Independence Day - Snapshot

Roland Emmerich's Independence Day is easily one of the most memorable sci-fi alien action blockbusters of all time. I remember seeing it at the time of its release in 1996 in the theatre, with a classmate from high-school.  I recall that both of us where amazed by the movie, and kept talking about it for several days after. With the sequel upon us, it was about time to re-visit the original. Firing it up, I was quickly drawn in, and in familiar territory. The movie's pacing is just brilliant. From the opening sequence, it's incredibly engaging, and literally non-stop. Viewers can expect to be gripped and thrilled, all the way through to the 1 hour 15 minute mark, which is quite a feat. Its only after that, that the plot slows down a little. That said, even post there are a good deal of fast paced action scenes. Easily it's one of the most well planned narratives ever; 2 and half hour of entertainment, visual effects, and fun. From the get go there is some humor in the scenes and dialog, helping keep things light, in the face of looming disaster. The movie has a gripping orchestral soundtrack that reminded me of Spielberg movies such as Jurassic Park and Indiana Jones. Though I'd expect that most people have probably seen the movie, in an effort to avoid spoilers, let's just say that the alien energy weapon and its weakness is very reminiscent of the logic explained for the weapon of mass destruction in the recent Star Wars: The Force Awakens movie.  Effects do look noticeably dated, but that aside, it's still an awesome sci-fi blockbuster. Great performances all round, from Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Vivica Fox, and Margaret Colin. The characters are interesting, and though a tad stereotype, they're likable. Independency Day is undoubtedly one of Roland Emmerich's best movies. There were some obvious goofs, and some poor acting from extras, but outside of that, there's little to complain about. Sound effects are really impressive, even the opening titles have some neat use of 5.1 surround. The content I was sampling was a Dolby Digital AC3 5.1 4 gig Bluray rip. While I usually prefer higher bitrate, it wasn’t bad. Even 2 decades later, Independence Day made for a solid watch. It's Incredibly entertaining, features some really good action, and is set in an intriguing sci-fi premise.

My Recommendation: Kick Ass (An all-time great sci-fi action blockbuster)