Independence Day
1996  PG-13  SCIENCE FICTION  2h 25min
CAST— Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, Harvey Fierstein
MUSIC— David Arnold  DIRECTOR— Roland Emmerich

     Huge box-office hit doesn’t deliver half of what it should. Earth is under attack from aliens who are destroying all major cities, trying to exterminate humans who are too dumb to leave. Pretty soon, the few remaining survivors decide to band together in an effort to save the world. With many big stars and even bigger effects, this should have been TONS better than what we get. From stupid characters to dumb one-liners and “rousing” patriotic speeches, this film definitely suffers from bad writing, and that’s the killing stroke. This film made Will Smith a movie star, but it’s Jeff Goldblum who gives the best performance amid the chaos. Sorry, but this film is over-long and over-lame. Oscar-winner for Best Visual Effects. AKA ID4.
OUR RATING— * ½
FOLLOWED BY— Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)