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Independence Day

1996 American science fiction action film directed by Roland Emmerich and written by Emmerich and Dean Devlin Website

Approval Rate: 69%

69%Approval ratio

Reviews 51

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  • by

    firoz7206359941447

    Thu Sep 07 2023

    Firoz Firoz ka video

  • by

    ridgewalker

    Mon Feb 06 2012

    I cried during President Whitmore's speech. And when Cousin Eddie sacrificed his own life by flying up into the ass of the enemy, I asked myself, "Would I do this for my country?" Would I do this for the sake of all of humanity? I dunno. I mean, look at what Cousin Eddie did...and there's not even plaque, or statue...

  • by

    robert57

    Mon Feb 06 2012

    Screenplay was written as a lark by editors of the National Enquirer during a slow week. They were between "A Shakespearean trained actor who only responds when Frank Oz' hand is up his ass" and "Man Accused of Killing Lawyer Receives New Attorney." Tony Frost recalled, "We forgot about it after we sobered up. Someone must have sent a copy to Emmerich, 'cause he offered us ten thousand dollars. What the hell. Of course we said yes."

  • by

    firemoth

    Fri May 27 2011

    I was amused the most by the scene where the stripper kicks open a steel door in a tunnel and dosen't die when the fireball passes a few feet away from her. The dog being saved was the smaltzy cherry on top.

  • by

    scienceenginee_r

    Tue Oct 12 2010

    Aliens from beyond our galaxy? Perfect accusations of the universe. Did someone inquire any informations about the Nevada Desert Weird science Project? Ask Clinton about this. If he answers you back, then count yourself a lucky man. And how on earth can such a huge saucer penetrate the atmosphere shield, and survive, more quickly reaching the humanity's home, and fry the cities? I only like the finale part when the two pilots were smoking their cigars, saying "goodbye" to that alien inside that mothership. "Bye lady...bye bye" Update: The movie is right away, the most phosphor screen cast worth a classical reference for years. It's geeky, it's nerdic, it's scientific, and it's metaphysical, unless we see the world around us; and that's an ET world.

  • by

    abichara

    Tue Oct 12 2010

    What do you expect from a Roland Emmerich production? Very limited character development, lots of cheap jingoism, but lots of explosions and visual imagery. Yes, the world will be saved from alien invasion by a cable repairman and a NASA flunky. Other reviewers have done a good job of mocking the many failures of logic that abound in this film. If you can sit back and turn off your brain while watching a movie, you'll be amused by this one.

  • by

    venacava

    Tue Aug 17 2010

    Ok, I'm always up to ponder how the Earth would respond to a force of overwhelming strength, especially if they were hostile. But, come on. The cheeseball mcgraw of hollywood uploads a virus in to an alien system? Wow. That guy is a profit. Or, the drunk pilot reveals the alien ship's weakness by flying up the alien's plasma cannon? Why would they even need to enter orbit? They could sit several thousand miles from the atmosphere and simply lob whatever they wanted to destroy every major city before we even knew they were there. I guess that is the symptom of what would be the reality should hostile aliens want to evict us from our planet. It would make for a short movie.

  • by

    thatoneperson

    Thu Dec 31 2009

    yep, aliens will use our satelites to communicate. makes perfect sense. let me guess, they also wanted to take over earth because they want hamburgers and fries. wouldn't a ground invasion with their shield technology be less costly, quicker and more thorough?

  • by

    mitch70

    Sun Aug 23 2009

    Anything below 90 IQ and you'll have no idea about what I'm talking about. People say that with movies like this you have to leave your brain at the door, the problem is, they don't tell you just how much you have to leave behind. Well....With this movie, the only way you can accept it, is to bring 10% of your brain. Any logical aspect of your mind will be thoroughly insulted with the whole concept and the lame a** storyline with an unbelievably predictable plot. In this movie, the director and writers are saying "Your so stupid, that we can feed you any crap and bull and you'll take it like a fish". And by looking at the reviews here, it certainly seems to be just that. Here is SOME of my list of amazingly craptastical issues I personally had with the movie. Lest I had accidentally brought 15% of my brain had been a mortal life changing mistake. (Wife/Tunnel/Fireball) Wife in car sees fireball coming at her, has time to get out of car, run long ways down tunnel, find a door in tun... Read more

  • by

    spike65

    Sat Jul 26 2008

    I don't know why there are so many negative reviews of this movie. It was an entertaining shoot-em-up with a vast amount of special effects. Worth a rental.

