Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID42?)

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Aragorn, Oct 13, 2009.

  1. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Especially the computer virus is something I don't think of as stupid. All modern computer technology was based on the technology found in the alien ship. That's why the aliens were able to use Earth satellites to begin with. They hacked into those satellites as well. And Goldblum found the hacking signal and was able to make sense of it. And the virus was a combined effort of Goldblum, who made that key discovery, and the area 51 scientists who had analyzed this technology for 50 years. So basically I imagine the "virus" as a reverted version of the signal hidden in the satellite communication. Plus some further technobabble to lower the shields. It's not that stupid.

    I believe either the extended version or the novelization goes into details about that as well.

    And as for the President, who used to be a combat pilot, returning to fly when they badly need pilots and are so desperate that they even recrute alcoholics... why not? A dead President can still be replaced, IF the battle was won. But at first they had to win it.
     
  2. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    What's stupid about the computer virus is that as advanced as the aliens are, you'd expect them to have computer security so advanced that humans couldn't hack it.

    But I'm with Harvey, ID is a fun film, and it's flaws don't really diminish that.

    Personally, I think that the flaws sorta enhance the overall experience, because their presence is a declaration that the film doesn't intend to be too pretentious.
     
  3. marillion

    marillion Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    My only cringe worthy moment (other than some of the Randy Quaid subplot) is the President's speech to rally the troops... It's used and used and used in so many movies... Done right (see Matrix II and Henry V) it captures a moment in time and you really feel it.. Done poorly (ID4 and Pacific Rim) and it amounts to scene chewing cheesiness..

    I really enjoy ID4 and LOVE Pacific Rim, but those moments bug me... Just my opinion of course...
     
  4. The Nth Doctor

    The Nth Doctor Infinite Possibilities... Premium Member

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    There's both a scene in the extended edition of the film and further details in the novelization that expand on this notion. That's why the computer virus never bothered me.
     
  5. Mister Fandango

    Mister Fandango Fleet Captain

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Only if in their culture they're used to having their own people try to hack their systems for nefarious purposes. There was no indication that they functioned that way whatsoever.

    This, too, is something I don't have a problem with. The aliens didn't appear to have any factions or make any distinctions between themselves, at least not based on what little we learned of them. If anything, they all seemed to be carbon copies of one another, with their single driving goal to be to eradicate other races, not their own.

    So assuming that's accurate, who would they need all that security from, especially if they grossly underestimate their alien opponents, as they clearly did in the movie.
     
  6. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Then, we'd have to conclude that none of the other civilizations they invaded were as computer savvy as Jeff Goldblum. Yay, humanity.
     
  7. FreezeC77

    FreezeC77 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    That's part of the premise about Harry Turtledove's WorldWar series with aliens invading during WWII. The aliens had sent a probe that transmitted back data on the Earth during the middle-ages so they did not expect any kind of serious technological threat. They had previously conquered two other planets and both races exhibited the same glacial progress as their own race. They were shocked to find out that humans advanced so quickly.

    However...the ID4 aliens used satellites already in orbit to relay their signal around the world. If they never encountered races with any kind of advanced technology, why did they expect to be able to find/use human satellites with a compatible system for their needs?

    Was there an alternate plan they were going to use? Is there some alien guy sitting on the main ship being told "Sorry Zikzotnik, we actually just figured out that these aliens got satellites in orbit that we can use. We don't need you to launch our own communication satellites. Guess you're on vacation this invasion."
     
  8. Mister Fandango

    Mister Fandango Fleet Captain

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    It was mentioned in the movie that the aliens that crashed were presumed to be part of a scouting mission, wasn't it? That they had been collecting information about humanity for decades, if not longer?

    They just happened to grossly underestimate human ingenuity despite all the data they had collected, which included the existence of satellites and the comparatively primitive technology they took advantage of. Hell, we're absolutely paranoid about ourselves, but public communication satellites are hardly ultra-secure against us.

    And what's wrong with that? Why must humans always be the dumb, idiotic, backwater hicks of the universe?

    I imagine that every sentient species would excel at something. Human adaptability is a great strength to have. Plus they've had decades to study the technology being used, which the aliens had no idea we possessed (else they would have been way more suspicious of the ship showing up out of the blue). Hell, the fact that they let the ship onboard their mothership, no questions asked, just strengthens the point I was making in my previous post; they clearly had no experience or expectation of being attacked in such a manner.
     
  9. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    It strengthens the stupidity, yes.
     
  10. Mister Fandango

    Mister Fandango Fleet Captain

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    How exactly?

    If a race that's paranoid and constantly at war with itself leaves its entire communication grid as open as we do, why is it such a stretch that an alien species so used to absolutely dominating every other species it comes in contact with, and which has no signs of internal strife, would do the same? Especially when the attack is coming from a source they pretty much know nothing about (that we had access to their tech for half a century, complete with a delivery system they accepted with open arms and completely without suspicion)?

    But hey, if you wanna convince yourself that you're a worthless idiot, by all means, don't let me stop you. "Derr herr herr, I's a hooman, I's soooo dum! lolololz!"
     
  11. CorporalCaptain

    CorporalCaptain Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Yeah, sure, whatever.
     
  12. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    You know I used to think ID4 was stupid...and then I saw Signs. Now *that's* stupid. ;)
     
  13. Mr Light

    Mr Light Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Much as I love ID4, it is filled with buffoonish cartoon characters and idiotic dialogue and horribly over the top reaction shots to said idiotic dialogue. That's part of its charm :p
     
  14. marillion

    marillion Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Actually, I found Signs to be quite good... Very tense and lots of scary moments... The ending resolution and the fact that the Aliens and water don't mix was, yeah, a bit much, but overall the movie was well done, well paced and well written..
     
  15. lennier1

    lennier1 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    It's more of two hour warning to not waste any more money on that director.
     
  16. bigdaddy

    bigdaddy Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Yeah besides the whole point of signs is the aliens invaded a planet that's covered in poison, that rains poison, that has poison in the air for what reason?

    ID4 is a fun action B-movie like that of the 50s but modern, at the time. Tons of fun.
     
  17. 137th Gebirg

    137th Gebirg Admiral Premium Member

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    I agree. Thought it was very well done, too, in many respects.

    My only gripe with it that, in Pennsylvania, there are more guns per household than in any other state in the country, and yet not a single firearm appeared in the movie to be used against the alien invasion on-screen. Probably would have made things a little too easy at that point.
     
  18. Reverend

    Reverend Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    And yet he still get's hired. :(

    It wouldn't have been so bad but they ran around naked, doing very little other than posing for blurry photos and running around on farm house roves. I mean, why exactly?

    It really comes down to tone for me. Films like ID4, Armageddon, Starship Troopers and Pacific Rim know full well they're a bit dumb, but don't care and so they can have some fun with it.

    Signs (and just about everything by MNS incidentally) on the other hand takes itself *sooooo* seriously that it's actually quite insulting. Also, what kind of egomaniac casts themselves as the visionary seer who will save all of mankind? Yikes!...but I digress. ;)
     
  19. lennier1

    lennier1 Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    So does Uwe Boll.
     
  20. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Roland Emmerich & Dean Devlin want to make Independence Day 2 (ID4

    Uwe Boll hires himself.