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Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch ... see more see more... , Margaret Colin , Jay Acovone , Adam Baldwin , Kimberly Beck , John Capodice , Greg Collins , Deenie Dakota , Malcom Danare , Thomas F. Duffy , Jerry Dunphy , Bobby Hosea , Rance Howard , Jana Marie Hupp , Lisa Jakub , Tim Kelleher , Carlos Lacamara , Dan Lauria , Robert Loggia , Nelson Mashita , Jon Mathews , Jack Moore , John Bennett Perry , Jeff Phillips , Jim Piddock , Robert Pine , David Pressman , George Putnam , Randy Quaid , James Rebhorn , Elston Ridgle , Raphael Sbarge , Pat Skipper , Bill Smitrovich , Brent Spiner , Lisa Star , John Storey , Mark Thompson , Lyman Ward , Mirron E. Willis , Michael Winther , Harry Connick Jr. , Harvey Fierstein , Barry Nolan , Frank Novak , Frank Welker , Anthony Crivello , Vivica A. Fox , Robin Groth , Richard Pachorek , Kevin Sifuentes , Richard Speight Jr , Ross Elliot Bagley , James Duval , Andrew Keegan , Mae Whitman , Devon Gummersall , Leland Orser , Kiersten Warren , Thom Barry , Joe Fowler , John McLaughlin , Randy Oglesby , Ross Lacy , John Bradley , Giuseppe Andrews , Fred Barnes , James Wong , Wayne Wilderson , Adam Tomei , Sayed Badreya , Eleanor Clift , Joyce Cohen , Jack Germond , Steve Giannelli , James J. Joyce , Morton Kondracke , Carlos Lara , Michael G. Moertl , Mike Monteleone , Julie Moran , Marisa Morell , Vivian Palermo , Matt Pashkow , Eric Paskel , Lee Strauss , Troy Willis , Eric Michael Zee , Brooks Arthur

A group of intrepid humans attempts to save the Earth from vicious extraterrestrials in this extremely popular science-fiction adventure. Borrowing liberally from War of the Worlds, Aliens, and every ... read more read more...sci-fi invasion film inbetween, director Roland Emmerich and producer and co-writer Dean Devlin present a visually slick, fast-paced adventure filled with expensive special effects and large-scale action sequences. The story begins with the approach of a series of massive spaceships, which many on Earth greet with open arms, looking forward to the first contact with alien life. Unfortunately, these extraterrestrials have not come in peace, and they unleash powerful weapons that destroy most of the world's major cities. Thrown into chaos, the survivors struggle to band together and put up a last-ditch resistance in order to save the human race. As this is a Hollywood film, this effort is led by a group of scrappy Americans, including a computer genius who had foreseen the alien's evil intent (Jeff Goldblum), a hot-shot jet pilot (Will Smith), and the President of the United States (Bill Pullman). While some critics objected to the film's lack of originality and lapses in logic, the combination of grand visual spectacle and crowd-pleasing storytelling proved irresistible to audiences, resulting in an international smash hit. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Flixster Users

75% liked it

887,179 ratings

Critics

61% liked it

56 critics

PG-13, 2 hr. 25 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: 40,974 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (40,974)