  • by

    lmorovan

    Thu Apr 17 2008

    I wonder why is it that every alien species of the Universe only come here to invade us and conquer us? And the most hilarious thing is that, despite of their far superior technology, we manage to defeat them with sticks and stones, LOL.

  • by

    cantrell4

    Fri Mar 07 2008

    I feel that the movie was over hyped,but it did show how well the special effects department has improved compared to thirty years ago when you could almost see the string dangling the spacecraft as it landed on earth

  • by

    frankswildyear_s

    Fri Mar 07 2008

    Laughable jingoistic flave waver.  Bill Pullman's performance as the jet pilot ace President of the United States  was the silliest thing I'd ever watched with the possible exception of Harrison Ford's performance as the the jet pilot ace President of the United States.

  • by

    jeremy00081

    Wed Sep 13 2006

    4 and a half stars for making everyone's jaw drop to the floor when they first saw this. Instant classic with Mr. Cool himself, Will Smith. A must-own.

  • by

    doobiesnhof

    Mon Mar 13 2006

    The movie overall is ok but overhyped. The part that bothered me (and it is a biggie)is that a computer virus could penetrate the aliens vastly superior technology, thus defeating them. It is a fun, action packed special effects take off of War of The Worlds (1952).

  • by

    oscargamblesfr_o

    Thu Dec 29 2005

    Cliched film, though watchable enough, it was predictable dumbed down tripe that the public made a huge hit of without blinking. Like a 70's disaster flick, they stuffed a bunch of stars and familiar faces into this generic, been done a million times before, sci-fi film. Didn't Jerry Suckheimer have something to do with this? He always makes generic crap.

  • by

    1johndoefan

    Mon Mar 21 2005

    Nothing to have climax over, but a very solid movie. If it wasn't for the millions that they spent on special effects it would be mediocre... because the acting was questionable.

  • by

    maomania

    Sun Feb 27 2005

    This movie was all about the effects. It was a good movie though. I enjoyed it a lot. It is not a movie I would put in my Top 10 but it was worth the money.

  • by

    wirtzdasnake

    Sun Feb 06 2005

    A great german director, a high-class actor Jeff Goldblum , an d the award winner Volker Engel for special effects! Well, the story is typical Mars Attacks style. But for 154 minutes this film will entertain you! mark my words!

  • by

    sfalconer

    Thu Jan 08 2004

    The F/X in this movie are great and the plot is interesting if not original. The cast is perfect, I am not a huge fan of Jeff Goldblum but he did a good job in this as did Will Smith. If you have not seen this movie, what planet have you been on?

  • by

    earthspirit

    Mon Jul 07 2003

    I used to love this film until 9/11, but now can't stand to watch those scenes where the Empire State building gets blown away. It gives me the creeps and makes me think of the Twin Towers.

  • by

    bigbaby

    Sat Mar 22 2003

    Very very good idea; very poorly carried out. Will Smith completly kills the movie. Some of the action is worth a look, and the biggining into the middle allright, but it instantly jumps to a quick and cheesy ending.

  • by

    redoedo

    Sun Mar 02 2003

    The special effects were great, as well as the acting jobs of Bill Pullman and Will Smith, but other than that, it was a pretty predictable movie. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it, which is why I'm giving it a 3, but its not worth going to the movies to see or buying. Its quite sad that this movie did not live up to all the hype. However, the musical score was pretty good though!

