Independence Day [Blu-ray]
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Movie Reviews of Independence Day [Blu-ray]
Movie Review: Wow! Great Movie!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of my favorite movies, and Blu-ray just makes it look even more incredible!Movie Review: Cheese tastes very good on Blu-Ray
Summary: 4 Stars
More then a decade after the release of 90's mega-hit Independence Day, I'm still amazed, and amused at the people who insist on questioning the science behind. I have heard it all: The physics are wrong, those ships couldn't possibly hover above those cities without causing damage, military jets can't do that and don't even get me started on the nukes... you get the picture. It really brings a smile to my face. Then there are those who question the film's virtues on plot, story, characters and acting. Those people (even if they have a point) also make me laugh.
Quite simply, those people simply don't get it. Independence Day is not, and was never meant to be "scientificaly accurate". In fact, it was never meant to be taken as high drama or be an award contender (although those special effects deserve mention). Independence Day is a campy, tongue-in-cheek tribute to 50's sci-fi and you know what? I'm fine with that. It's the perfect pop-corn film. Before Roland Emmerich found success (thanks to this film) and tried to make the end of the world his ongoing obsession (along with taking himself too seriously) he made two gems that us movie fans will love forever: Stargate and this film. The merits and flaws of this film have been discussed ad nauseaum so let's look at the blu-ray release.
First the transer which, I think, is pretty outstanding. Considering this film was made way before the advent of HD, the film looks quite beautiful. Colors are bright and natural, textures are well defined.The military uniforms are a perfect example of this. There are a few flaws here and there but nothing major. There is some grain but I'm fine with that. It is film after all. A scene or two might look soft but again, unless you are looking for the specifics you will hardly notice. Even the effects, which were done right before the onset of CGI hold up very well. All the model work, motion control shots and blue screen compositions look seamless. This is especially noteworthy because High Definition has a tendency to reveal stuff that filmakers thought would stay hidden thanks to the "character" of traditional film. In this case, the hiding was very well done or the people who transfered the film really did their homework. By the way, if you own any type of Home Theater setup, get ready to get your senses attacked. The mix is pretty outstanding too.
On the special features front, this release has a major flaw: It does not include the extended version of the Ultimate Edition DVD. It only includes the theatrical version which is fine but here is the thing: The best extra by far in the package is the pop-up track that gives you little details of the film and it's production as you watch the film. The track is very insightful and fans of the film will really enjoy learning all the details, bloopers and stories. The problem is the track mentions the extended scenes of the DVD several times and makes you wonder why the heck didn't they just include them. In fact there is a lot of extras missing that were in the Ultimate Edition. One could argue that some of that stuff is outdated but they did include the original commentary track from the DVD and that certainly has not aged well. So what gives? My guess? Independence Day: Super-Mega-Ultra-Ultimate Blu-Ray 15th(or 20th) Anniversary Edition. You know how it goes.
Independence Day is a very entertaining film and it has aged very well. The transfer is awsome and looks great in HD. Some might hesitate knowing that there will probably a bigger release with more and newer features down the road but in my opinion the price of this blu-ray disc has come down enough to not feel too guilty about it.
Movie Review: Blu-ray looks good
Summary: 4 Stars
There are a bunch of regular reviews for the movie, so this is only for the blu-ray. To me, it is a worthwhile upgrade because overall, it is a nice improvement over the standard DVD. Certain well-lit non-action scenes look really incredible in blu-ray. Other action or FX shots just look pretty standard. Overall, though, it is an improvement. Sound is good, too. Only complaint that I had was that the scene menu was really slow and it tooks eons to scroll between scene previews. This could just be my player though.
Sadly, that scene where Russell flies his biplane into the alien's giant laser is not on here, but that's not that surprising because this disc is pretty short on special features. If you are looking for the extended version, it's not here. But for me, the fact that this disc doesn't have it or many other features isn't that big of a deal. Most of the deleted scenes were deleted with good reason (including the subplot of Russell's youngest son having some disease and not being his biological child...or something). Honestly, ID4 is one of those movies that I don't really want to think about that much, so I don't care that there isn't some one hour behind the scenes thing about how they made a miniature White House to blow up. I just care that the blu-ray is an improvement over the DVD. Of course, based on how many versions of the DVD that were released (I know of at least three that I saw personally), this is just the first of many editions.
Movie Review: Very good transfer. Worth upgrading if you're a fan of the film.
Summary: 4 Stars
This review is for the blu-ray version of the movie. I've found that the video quality is significantly better than the DVD. However, it is important to keep in mind that this movie was made in 1996, and some of the effects that looked cool then are less impressive in high-def. The sound is also wonderful.
As to the film itself, if you haven't seen it, it's a typical Roland Emmerich summer blockbuster movie. A lot of landmarks getting blown up, unlikely everymen become heroes, etc. The are plot holes aplenty, which are glossed over by a rising musical score. The characters are thin and many are nothing more than caricatures. Regardless, it's amusing and impressive in parts and is a good "popcorn movie" that offers 2 1/2 hours of mostly mindless entertainment.
Some reviews have complained that the blu-ray disc does not have the "extended version" on it. This is true, and normally this would upset me. However, I've watched both the theatrical and extended cuts on my DVD, and I firmly believe the theatrical version is the better cut. It's better paced and doesn't get lost with storylines relating to minor characters you really don't care about. The extended edition simply feels bloated. Also, on the DVD the scenes added in the extended version are of a noticeably lesser quality than the remainder of the film, which is distracting, so I really don't miss not having the extended cut on blu-ray.
Movie Review: Independently Exciting Sci-Fi Action/Adventure!
Summary: 4 Stars
Independently Exciting Sci Fi!
Director Roland Emmerich, who has pumped out exciting sci-fi like Stargate and not so great sci-fi such as 10,000 B.C., combined a 4th of July holiday with an alien invasion story.
The plot attempts to gain our sympathy with broken relationships, healing and desire as well as attracting our fanboy side with lots of explosions and air fights. The aliens themselves are almost inconsequential.
The film has plot inaccuracies and just plain silliness: uploading a computer virus to an alien craft that has Windows -- how cool is that? Or an unknown force field technology that somehow shows up on Earth's radar screens.
But despite the quibbles on the hackneyed dialogue and inaccurate science, there is a lot to say about Bill Pullman's acting. He is an ineffective president who not only rises to the occasion, but takes command and even goes into battle himself.
The drunk test pilot who sacrifices himself and regains his children's respect.
The old Black & White Day the Earth Stood Still plays momentarily on a TV screen in homage.
It's quite the action fest.
Recommended to all Americans.