Rich Retropectives- Independence Day

The first review since my tenure at La Salle has been a long time coming, and in (belated) tribute to the Fourth of July, I’ll be taking a look at the Roland Emmerich sci-fi action film “Independence Day”. The cult classic has been on the receiving end of a myriad of opinions ranging from positive to abysmal during its successful run in theaters, and it’s here that I hope to see what about the film has led to that kind of attention.

A catastrophic threat literally looms over the nations of Earth on July 1996, when an alien mothership arrives bringing battalions of invaders. In the midst of the impending disaster, numerous survivors, including the (then) current president (played by Bill Pullman), a hot-headed marine fighter pilot (played by Will Smith), and an aloof satellite technician (played by Jeff Goldblum) race against the threat to their lives and their world, oblivious to the fact that their journeys will soon lead them to one path of unity and resistance against the extraterrestrial force.

As one could probably expect from that synopsis, the setup for this story is less than revolutionary, and the plot doesn’t take many unpredictable turns, save for the explosive, eye-popping action scenes. Still, where the film lacks in originality, it has continued to endure for its sheer, unadulterated sense of energy and fun. The tone, for instance, is noticeably campy, but intentionally so. One would probably think Roland Emmerich never heard the word “subtlety” in his life, but this results in some of the best action one could hope to see from an alien invasion flick. The explosions are particularly well utilized, and what works best about them is that they’re used sparingly and expertly in contrast to modern action films. The actors seem perfectly in tune with the campy vibe of the film’s writing and premise, and special props should be given to Will Smith, whose rebellious charisma and energy makes certain lines (i.e. “Welcome to Earth!”) work much better than they would have in other actors’ hands. The key thing to remember when going to see this movie, though, is that it’s completely divorced from subtlety, and unless you turn off your brain, you’re likely to notice those predictable plot turns and the lack of deep thematic elements. For a 4th of July celebration or a regular summer movie day, though, you won’t find a movie that’s much more entertaining or aware of its own bombastic, ridiculous appeal.

In short, Independence Day isn’t perfect, but you probably knew that coming in, so it never needed to be.