Independence Day

1996 • 153 minutes

About this movie

Experience the original OSCAR®-Winning* sci-fi epic that launched a new era in blockbuster filmmaking with this newly restored extended edition that contains over 8 minutes of additional footage. Director Roland Emmerich and producer Dean Devlin join forces with an all-star cast that includes Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman. When powerful aliens launch an all-out invasion, the world’s only hope lies in uniting for one last strike to save mankind.

Ratings and reviews

It was decent at the theater. I liked the president's speech near the end, the last second take off before the white house is destroyed and ..well. Not much else. Corny, cheesy and corny and cheesy. Great effects. Jeff Goldblum is decent. I really dislike the totally helpless humans fighting against unwinnable odds only to be saved by a trick or a oops. I have always loved War of the worlds (both versions) but that "we're invincible so die for us" idea sucks when the book showed the aliens as less than perfect and we could actually fight them. These movies are an excuse to wow the brain dead with special effects. Nice effects though.

Effects are spectacular, the acting and writing was outstanding. I really liked it.... Then at one point they started running it on tv far too much. Don't get me wrong, it's a great movie and I could watch it a lot for awhile. I just kinda got tired of it when they ran it back-to-back almost every other day or at least it felt like it.

This is one of Will Smiths best movie roles. In 2016 this movie will be released with all new actors and it will have a hard time beating the original. The new movie will have tons of CGI I'm waiting to see if there's going to be actual costume aliens. You can always tell what type of director has directed a movie when they take their time and use actual costumes trying to make it look real. I'll give the new movie a shot but the great Will Smith likely will remain number one.