Full Movie Reviews
Rating of
3/4
"Independence Day" by Yojimbo
Yojimbo - wrote on 12/21/2011
Devlin and Emmerich are hardly known for their sophistication and subtlety, and this big budget B-movie certainly won't change any minds on that score. It follows the summer blockbuster formula to the letter, but it is done with enough tongue in cheek humour to make it a hugely enjoyable experience. The action is all very gung-ho and flag waving (I'm still not sure if the president's "Independence Day" speech is meant to be taken seriously, but it always raises a laugh from me!) but thrillingly done; the dogfight through a canyon is as exciting as Hollywood action gets, and you can't help but cheer for Randy Quaid's boozy abductee in the climactic battle. Jeff Goldblum is at his least irritating and has some fantastic banter with his crotchety Jewish father played to perfection by …
Rating of
2/4
Bland
Franz Patrick - wrote on 10/06/2008
Even though this made millions of dollars in the box office, it’s a very disappointing film overall because it’s pretty on the outside but has nothing to offer inside. I think the filmmakers focused too much on the visual effects to the point where they totally ignored the emotional core. When it tried to be sentimental, it just didn’t work because most of the characters are one-dimensional so the audience can’t relate to their struggle. I expected this film to have more teeth and bite–the closest it came to reaching my expectations were scenes where we see the aliens up close. There’s real suspense during those scenes because we’re as curious as the characters that are interacting with them. As for its pacing, I couldn’t believe nothing happened during the first fifty …
Rating of
3/4
Good, but typical "Alien Invasion" movie
The M.O.W. - wrote on 08/01/2008
On July 2nd, communications around the world are sent into chaos as a signal is detected from what appears to be the moon.
At first, it appears to be one huge celestial body, but it is quickly learned that it is an enormous spacecraft that launches numerous smaller crafts that take positions over major cities around the world.
"Jack" (Jeff Goldblum), a former scientist, figures out that the aliens are using the world's satellites to send signals to each other to coordinate an attack which begins on July 3rd, when the ships begin to attack major cities around the globe.
Survivors of the attack converge on Area 51, a secret, but well-known, military facility in New Mexico. In a part of the facility, which is inaccessible to the majority of the survivors, is an alien craft which …
Rating of
3/4
Awesome effects
TheWolf - wrote on 07/30/2007
What kicks me about this movie is is that for its time the special effects were phenomenal! This was what made this movie one of the biggest grossing films of the time. Will Smith was finally on his own kicking away from the baby face image that he had from Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Admittedly ID4 is one of those semi-rare movies that people either love or hate. This was a time, we must remember, when the X-Files was on TV, as well as Millennium and when interest in aliens and end of the world prophecies were rampant, especially because the year 2000 was approaching. Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller is delivering the kind of action-hero role he has for the most part performed and is enjoyable nonetheless. Vivica A. Fox as a stripper/mother is another fine role, though she, like all the …
