap way for the screenwriter to get from point A to point C without bothering with B a wise man once said never let the facts get in the way of a good story. and a writer once said he never checks the technical aspects of a screenplay (for the same reason) the problem with this (and many films suffer a similar problem) is that it pulls me right out of the film. the suspension of disbelief of an action rah-rah film can take you to a certain point, but it is easy to step over that line. the virus did it for me in this one any film that uses classic dialogue such as "this is real life -- not a film" is almost guarenteed to suffer this sort of problem
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