Independence Day

What’s the Story?

Reviewed by Ken Feil

INDEPENDENCE DAY follows the plotline of several previous Hollywood sci-fi disaster movies. The story features a wide variety of social types reacting to the arrival of aliens and the aliens' eventual attack on the planet Earth, which include: The President (Bill Pullman) and Press Secretary (Margaret Colin) in D.C.; the First Lady (Mary McDonnell) on a publicity junket; a marine pilot (Will Smith) and his stripper girlfriend (Vivica A. Fox) in Los Angeles; a cable technician (Jeff Goldblum), his father (Judd Hirsch) and boss (Harvey Fierstein) in New York City; and an alcoholic crop duster (Randy Quaid) and his family in rural CA. After the initial spectacular deluge, in which the alien attackers lay waste to LA and NYC, a majority of this diverse crew collaborates to survive and eventually vanquish the invaders.

Is It Any Good?

Independence Day harkens back to the classic alien invasion movies of the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the disaster movies of the 1970s. These sources provide campy material for the film to quote from as well as slick clean-up and advanced special effects technology. References to The War of the Worlds (1953), The Day the Earth Stood Still, and imagery from Earthquake and The Towering Inferno provide chuckles to knowing audiences. Overblown performances by Smith, Brent Spiner (as an addled scientist from Area 54), Hirsch, and Fierstein will no doubt tease a few guffaws as well.

This is the film that sky-rocketed Smith to blockbuster action hero status. It's clever, intensely thrilling, and if you can recognize the stock stereotypes and movie plots, very funny.