ID4 At Twenty

Rating: 9/10 (1 July 2016)

It seems difficult to believe that Independence Day turns twenty years old this year. One of the biggest films of the 1990s, ID4 (as it was known in publicity material) became one of the biggest crossing films of the decade and a template for the current era of disaster films. Yet despite its age, it's a film that continues to stand up remarkably well.
For one thing, it's well cast. While Will Smith has become a well known name as a result of this film and others like it, the ID4 cast is perhaps wisely made up largely of character actors who all give performances that help sell the incredible events of the film. These range from Jeff Goldblum as an MIT educated computer expert, Smith's fighter pilot Steve Hiller, Bill Pullman's President of the United States who comes into his own during the film's events to a supporting cast that includes Judd Hirsch, Robert Loggia, James Rebhorn, Mary McDonnell, Randy Quaid and Brent Spiner among others. Each has standout moments that helps to make the film work though with the potential exception of Smith no one really steals the show. It's as good an example as any of what an ensemble cast is capable of and especially so in a Hollywood movie.
What the film is perhaps best remembered for is its effects. Two decades later and shown either on large screen televisions or projected on screens, those effects hold up pretty well. From the opening scene on the Moon to the ship's entry over major cities to dogfights above cities and deserts, the film's is a powerful showing of what was being done on the end of the physical effects era and the beginning of heavy CGI effects. Yet the film's iconic moments as the White House, Empire State Building and other landmarks are wiped out (done with impressive physical models) makes a compelling case for a way of doing effects that has largely vanished in recent years. Perhaps the makers of this film, who helped to spur those efforts, might need to take a look at their work from two decades ago?
Beyond that, the film might well be the best thing that director Rolland Emmerich (and his producer/co-writer Dean Devlin) have ever produced. Independence Day is a surprisingly well constructed film, using the classic three act structure in a big budget sci- fi/disaster movie complex as we get set-up, defeat and then one last battle all in the space of around two and a half hours. Despite showing the worldwide nature of the film's events, it only rarely seems to hint at it briefly which makes the film feel at times oddly American centric (something overseas reviewers have noted for years) yet perhaps it notable that the filmmakers at least made the effort to expand the story at all. Combined with dialogue and knowing homages to some of the genre's classics, the result is a film that is tense and utterly enjoyable to watch.
It's also worth mentioning the the film's extended version as well. That version, which has seen the light of day on home video, contains some nine extra minutes of footage which is immensely helpful to the film. Not only does it help to flesh out not only characters but also some of the plot points that have been somewhat criticized over the years including setting up the film's ending. In a way it's a shame that version wasn't the original theatrical version or the one that came to be so well known on home video initially as it is a superior cut of the film to say the least.
Also worthy of mention is David Arnold's score. Though Arnold has already scored Stargate and was a year away from scoring the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies, it's this score that likely brought Arnold to greater attention than anything else. Though British, Arnold created one of the definitive American film scores of all time that includes rousing action scores and a memorable main theme. Yet Arnold's score also proves adept at both tension in the film's first hour and most especially in the lead-up to iconic moments as well as mournful sounds in its aftermath. It's a fine piece of work and a calling card for Arnold even today.
Keeping all that in mind, it isn't to see why Independence Day was a success both then and now. It's a well-cast, visual spectacle that uses classical story structuring, witty dialogue and a rousing score to produce a story that is as much a joy to watch now as it was twenty years ago. However one feels about its belated sequel, there is no doubting the power and success of this film.
And long may it continue to entertain generations to come.