Product Description

One of the biggest box office hits of all time delivers the ultimate encounter when mysterious and powerful aliens launch an all-out invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear in Earth's skies. But wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. Now the world's only hope lies with a determinded band of survivors, uniting for one last strike against the invaders - before it's the end of all mankind.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2518 in DVD
• Brand: SMITH,WILL
• Released on: 2003-02-11
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Original language: English, French
• Subtitled in: English, Spanish
• Dimensions: .25 pounds
• Running time: 145 minutes

Amazon.com
In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. --Tom Keogh

Customer Reviews

Good transfer, but still disappointing
I have to say that I'm a big fan of this film, and I already own the DVD. Most of those wanting to buy this film on Bluray are those who have already seen it and liked it, so I won't comment on the movie content itself, but rather the technical and supplemental aspects of this release.

I borrowed a friend's copy of the BD version of ID4 just a few weeks ago, as I was contemplating whether to add this to my small but growing blu-ray collection. The picture and audio are superb, and watching this on my new LCD at 1080p with the lossless DTS-MA audio track really transported me back to the July of '96, when I watched this on the big screen. This movie has certainly aged well these thirteen years, and the special effects are still terrific even today. While watching, I was pretty much set on adding this to my collection.

That is, until after I finished watching the movie and wanted to see the extras in HD.

The DVD version I have contains two discs and a lot of extras, including an alternate ending, making-of feature, trailers, and cast/crew interviews. Sadly, in this BD release there are none, not even in standard definition. The only "extra" is a commentary track, which, as an another reviewer already pointed out, is laughably outdated. At $25, I would expect more than just a movie and nothing else.

The Dark Knight BD had two discs plus a digital copy for the same price- that was justifiable, even in this economy. This... isn't.

FOX is notorious for double-dipping their DVD and Blu-ray releases. I would imagine that a two-disc or dual-layered "special edition" version will come out over the next year or so.

Needless to say, this BD release is quite a disappointment.

Independence Day
This is one of my most favorite movies!! It is hard to pick which is better the cast, special effects or writing. The special effects go without saying - superb. The timing on some of the events like the synchronized takedown of the different cities could not have been done better. I can't say enough nice things about the cast. Will Smith was funny at times and yet still the tragic hero. Randy Quaid was priceless! Jeff Goldblum was more likeable in this movie than I have ever seen him in the past. I also thought Robert Loggia and Bill Pullman were well chosen. While the script was similar to movies done in the past, there was a new spin on it. I particularly liked the scene when Bill Pullman gave his speech prior to fighting the enemy. Some borrowed history from a Dylan Thomas' poem was genius.

Good Movie - Great DVD
I bought this movie because Fox seems to put out excellent DVD's. The Abyss, Fight Club, Aliens - all great Special Editions with extras. The same is true of Independence Day. Disc 1 has the theatrical version as well as the Special Edition. Disc 2 is just full of Extra Features. Documentaries & Behind the Scenes Footage are all over the place. There is also an alternate ending. I'm sure most people have seen the movie - but just in case here's the quick lowdown. Alien battleships strategically position themselves around the world. They eventually attack earth & of course USA leads the world in a counter-attack. Great Special Effects & CGI throughout the movie. Great performances by Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Will Smith, Randy Quaid, Robert Loggia, Judd Hirsch and many more.

This is one of those DVD's that is actually worth buying. Movie gets a 4 - DVD deserves a 5. Way to go again Fox!