All Rise...

Judge Gordon Sullivan often gets mistaken for Jeff Goldblum.

Editor's Note

Our reviews of Independence Day (published June 21st, 2000), Independence Day (Blu-Ray) (published April 4th, 2008), and Independence Day: Limited Edition (published July 5th, 2004) are also available.

The Charge

Don't make plans for August.

The Case

Independence Day was the first blockbuster of my youth. The trailers dropped, all shots of buildings blowing up and Will Smith mugging for the camera, and in true blockbuster fashion, it didn't matter what the story was. This was event cinema on a grand scale, where every element was orchestrated for maximum impact. My friends and I lined up on July 2nd and watched the film in a crowded theater, whooping it up as Jeff Goldblum pontificated and Will Smith punch aliens and Bill Pullman played the most endearing president to ever grace the silver screen. Though his sins have been legion in the decades since, Roland Emmerich earned his spot in the cinematic firmament with Independence Day. Twenty years later a sequel is in the pipeline, so to prepare we get a 20th anniversary Blu-ray edition of the film. It's not perfect, but it's pretty much all fans could hope for.

It's July 2nd, and a massive object appears near the moon, beaming a signal through satellites. President Whitmore (Bill Pullman, Spaceballs) is worried but trying to stay positive. Until his press secretary's (Margaret Colin, Unfaithful) ex-husband (Jeff Goldblum, The Fly) warns that the signal is a countdown. When that countdown leads to destruction, Captain Hiller (Will Smith, Bad Boys) has to help launch a counter-offensive.

Anniversary editions of famous movies offer an important moment to reflect—both on the movie in question and where we've come since then. In the year 2016, when the trailer for the all-female reboot of Ghostbusters is the most disliked trailer on YouTube, it's staggering to realize how amazingly diverse the cast of Independence Day is. Not only does the cast include women and people of color, the film itself has a truly global scale. When the aliens arrive we see the reactions of everyone from the homeless to kids to soccer moms. Contrast that with the reaction shots in Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, where we see Batman run to the rescue of "regular people," all of whom could comfortably grace a catalog cover, if not a fashion magazine.

This is not, however, the dreaded "diversity for diversity's sake." No, this diversity is essential to the success of Independence Day. The film works not because it's a big-budget sci-fi spectacle that shows us awesome shots like the Whitehouse being destroyed by a giant, alien laser. No, Independence Day works because it has a great story anchored in the perspectives of multiple people. We get the larger, national concerns of the president. We get the more scientific, exploratory concerns of Jeff Goldlbum. We get the "I just want to kick some alien ass" attitude of Will Smith's Captain Hiller. And it takes all these perspectives—and more!—to effectively counter the alien threat.

These perspectives are brought to the screen by a host of amazing actors. No one who appears in this film has made a more charming appearance on screen. Bill Pullman is in his wheelhouse as the young, slightly pretty leading man, but when he gets to his (justifiably) famous "Independence Day" speech, he takes it to another level. Will Smith had done funny on both Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Bad Boys, but his role as Hiller is a perfect mix of the goofiness of the former and the toughness of the latter. Goldblum was basically typecast as a science geek after both The Fly and Jurassic Park, but here he's more human and more charming than in either of those roles. Even Randy Quaid steps up to take his lovable-loser shtick to another level. Margaret Colin also deserves special mention for taking a thankless role as presidential intermediary and ex-wife and making it an effective part of the film's emotional core.

Surprisingly, the film still holds up as a sci-fi action blockbuster 20 years later. Sure, the matte paintings are more obvious, the process shots limited, and the technology that drives the story even hokier in retrospect. The film still works because, unlike films made in the ensuing decade, Emmerich and crew couldn't rely on CGI. Instead, a bunch of the film is achieved practically. Models get blown up, actual fighter jets are scrambled, and humans share physical space with monster effects. This gives Independence Day a certain amount of charm, even if as viewers we've become more attuned to effects-driven cinema.

Independence Day has earned a two-disc Blu-ray edition. Things start with two cuts of the film, both the theatrical and extended versions. The extended version gives us a few more character bits, but the theatrical is probably preferred for its tightness. Both versions get 2.39:1/1080p AVC-encoded transfers that look really amazing. There are a couple of shots that look slightly soft (like excessive DNR was applied), but otherwise this is a film-like transfer that respects the look of the film. Detail is strong, especially in close-ups, with colors that are vivid and appropriate. Black levels are deep and consistent, with no artifacting to speak of. The set's DTS-HD 7.1 audio track is aggressive, but clean. Dialogue is clear from the center, with the surrounds getting a good workout, especially during dogfights. The low end is impressive, both during fights and soundtrack cues.

Extras start with a commentary from Emmerich and co-writer Dean Devlin that's informative and surprisingly fun. The film's VFX supervisors Volker Engel and Doug Smith, who have a lot to say about the film's spectacular effects, get another commentary. The theatrical cut also features a subtitle-style trivia track. The second disc includes a number of featurettes that highlight the making of the film, totaling roughly an hour and a half of behind-the-scenes material. We also get some excerpts of stuff blowing up, fake news broadcasts from the film, a gag reel, and a stills gallery. We also get a whole host of promotional materials, including a bunch of TV spots and trailers. This set also includes a Ultraviolet download code.

If you're obsessed with up-to-the-minute effects, then Independence Day will look a bit dated. I'm sure that for grim'n'gritty, the sequel will look a bit more contemporary (at least judging by the trailer that runs before the film plays on this disc).

Independence Day set a high bar for summer blockbusters, one that arguably wasn't overcome for a decade. It's got heart, aliens, and special effects galore. This 20th Anniversary Blu-ray is strong, with a solid audiovisual presentation and some good extras.

The Verdict

Not guilty.

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