EARTH. TAKE A GOOD LOOK. IT COULD BE YOUR LAST.

An inflated and patriotic throwback to those grand space movies and disaster flicks of the 1950s and ‘70s, this story, where Earth is attacked by huge space ships and must retaliate, could be described as the ultimate invasion matinee. Stirring in the beginning, with visual effects so impressive you wish the movie wasn’t this silly. The obliteration of the White House and the Empire State Building is frighteningly forceful. But the movie doesn’t come up with much of its own; we’re too easily reminded of the films that inspired this one. When we finally get to see the aliens, it is also a bit of a letdown; after all, we fear the unknown. 

1996-U.S. 145 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Roland Emmerich. Screenplay: Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich. Music: David Arnold. Visual Effects: Volker Engel, and others. Cast: Will Smith (Steven Hiller), Bill Pullman (Thomas J. Whitmore), Jeff Goldblum (David Levinson), Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch, Margaret Colin… Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Harvey Fierstein, Adam Baldwin, Harry Connick, Jr.. 

Trivia: The special edition runs 15 minutes longer. Followed by Independence Day: Resurgence (2016).

Oscar: Best Visual Effects.

IMDb