  • by

    myles65b

    Wed Jan 22 2003

    Against all reason and better judgement, I actually liked this film. I was not exposed to much of the hype marketing and I watched the film in almost total lack of expectation. I laughed, and laughed and laughed and laughed. So did almost everyone in the theatre. The others just walked out. I honestly thought the film was a sci-fi comedy along the lines of Mars Attacks and Mom and Dad Save the World. It was only later that I learned it was intended to be a drama.(?????) For pity's sake, who could take that film seriously? I mean, modern fighter jets dogfighting with Alien spacecraft WWI style...the rest of the world hanging limp and flaccid while they wait for the Americans to do something...the Ethipian tribespeople who manage to bring down one of those giant alien carriers at the end of the film with what? throwing clubs?...and best of all, the President of the United States, a politician, manfully leading his airmen into battle rather than cowering in some five-star bunker. Let ... Read more

  • by

    hdawg1248

    Tue Dec 24 2002

    This movie gets this rating from me just for Will Smith's line about whoopin' ET's ass. ;)

  • by

    lukskywlkr

    Thu Nov 28 2002

    When I first watched this, I was expecting to be blown away by all the effects. Instead, I was blown away by the hype. It wasn't nearly as good as some people would have had me believe. It's way too long and the story was underdeveloped. You'd think in over two and a half hours they would have corrected that problem, but no. The characters, for the most part, aren't very likable either. It's one of those movies where you never really have any doubt how it's gonna turn out.

  • by

    rewinder

    Tue Sep 17 2002

    Yeah, yeah, sure, it's kinda vaguely fun to see everything blow up in full surround-sound Dolby stereo, but with each subsequent viewing this movie becomes more and more stupid. It's a complete and total rip-off/re-hash of War of the Worlds, and all three versions of THAT story (1898 novel, infamous 1938 Radio play, 1953 movie) are infinitely superior in overall quality. Another sad example of sp fx over good plot and acting (although Smith and Goldblum manage to rise above the dreck .... usually).

  • by

    loneusfullhous_efan

    Mon Apr 15 2002

    Will Smith was excellent in this film, I personally think it was more of a comedy than a science fiction movie.

  • by

    texxb0b2

    Tue Nov 27 2001

    Thank God those aliens had windows '95 are we were all screwed. Why revive the first lady twice just to kill her off in an anti-climactic scene? Why was Bill Pullman doing a bad Eastwood impression? Why was Judd Hirsch doing an even worse Jackie Mason? Why did the annoying guy from the Big Chill save the earth (Goldblum doing a dead on but dreadful impression of himself from that movie)? How can Will Smith drag an alien from Colorado to Utah and back to Nevada in one afternoon? Why did it take a hundred machine guns to kill that alien when Will knocked him out with one punch for two days last time? What was the point of teasing the Harry Conick, Jr. character without developing him enough that we should care that he died? Why are brain dead moviegoers so easily manipulated by things that go boom that they don't notice plot holes? Because it had a big budget and an all star cast I declare this movie as THE WORST WASTE OF CELLULOID IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD!!!!

  • by

    jbiscuit1

    Sun Jun 10 2001

    This movie has a great setting and theme, including substantially good special effects. Unfortunatly, that is good about the movie. This film is full of some of the worst and most corny dialogue imaginable. It makes blatent attempts to charge the human and american spirits without reason. The characters are shallow and transparent while the story is completely predictable. None of the characters develop in this film, and the movie relies on laugh track style humor to keep the audience entertained. Additionally, there was no reason for Randy Quaid to be in this movie. His character is the least believable of all, and the alternate ending which was originally considered for the film is even more ludicrous than the one seen in the theaters. Avoid the hype and pass this one by.

  • by

    thorne

    Mon Jun 04 2001

    Independence Day isn't even a movie, it is a product. Something made to make money and make bundles of money for several different corporations. Next, this product is completly unbelievable and shallow. I could see something like this happening one day (riiiight) and I could see two doofuses like Will Smith and (I actually really like this guy) Jeff Goldblum getting an alien spaceship flying to the mother ship and takeing everything down with the help of an Apple computer laptop. This movie is made for people who like crap like Godzilla(America's Mathew Broderick version),Dante's Peak and Deep Blue Sea. All show and no blow. Completley made for product placement and a large Gross. Go see it if you like ritualistic torture. I think I'll go to my room and watch The Day The Earth Stood Still. You go have fun with your kiddie movie.

