Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #3766 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-05-17
• Rating: Suitable for 12 years and over
• Number of discs: 1
• Format: PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 139 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. --Tom Keogh

Amazon.com
In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. -- Tom Keogh

Synopsis
Mysterious spaceships appear in the sky and satellite communication systems cease to work. The population at large is unaware of the visitors' hidden agenda. Only one man knows what's really going on...

Customer Reviews

Guess what? Obnoxious Americans save the world (again!)
I made the mistake of buying this film when it first came out on video before I had watched it at the cinema or before its first showing on T.V. (something I never usually do), because everyone seemed to be raving over it and it did do well at the box-office. So, naturally, I thought, it must be a good film and I do like Sci-Fis.

I have only watched it twice since buying it, once myself and the other time, a friend wanted to watch it.

Normally, as I said, I like Sci-Fi and I enjoyed the idea that the Area 51 thing was supposed to be true. I also enjoyed seeing the aliens and inside the mothership, but that was about it!

The rest of the film was just corny, cheesy, all-American-hero type stuff.

Jeff Goldblum or "Mr Wonderful" as I like to call him, can't act (as usual) and plays the same goofy, patronizing character he always plays and look at my lovely hairy chest, while you're at it.

I couldn't stand Will Smiths egotistical "I'm the man" and "don't mess with me" character. I got to thinking whether Mr Wonderful and Mr Big-Headed Smith are really like that in real life. I hope not!

The rest of the cast were humdrum; but it was refreshing to see Brent Spiner (who usually plays Data in Star Trek) in a different role as the eccentric "I don't get out much" scientist. In my opinion, he was the best actor in it!

This film is jingoistic, pretentious, predictable and superficial tosh! I have never again made the mistake of buying an overrated film that I haven't watched first and I do not know why it did so well at the box office? Were we really so gullible back then?

A great story but ok film
I read the book version before seeing the film and was quite impressed but the film changed a lot and not to the films credit. Firstly, the biggest change was the Independence Day speech part before the final attack above Area 51. In the book the Americans have gathered together anything that can fly, from P-51 Mustangs, Phantoms, Starfighters, Sabres, Harriers, F 111s, F 14s, Migs, etc and these are to be used on a suicide run to distract the Aliens from the main attack of the F 18s. Most of these pilots are very depressed and fatalistic so the US President gives them his great Independence day speech to give them courage and hope and it works. But in the film it just comes across as a bit of over the top jingoistic spin and then swarms of F 18 go in to the attack.

Secondly it lacked something, perhaps a ground element, I think the film would have been ten times better with Alien AFVs (armoured fighting vehicles) attacking the base on the ground, pushing back the human defenders: USAF men, Police, Soldiers, civilians, Marines, National Guard, Secret Service, etc being pushed back in to the base but fighting fiercely. (See 55 Days in Peking to see what I mean). These AFVs could have been stopped ultimately by the computer virus too.

Also, what is with all the Ground controllers shouting frantically and loudly in to their radios at the pilots?? I am sure the last thing a pilot travelling at 500mph+ in a dog fight needs is a ground controller shouting down his ear! The director should have re-watched Star Wars, remember when the X wings and Y Wings are attacking the Death Star and the ground controllers are quietly waiting and watching? You could feel the tension.

This director writer team has a gift of getting a great idea and making it ok, remember Stargate?

Great special effects, great cast, good story but poor direction and realisation. Watch and enjoy but dont expect a lot!

Switch off your brain and enjoy the action
This film is not for those looking for something deep and meaningfull it is very predictable and shallow but the action and effects are very good.

There is not a great deal can be said about this film, it is fun to watch and the acting is ok.

This film has one main drawback to anyone outside USA - it has a bit too much 'God bless America' in it. The film implies that the rest of the world is completely helpless until the 'mighty' US of A comes to the rescue of us all! however if you can ignore this then the film becomes an ok summer blockbuster action film but is never more than that!

Overall this is very average and i would only recomend this to fans of the Genre or Will Smith