Independence Day (1996) * * *

 

Directed by:  Roland Emmerich

Starring:  Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Margaret Colin, Will Smith, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, Randy Quaid, Mary McDonnell, Brent Spiner, Adam Baldwin, Vivica A. Fox

Independence Day works because it engages the emotions while also being reminiscent of sci-fi movies from long ago when alien visits were never friendly.   The gargantuan spacecrafts which hover over Earth's major cities poised to annihilate them are frightening images.   They don't attack right away, which leads world leaders to hope their visit may be peaceful.   Not so says former NASA scientist David Levinson (Goldblum), who was able to intercept the ships' transmissions from Earth's own satellite system.   A clock counting down to Doomsday appears on David's screen, which leads him to head to Washington to warn the president (Pullman) of an impending attack.   David and President Whitmore aren't on great terms for reasons which I think were explained, but this is no time for petty squabbles.

Also in the mix are fighter pilot Capt. Steven Hiller (Smith), whose July 4 leave was cancelled thanks to the invasion and plays a major role in David's plan to thwart the aliens, Hiller's stripper girlfriend (Fox), Russell Casse (Quaid), a former pilot who claims to be once abducted by aliens, and First Lady Marilyn Whitmore (McDonnell) who is trapped in Los Angeles once the attacks commence.   The Oscar-winning visual effects seem primitive today, but back then were groundbreaking.  Such is the way with technology.   Still, these effects don't detract from the action. 

What makes Independence Day such a crowd-pleaser even today is the universal joy we exude when a seemingly unbeatable enemy is defeated and when David discovers the way to weaken the mother ship's security systems, it is still a fun "eureka" moment.  The aliens are intergalactic bullies who need to be taken down a notch.   Earthlings respond accordingly and we feel pretty damn good afterward.  Independence Day is not all explosions, chases, and effects.   There is a heart here.