Review of Independence Day

Introduction

Earth vs. The Aliens. Ever since the first `inspired` B-movies of the 50s, all kinds of mutants and little green men have occupied a special place in Uncle Hollywood`s heart as yet another source of income. Yep, audiences get a kick out of seeing strange beings getting their asses kicked on screen, so there`s no wonder that this genre has lived on, right up into the 90s (and now of course the 21st century, with Eight Legged Freaks and the like).

So, when Independence Day was released into cinemas in 1996, it smashed box office records. No, it isn`t clever. No, it`s not complex. It is simply Will Smith et al smashing ET`s ass back to where it came from.

The plot (or really non-plot) is that aliens are invading, and they want Earth. Thing is, humans have a survival instinct. Cue major battle.

Video

It is presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen, and although the print is crisp, it is sometimes a bit grainy and slightly blurry. On the whole, the palette is good, and the visuals deep, but for a recent, effects heavy, movie, you want a little bit more.

On the subject of effects, the CGI in the movie is fairly well-accomplished, although it`s plain to see CGI has advanced in the last 6 years. Even so, the effects will enhance your viewing experience.

Audio

A DD 5.1 track is on offer here. The surrounds are used well, and the ambience level is just right. The dialogue is crisp and clear, and when the action kicks in, the sound is reproduced well.

This kind of movie doesn`t rely on dialogue, although there are a few witty one-liners from a certain Will Smith, which is a good to see, as this kind of movie just cannot take itself seriously.

Features

This is a 2-disc set with a plethora of features.

First up, the movie itself has a feature - an extra 8 minutes of footage that was not shown in the cinemas. It doesn`t make the movie better (or worse), but it`s good to see the movie is shown warts `n` all.

There are 3 documentaries:

Creating Reality - a 30 minute look at the design of the models, featuring interviews. A good insight.

ID4 Invasion - a 22 minute mockumentary which is good by mockumentary standards. After 10-15 minutes or so, it lapses into a documentary, hosted by the news reader of the mockumentary. Quite a few `-mentary`s` don`t you agree?

HBO First Look - typical HBO documentary, good, but only touches the subject. This is 28 minutes long, and hosted by Jeff Goldblum who appears to have had too much caffeine.

Then, there is an alternate ending, trailers & TV spots, some storyboards & artwork and production stills. The menus are fairly ugly, although they do their job.

Overall, a good selection here, offering a well-formed insight.

Conclusion

The movie is good (yet Hollywood trash). The action scenes are good, and the script is sharp for what it can do, as this genre isn`t really one to mess with your mind. Acting is good on the whole, with another good performance from Big Willie.

Disc wise, everything is strong, apart from a few spasms from the print. If you can find this fairly cheaply, then there is no reason not to own it.