Independence Day - It is what it is

I watched ‘Independence Day’ back in 1995 during the ‘height’ of the X-files-induced ‘alien fever’ that was so prominent in popular culture that even the President of America at the time had to address the world and point out that the Government wasn’t really stashing away bodies of little grey men.  Therefore me, like many, were absolutely blown away when marketing material showed a giant alien spaceship hovering over the White House and promptly blowing it to pieces.  That one iconic image sold the film alone.  However, I distinctly remember the sense of disappointment I felt upon leaving the cinema.  I’d seen the (fleeting!) clips of aerial dogfights between fighter jets and UFOs and expected them to make up more of the film.  However, what I got was effectively a two and a half hour story about one stupid decision after the next.

Despite being one of the most profitable movies of all time, it hardly won any prizes for logical storytelling.  If you search Google for articles about the film’s numerous plot holes and daft developments (Apple laptop being the highpoint!) you’ll see what I mean.  I didn’t hate the film at the time.  I appreciated the amazing special effects (for the day) and a great deal of work had gone into showing the carnage caused by an alien attack of populated areas.  No faults there.

So, if the effects were really the only stand-out aspects of the film, why did I end up buying the film and still watch it to this day?  Well, I guess I appreciate it for what it is.  It’s the very definition of loud, dumb and stupid.  It’s a ‘popcorn’ movie, designed to entertain and keep your mind vaguely occupied while you check Instagram on your phone.  Granted today’s generations will probably not appreciate the effects, based on the numerous superhero movies where entire cities get reduced to ruins over a period of a half hour battle sequence, but what still holds up is the general sense of eagerness.  This is arguably the film that launched Will Smith’s career and you just can’t help but warm to him.  Yes, no matter how dumb and unlikely every situation he’s placed in is, he’s still brilliant to watch and, along with Jeff Goldblum (who’s basically playing Jeff Goldblum – again), the pair of them make the movie still relevant to this day.

So, if you want to enjoy ‘Independence Day’ you’ll definitely have to put your brain on hold and know that you’re getting what became the template for disaster movies (certainly nineties ones anyway, but then ‘San Andreas’ was pretty much the same story).  You’ll also have to be okay with healthy doses of ‘pro-America’ scripting.  If you’ve watched (the brilliant) ‘Team America: World Police’ you’ll probably be singing along that song of theirs ‘America… *£$% yeah!’ all the way through, as it really is applicable.  And then, when you’re done enjoying the stupidity, treat yourself to a YouTube video on how these are the dumbest aliens ever to invade our planet (with the possible exception of that lot from ‘Signs’).

7/10 if I woke up on Groundhog Day and had to watch this again, I could live with that