Reviewed by Johnny McNair 

Fox Home Entertainment – 145 minutes – 1996 – PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.35:1 – DTS Lossless 5.1 Audio Mix

The concept of aliens from outer space coming to Earth in flying saucers to attack us has been a highlighted in movies since the 50’s. Besides an all out nuclear war, this seems to be one of mankind’s dark fears. In the 70’s and 80’s movies about aliens from another world were tamed and shown as friendly visitors to Earth, such as in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, E.T., and Starman. But in 1996 Twentieth Century Fox unleashed the mother of all alien invasion flicks, Independence Day (otherwise known as ID4), and completely ruled the summer. Independence Day makes its debut in high definition on Blu-ray from Fox Home Entertainment ready to whip E.T.’s butt.

THE MOVIE

Two days before Independence Day, UFO’s arrive on Earth all around the world. The ships remain positioned in the sky in specific locations in major cites, but they take no action for the next few days, causing some to rejoice that contact with another world has been made, while scientist and the military are worried that this is the calm before the storm. Then on July 4^th all hell breaks loose as the UFO’s attack the positions they were located, destroying cities, and the symbol of America…The White House. Obviously, we don’t care about the rest of the world, so this is just about how America deals with the situation, banding together to fight the alien invasion with the aide of every Hollywood special effect on hand.

Filmmaking team Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin went all out to make a big budget popcorn flick with an all-star cast, throwing in everything but the kitchen sink. Even though you will see a lot of familiar faces including Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Randy Quaid, Mary McDonnell, and Vivica A. Fox, it is Will Smith who steals the movie, making ID4 the first blockbuster to put him on the Hollywood map. This is the film where he screamed his first “Aw hell no!” and made the audience applaud with joy.

ID4 falls into the category of “good dumb fun,” because it was made to just entertain and make a fast buck by mixing together every film we’ve already seen before, into one big scoop on the cone. Unlike the films it imitates, Star Wars, Alien, and Top Gun, after ID4 is over…it’s over. You’ll barely remember it the next day, and it will never fall into the classic path of the films it’s copying. It’s paced more like a TV show rather than a motion picture, feeling like one big episode of “V” (remember that show?). There rare so many characters, and very little time to flesh any of them out, so each person just says a line and moves on until their turn is up again. Will Smith shines in this film because he’s having so much, acting out his Star Wars Luke Skywalker fantasy, and playing the role like it’s one big video game.

The special effects really didn’t age well, being that this film was released before the rise of CGI, miniatures, blue screen photography, and bad alien costumes are used to the extreme. And you’ll notice that any effect that takes place at night looks good, but the daylight special effects shots look a little on the cheesy side. Compare this to the recently released War of the Worlds, and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

In the end watching ID4 is like eating junk food, it’s great when you’re munching it down, but later you get a bellyache, thinking you should have had something else. After 12 years no one is talking about it in the same likes as other science fiction films, but it does make a great babysitter movie because it’s safe and will keep the kids occupied for a few hours. After ID4 Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin went on to make such crap-fest as Godzilla and 10,000 B.C., films that also made money, (not as much as ID4) but lack any soul. Go figure.

VIDEO

Independence Day is presented in a 2:35.1 aspect ratio with 1080p resolution and it looks good…Not spectacular. No doubt this is a leap above the DVD, but a 40 year old film like 2001: A Space Odyssey on Blu-ray looked much more superior. ID4’s colors are sharp, but they don’t leap out at the screen. And skin tones look flat in places, especially when the actors are in special effect layered shots. There are many daylight scenes that look great, such as the Nevada desert sequence; but look at the grain in the tunnel scene that looks even worse when the fireball starts to engulf everything. Unfortunately it is the dated effects that may make you cringe watching certain scenes this in high definition, because the image is so sharp at times that you can see matte lines. The good thing about newer CGI effects is that they were made for HD, and if done right highlight the scene. This is a good transfer, and the best one yet for true fans of the film, but it won’t make your jaw drop.

AUDIO

Offering a DTS Lossless 5.1 audio mix, the sound on this Blu-ray is incredible and is the true highlight of the film. Every time a jet swoops across the screen, you’ll feel like it’s in your living room. The entire finale of this film is one big sound effects circus, so if you don’t have a good sound system, you’re missing out on the best part of the ride, because TV speakers won’t cut do it justice. Dialogue is also crystal clear, and does not get lost or meshed into all the explosions and other sounds occurring. Nothing to complain about here, just sit back and enjoy the show.

EXTRAS

For a film that has made a truckload of money for Fox, it’s odd that the extra features are so shallow (sounds like a double-dip in the future). The various super editions from the standard DVD had plenty of extras to choose from, but the Blu-ray just ports over a few.

There are two audio commentary tracks, the first with the filmmakers, Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin who will talk your ears off on their influences for the film, particularly the ending of Return of the Jedi, and what made them to choose Will Smith for the starring role. If you’re a fan of this film there is a lot of information here, so it does demand a repeat listening to take it all in.

The second commentary features the team behind ID4’s special effects, Doug Smith and Volker Engel, who talk about the details of the making the effects for certain scenes. Like the effects themselves, this is a dated track that is kind of a snoozer that’ll keep your finger on the fast forward button.

To fill up space on the Blu-ray, there are a couple of games that go along with the film. Alien Scavenger Hunt is a silly game where you watch the film and use your remote control to activate the crosshairs and collect objects that are prompted on screen at during points of the film. Is this fun…No.

Next is the ID4 Data-stream Trivia Track, a basic pop-up that is triggered during certain moments of the film letting you answer questions about such things as special effects and characters.

A Keyword Search highlights people, places, and things in the film that once selected jumps to the scene that relates to it.

Then there’s the D-Box that Fox is really pushing on us that makes a specialized chair (that no one has) rumble during particular scenes to immerse them.

If you’re into seeing HD trailers there’s a few Fox titles for your viewing pleasure including I, Robot, X-Men: The Last Stand, Predator, and The Fly.

BOTTOM LINE

It’s got spaceships, lasers, and explosions galore. It’s a popcorn movie and in the summer of 1996 it was the best thing since sliced bread. ID4 may have not have held up during the years, but it’s nostalgic as the first Will Smith blockbuster, and it shows that Americans kick ass when they are pushed too far. This Blu-ray is worth taking a look at, with a good picture and a fantastic sound mix. The extras are not very attractive, but Fox is notorious for releasing future “special editions” for their library titles. True fans of the film and those anxious to build their Blu-ray library will get this no matter what because is sells itself. But let’s see how you feel about the film now that you’re 12 years older.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 2.5

Video: 3.5

Sound: 4.0

Extras: 2.5

Bottom Line: 3.0