Fun little popcorn flick

Rating: 7/10 (4 July 2007)

I remember the hype that went behind this movie. A fairly Super Bowl commercial, a FOX special, a bunch of related shows or something... I don't remember the exact details, but I remember that there was a movement that was pushing this movie as a big deal.
So much hype back in the day...
Back when it was released in 1996-ish, I thought Independence Day was a fairly satisfying movie. It didn't have the most original plot in the world (aliens attempt to conquer Earth and it's up to the humans to repel them - where have we NOT seen that one before?), but it was still a thrill to see the special effects, thrilling aerial battles, and whatnot. Some ten odd years later, the movie has lost much of its luster, but not so much its fun element.
Those "exciting" special effects? They still serve a purpose and they're still okay, but nothing special. The plot is somewhat thin and the slow scenes are fairly slow enough to get you out of the mood. Even the tense moments seem predictable and it's not due to repeated viewings. Despite all this, it's still a fairly decent popcorn flick worth killing a night if you have nothing better to watch. It's not a sophisticated movie, it's not a masterpiece, it's just a fun little action flick with aliens and lots of explosions.
Independence Day is worth a look if you're looking for a quick fix of action movies, but anyone looking for high art should look elsewhere. Good messy fun.