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Independence Day (1996)



Independence Day (1996)



7/10



Starring
Will Smith
Jeff Goldblum
Bill Pullman
Margaret Colin
Vivica A. Fox


Directed by Roland Emmerich

In the 90s, this was what an alien attack felt like: panic, death, and stupid people thinking these aliens would bring back Elvis.

Independence Day was a film like no other. Released in 1996, this movie was, at the time, the second-highest-grossing film ever (now it’s 37th). It used over 3,000 visual effects—the most ever in any movie at that time.

The movie was excellent when it came to thrill and dramatic power. Will Smith was the star, but Bill Pullman was the man of the moment. His character and portrayal focused on the tough decisions we have to make when faced with life-or-death situations. It wouldn’t be fair to say Will Smith did all the impressing because Bill Pullman gave the film the dramatic touch it needed. The movie’s visual effects and high-tension drama will keep you glued throughout its entire 138-minute runtime. (It also won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects at the Oscars.)

The movie was made by the creators of Stargate (1994)—the first movie to have a website—Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. Emmerich directed the film, while Devlin produced it, but both worked together on the script. They went on to collaborate on two more movies: Godzilla (1998) and The Patriot (2000).

The movie’s script ties in with America’s Independence Day, July 4th. The events in the movie begin on July 2nd, when a mysterious alien ship enters Earth's orbit. The mothership then deploys smaller ships, which position themselves over major cities around the world.

Panic erupts on Earth, and all military personnel are put on alert. A welcome craft is sent to one of the ships, but it gets shot down by the ship’s defenses. America launches an attack on the ships, and Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) is one of the fighter pilots sent to attack. But no matter what they do, the ships have a shield that nothing can penetrate—not even nuclear missiles.

David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) intercepts a signal from one of the ships and discovers a countdown. He presumes it’s an attack countdown, so the president is warned. The president, David, and some members of his staff barely escape when the ships attack.

Now, all hope seems lost—until David discovers a way to fight back.

This is one movie I can stand and shout is one of the best Will Smith has ever been in. What do you think?

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