Review of Independence Day (1996) by Freddie K — 07 Aug 2016

"Welcome to America!".

*Yawn*.

Ugh....this movie had so much good potential.

Independence Day is directed by Roland Emmerich and is the science ficition blockbuster that pits Aliens against Earth.

So, what good is there? Not a lot really, Jeff Goldblum acts well as David Levinson, the intellectual blip in a sea of absolute stonewall, stupid people. The visuals are pretty nifty for the time, the alien autopsy scene was pretty incredible for practical effects. And you know, it has a solid fun story at core.

The rest of this movie, is just....so boring. There are blots of humour here and there in the first act, with a fantastic opening as a SETI officeman plays mini golf on the floor as REM's 'It's the end of the world' plays in the background. A nice little addition of self-awareness that adds promise for fun, enchanting and exciting stuff. No, what we get is two hours of white men walking around. Im not exaggerating. Director Emmerich seems to have a problem with expressing emotion in this film, it seems everyone is talking about how everyone is dying and it's horrible but with a completely void and unfazed face. As the president steps out of a hospital room, receiving devastating news, he doesn't cry or break down emotionally at all, he just continues to walk around with a slightly dumpier frown. The action seems to be clouded by this literal cloud of fire and explosions, allowing a little bit of relief in a two on two chase involving Will Smith to be short-lived. It's just destruction to the point where I don't care anymore. I feel like you could say 'The film doesn't take itself too seriously so you should just treat it as dumb fun' is a poor phrase as the majority of the movie is a business meeting about terror. Not experiencing actual, personal terror. The question is also posed, who and why? There is no lore here, not even an inkling to lore, just 'AHH ALIENS RUN'. Fuck off.

In a post 9/11 world of films like 'Cloverfield' we are able to combine a rich lore of science fiction monster madness, with some serious emotion and bursts of humour throughout combining to make something which is both entertaining and inspiring. Independence Day is not that movie, I can't even call a film like this 'dated' as the 1984 flick 'Terminator' seemed to have ten times the amount of action and superb timing than this slow-walking dog. Go ahead, maybe it's my small millennial mind you could say, but I highly doubt it. Independence Day: Resurgence actually looks surprisingly better and way more colourful and dumb than this, like the hyperactive child of a busy dad at work. I actually am excited for an improvement!

C-.

39/100.