It's a cool looking movie, but the story ain't too compelling or even good.
Independence Day (Discussion/Grading)
- Thread starter SG-17
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darkwing_duck1
Vice Admiral
Not just one of the best movies of the 90s, but one of the best movies of all time!
'Nuff said!
'Nuff said!
And it even made Jayne from Firefly feel patriotic!
I think the build up and beginning of the movie is great. Not popcorn movie great, but genuinely great. Then you get the big destruction scene (the effects of which still hold up, unlike in Emmerich's later disasters like Godzilla and Day After Tomorrow), and after that it degrades quickly into cheese... but fun cheese!
I like it, but I just wish the writers and director had picked a tone and stuck with it. There are some genuinely dramatic moments and some genuinely cheesy moments. It could have been two different films, one drama and one comedy. Either way would have been fine. But as it is, it's kind of a mishmash. I still enjoy it nonetheless.
It's not cool to like a movie that other people think is cool. Which would it make it uncool, and therefore cool to like.
I always thought it was a fun "popcorn flick". Just a loud B-movie disaster flick with excellent special effects, score (David Arnold), and some fun scenes, particularly with Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum. Brent Spiner turned in an interesting performance as a demented Area 51 scientist as well. Also, Bill Pullman did an unexpectedly good turn as the President- his "call to arms" right before the final battle was actually quite inspiring. 
It's puff pastry -- fun and good-looking puff pastry, though. My opinion is the same as the day I walked out of the theater: if it had come out when I was 14 or 15 I'd have worshipped the ground it walked on. Unfortunately I was in my 30s and thus could tell everything that was going to happen before it did. It was fun but not world-shaking.
The use of REM's "The End of the World As We Know It" was a master-stroke...
...and once the Prez hops into a jet you have to just light your disbelief on fire and throw it out the window.
It's basically an sf version of Rocky.
The use of REM's "The End of the World As We Know It" was a master-stroke...
...and once the Prez hops into a jet you have to just light your disbelief on fire and throw it out the window.
It's basically an sf version of Rocky.
Yep, gave it an excellent. It accomplishes what it sets out to do very well and I still love watching it, also Mars Attacks!
It is an utter piece of shit film, but Holy God is it awesome!
Gee do you think V was the insperation for this along with other movies.
I gave it above an average rating.
anyhow glad they didn't use the alternate ending that would have sucked!
I gave it above an average rating.
anyhow glad they didn't use the alternate ending that would have sucked!
The Blu-Ray edition, as far as I've been able to figure out, doesn't have the director's cut. Besides, I don't assume everyone here has seen it on DVD.
