Common Sense Media Review
Patriotic sci-fi film is an explosive adventure.
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Independence Day
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 28 parent reviews
Parents say this movie is a classic blend of action, humor, and drama that may be too intense for younger viewers due to its scary alien sequences and some strong language. While it offers entertaining performances, particularly by Will Smith, and impressive special effects, parents should be mindful of the content as it includes violence and suggestive material.
- action-packed
- parental guidance
- strong language
- impressive effects
- family friendly
Summarized with AI
Based on 70 kid reviews
Kids say this action-packed, sci-fi film presents an engaging tale of humans combating an alien invasion, filled with thrilling sequences and special effects that capture attention. While it includes mild language, violence, and some sexual content, many reviews suggest it's enjoyable for teens and adults, fostering family bonding during iconic viewings like Independence Day celebrations.
- action-packed fun
- mild language
- teen suitable
- family bonding
- iconic celebrations
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
When aliens suddenly lay waste to major cities around the globe, an international crew bands together on America's INDEPENDENCE DAY, July 4, to launch a counterattack. Among its heroes are a military pilot (Will Smith), the United States President (Bill Pullman), a satellite technician (Jeff Goldblum), and many others. Humanity thinks it's discovered a fatal weakness among the aliens, but only a knockdown fight with the extraterrestrials will prove whether or not the human race can be saved.
Is It Any Good?
Clever and intensely thrilling, this sci-fi movie even injects a healthy dose of humor if you can recognize its stock characters and movie plots. Independence Day harks 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, with everything from references to The War of the Worlds (1953) and The Day the Earth Stood Still to imagery from Earthquake and The Towering Inferno offering chuckles to knowing audiences. At the same time, the film boasts special effects and epic air battles that quickly became the gold standard following its release in 1996. This is the film that sky-rocketed Smith to blockbuster action-hero status. Overblown performances by Smith, Brent Spiner (as an addled scientist from Area 54), Judd Hirsch, and Harvey Fierstein will no doubt elicit a few guffaws too.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about stereotypes associated with action-disaster movies like Independence Day. How are race, class, and gender represented? Does the writing seem accurate, or biased—or a mix of both?
How does the violence in this movie compare to what you've seen in other sci-fi/action movies? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
How do the characters demonstrate teamwork? Why is that an important character strength?
Which characters are role models? Why?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 2, 1996
- On DVD or streaming : May 11, 2004
- Cast : Bill Pullman , Jeff Goldblum , Will Smith
- Director : Roland Emmerich
- Studio : Twentieth Century Fox
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Character Strengths : Teamwork
- Run time : 153 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sci-fi destruction and violence
- Awards : Academy Award - Other Category Winner , Academy Award - Other Category Nominee , BAFTA - BAFTA Nominee
- Last updated : December 11, 2025
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