Review of Independence Day (1996) by Spangle — 29 Apr 2016

Typically a movie as dumb, poorly written, and poorly constructed, as Independence Day would draw my ire. However, even I cannot resist its charm. Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, and Bill Pullman, star in this cheesy, over-the-top 90's action flick that is actually a masterful action film.

For all of the films obvious shortcomings across the board, it is an incredibly well made and well crafted action film that sets the stakes, sticks to its rules, and comes up with unique and compelling ways to overcome the problems it puts before its heroes.

Additionally, the creature design here is very nice and well done. Though it is dated in some spots, the aliens still look pretty cool. Heck, there is even some solid horror-esque moments here reminiscent of Alien combined with great references to Close Encounters of the Third Kind, 2001: A Space Odyssey, ET, and a few more that I am blanking on.

Above all, Independence Day is simply entertaining. While that is often not enough to get the job done for me, it is here. While it may be everything I typically hate in a film, Independence Day stands as the exception and is a truly fun, lively, and bombastic experience.