  • by

    callmetootie

    Sat Apr 14 2001

    Will Smith was terrible in Men In Black, so why would you sign him up to play another sci-fi based character??? Independence Day is one movie that I could have missed.

  • by

    rehabb34

    Mon Jan 15 2001

    A movie which was documented to show American supremacy. It's a kids movie. Very far from truth and reality. Aliens are regarded as bad people. Hardly and substance.

  • by

    jma99b22

    Fri Jan 12 2001

    Great 4th of July movie for the whole family. Shows great patriotism.

  • by

    goldbrand

    Mon Jan 08 2001

    It was a kickass movie. Love the special effects and everyone loves Will Smith. Saw it ten times.

  • by

    prettyboy

    Sun Dec 17 2000

    The credit showed early to be given when it is due. Mr. Smith did it again. This movie blew up the charts and rightly so. The presence of one Vivica Fox certainly didn't hurt. But the role of such major proportion being played by an African American was also a big deal by all accounts. This movie certainly gets a two thumbs up.

  • by

    easy_w

    Fri Dec 15 2000

    I will never understand why this movie made so much money. The only rational explanation I can think of is that Americans (and the foreign audience too) wanted to see the White House blown up...sad, sad state of affairs, when this movie is a box office smash.

  • by

    picasso

    Thu Dec 14 2000

    Will Smith does an excellent job in the role of a hot shot fighter pilot, but Bill Pullman is less than believable as a former Persian Gulf pilot elected to President. Everyone else does a fine job with their roles....and the story is fine, if not outstanding. The effects are spectacular, and the film is clearly depending on them. But the overweening arrogance behind the film is annoying-if you don't mind jigoism, check it out.

  • by

    gildum

    Tue Dec 12 2000

    I seem to like this type of movie. This one seemed to be very interesting and the SFX were great. Will Smith was a pretty good actor in this movie.

  • by

    pyro_myth

    Thu Nov 30 2000

    Independence Day is the end-all of Sci-Fi movies. The representation of the aliens disputes on the old big-eyed, grey-skinned theory. The plot is somewhat predictable but twists occur when they are least expected. All in all, Independence Day is a must-see for the true Sci-Fi fan.

  • by

    cebrac25

    Sun Nov 26 2000

    Terrible, horrible, disgusting. It's a pity to see how the money is spent on this way.

  • by

    boonta23

    Fri Nov 24 2000

    This movie was bad

  • by

    sloat451

    Tue Nov 21 2000

    The action and effects were good and the plot was neat too. Overall, it was a good movie but it became a tad cheesy at the end.

  • by

    aholmes

    Tue Nov 07 2000

    It was a good movie. Good acting. It was a bit predictable though.

  • by

    asan332d

    Mon Nov 06 2000

    While this movie falls into the category of scifi, it uses other elements to tell it's story. Each character is developed through dialogue and action. There is not a feeling of anything unnecessary occuring, everything has a place and a reason.

  • by

    aiieria

    Mon Nov 06 2000

    This movie was beyond great. It was sad, action-filled and funnny. Little stories ran through a big one and it showed stories uniting together, stories of other countries in a truly big Independence Day.

  • by

    djcut6ab

    Mon Nov 06 2000

    Will Smith was perfect for the role. I liked the story, it seemed like it could happen. The aliens were very creative. It was the best movie of that summer to come out.

  • by

    joe1bf40

    Thu Nov 02 2000

    Independence Day is one of the greatest movies of all time. It was vey easy to watch because the good guys win. Will Smith was off the hook.

  • by

    jeff203c

    Thu Nov 02 2000

    Very good effects and storyline. Perfect actors for the roles. A little long.

  • by

    wesk10089om

    Sat Aug 26 2000

    Right down there with "Battlefield Earth." This is a terrible movie and I've written numerous reviews on it... I won't get into it now - there's simply too much to talk about. I'm surprised that so many people can't see how stupid this movie is.