Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum

It is an ordinary summer day. But then, without warning, something very extraordinary happens. Enormous shadows fall across the land. Strange atmospheric phenomena, ominous and mesmerizing, surface ar...( read more  read more... )ound the globe. All eyes turn upward. The question of whether we're alone in the universe has finally been answered. And, in a matter of minutes, the lives of every person across the globe are forever changed. With the fate of our planet at stake, the Fourth of July is about to take on an entirely new meaning. No longer will it be an American holiday. It will be known as the day the entire world fought back. The day we did not go gentle into the good night... The day all of us on planet Earth celebrated our independence day.

Flixster Users

75% liked it

887,179 ratings

Critics

61% liked it

54 critics

PG-13, 2 hrs. 15 min.

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Release Date: July 2, 1996

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DVD Release Date: June 27, 2000

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Stats: 38,960 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (38,960)


  • October 9, 2006
    Ths movie made Will Smith, the undisputed name in box office blockbusters.
  • September 16, 2009
    Great SFX wasted on a poor script. Is it a modern day B-movie but not as good as the old school ones. It gets so schmaltzy towards the end, I?d rather watch Mars Attacks, at least the humour isn't out of place there as it is here! How they beat the aliens is also, incredibly bad.
  • August 22, 2009
    It was okay to watch.
  • July 11, 2009
    "We've always believed we weren't alone. Pretty soon, we'll wish we were."

    The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy. Fighting superior technology, Man's best weapon is the will to survive.

    REV
    ...( read more)IEW
    This film is a blast to watch, plain and simple. Sure, there isn't a great deal of character development and the plot is very straight forward, but not every movie has to be that way to be awesome. The movie grabs your attention from beginning to end and is very enjoyable throughout. Sure there are some lulls, but the more tense scenes make up for everything and then some. Will Smith is in his classic character here, full of his usual pep and one liners. The others put in good efforts as well, I particularly like Goldblum's role as the cable repairman. The special effects are good, the music is great, and I absolutely adore Bill Pullman's "independence day" speech. That alone makes this movie worth watching.
  • June 14, 2009
    Even though I'm not terribly fond of this movie, I think I've seen it about 10 times already. My husband loves watching Will Smith kick ET's ass.
  • November 20, 2009
    Incredible special effects, and nothing else.
  • November 20, 2009
    It's a fun movie, but that's about it. I have no idea what the overall message was or the purpose of an alien attack, aside from blowing cities to smithereens. There was some good acting from Jeff Goldblum and the nutcase that is Randy Quaid, but I just can take Bill Pullman seri...( read more)ously as the president. A lot of the effects are still good, but some are not so great.
  • November 20, 2009
    fantastic movie. love the sequence of the story.
  • November 19, 2009
    THAT'S RIGHT! Thats what you get! Look at you, ship all banged up! WHO'S THE MAN? HUH? WHO'S THE MAN? Wait until I get another plane! I am going to lower your friends RIGHT BESIDE YOU!-Cpt.Steven Hiller

    ...( read more)ence-day-a-scene-of-the-white-house-is-toasted-in-independence-day-1996-11013647">
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    Director.Roland Emmerich
    Cast:Will Smith,Jeff Goldblum,Bill Pullman,Randy Quaid
    Genre:Action,Science Fiction
    Year of release:1996
    Running Time.147 minutes

    Plot:
    It is an ordinary summer day. But then, without warning, something very extraordinary happens. Enormous shadows fall across the land. Strange atmospheric phenomena, ominous and mesmerizing, surface around the globe. All eyes turn upward. The question of whether we're alone in the universe has finally been answered. And, in a matter of minutes, the lives of every person across the globe are forever changed. With the fate of our planet at stake, the Fourth of July is about to take on an entirely new meaning. No longer will it be an American holiday. It will be known as the day the entire world fought back. The day we did not go gentle into the good night... The day all of us on planet Earth celebrated our independence day.

    Review:soon...
  • November 16, 2009
    this is one of mt fav movie

Critic Reviews


June 18, 2002
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The picture is ultimately fun, thanks mostly to the colorful characters and the mock-hero ic spirit that kicks in full-throttle after the world has almost been destroyed. full review

January 1, 2000
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The aliens, when we finally see them, are a serious disappointment; couldn't they think of anything more interesting than octopus men? full review

View more Independence Day reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • emgarcia2004
    August 19, 2009
    I love this movie so much that I watched it more than 10X really.
  • karthu1993
    May 2, 2008
    Enjoyable.
  • orinedlook
    March 29, 2008
    Well, I like everything about that movie though it ain't ''Alien''. xxxxx
  • yanski95
    December 18, 2007
    This is a great movie,, Will Smith was a *bam* there,, awesome!!!LOVE IT!!
  • Aritosgold
    November 7, 2007
    A must see very good;;
  • pimplalo
    March 8, 2007
    cool movie
  • jbpelican
    August 18, 2006
    This was awsome, especially the air battles which will keep you entertained every second. Not unlike the rest of the movie really.

    Justins Best Bit: Alien: "Graaaaah!!!!!"
    Will Smith: *punch* "Welcome to Earth!"

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Independence Day Trivia


  • His nickname was "Prince" because he could always charm his way out of trouble. He battled aliens wearing only black, saved a country on Independence Day and then became an Enemy of the State. Who is he?  Answer »
  • Which ONE of the following actors/actresses was both in the movie Independence Day, Jurassic Park 1, and Jurassic Park 2?  Answer »
  • In Independence Day, when escaping the mother ship, Levinson says "Faster, must go faster", a line which Goldblum's character also said in Jurassic Park when being chased by the T-rex.  Answer »
  • Who's the president of the US in the movie Independence Day?  Answer »

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