  • fb1710827246
    March 26, 2012
    fb1710827246
    It works, for all it is worth, though not much can be said of any depth or realism, it is a sci-fi flick with good old sci-fi goodness.
  • fb1463751009
    March 24, 2012
    fb1463751009
    "Apocalypse 52: Alien Invasion" is what this movie should be called. Roland Emmerich's best movie, which isn't saying much cause he's done the same movie hundreds of times now, but this time, the world is getting destroyed by aliens. So cheesy, but its pretty entertaining neverth... read moreeless.
  • FiLmCrAzY
    March 23, 2012
    FiLmCrAzY
    Its a good movie, if you like sci-fi action mixed in with will smths humour then you'll very much enjoy this quirky, amusing alien movie!
  • jarobb3
    January 24, 2012
    jarobb3
    is there anything better than this movie? the answer, is no.
  • aquateen2
    January 20, 2012
    aquateen2
    Apart from the visuals, Independence Day is a god awful film. Its a majorly flawed film and the plot is extremely thin, dull and the whole setup is a rip off of classic 1950's alien films. Determined to be nothing more than a big budget box office smash hit and nothing else. Inde... read morependence day does more than deliver.
  • sanjurosamurai
    December 22, 2011
    sanjurosamurai
    one of the true sci fi greats of the past 20 years. still one of smiths best films, and definitely emmerich's best. just so much fun.
  • garyX
    October 25, 2011
    garyX
    Devlin and Emmerich are hardly known for their sophistication and subtlety, and this big budget B-movie certainly won't change any minds on that score. It follows the summer blockbuster formula to the letter, but it is done with enough tongue in cheek humour to make it a hugely e... read morenjoyable experience. The action is all very gung-ho and flag waving (I'm still not sure if the president's "Independence Day" speech is meant to be taken seriously, but it always raises a laugh from me!) but thrillingly done; the dogfight through a canyon is as exciting as Hollywood action gets, and you can't help but cheer for Randy Quaid's boozy abductee in the climactic battle. Jeff Goldblum is at his least irritating and has some fantastic banter with his crotchety Jewish father played to perfection by veteran comic Judd Hirsch. The characters are all walking cliches and the characterisation just a load of soapy melodrama but it's little more than mercifully brief window dressing for the rollercoaster ride of the alien invasion. The ground breaking effects still look good today and it's really good fun if you don't take it too seriously; big, dumb and a lot of fun.
  • fb100002090596996
    September 4, 2011
    fb100002090596996
    Nice work for a movie about an alien invasion. This, of course, isn't the most original alien abduction movie around, but it sure is a good one. It's actually not a thriller, either, but instead, an action flick about the war against aliens on July 4th, 1996. Nice effects, too. I... read moret was like War of the Worlds' (2005) tripods, and Star Wars' Death Star, in the fact that the movie's effects ultimately succeed in the size of the Mothership. The story is not very great, but it's well enough for a decent action film for the night.
  • fb729949618
    July 31, 2011
    fb729949618
    Thought this was the coolest movie as a 2nd grader. Still think it's cool today.
  • sergioogarcia
    July 5, 2011
    sergioogarcia
    A classic US Hollywood. Is SO ridiculous that is funny. The idea of an alien invasion, kept rusting at the back of Hollywood studios until Ronald Emerich brought it back. Amazing and huge spaceships that reminded me that Star Destroyer at the beggining in Star Wars. Again US sav... read moree us all. Even the president fly in combat and beat the ETs. Why everyone want us to convince that ETs are salvages like us? I don't get it. But stil is fun to watch, Will Smith is the man, Vivica Fox looks WOW, and the special effects are something to remember.

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Critic Reviews

Carol Buckland
March 5, 2008
Carol Buckland, CNN.com

Splendidly cheesy entertainment. Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum
March 5, 2008
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly

It's the first futuristic disaster movie that's as cute as a button. Which, when all the special effects blow over, is what we Americans like in a monster hit. Full Review

David Ansen
March 5, 2008
David Ansen, Newsweek

If I were a 10-year-old boy, I'd probably think it was the coolest movie going. Full Review

Todd McCarthy
March 5, 2008
Todd McCarthy, Variety

As unavoidably entertaining as it is hopelessly cornball. Full Review

Rita Kempley
March 5, 2008
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Maybe the moviemakers' mission was to boldly go where everyone in Hollywood has gone before: the bank. Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum
March 5, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

The earnestness, the effects, and the notion of a whole world forgetting its differences to defeat a common foe carry a certain charm. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
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

Kenneth Turan
February 14, 2001
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

So much about ID4 is so old it's inevitable that homesick audiences, eager for familiar scenarios, will embrace it as if it's nothing but new. Full Review

Caryn James
January 1, 2000
Caryn James, New York Times

The film has a genial it's-only-a-movie attitude that sets it apart, quite emphatically, from other blockbuster action movies. Full Review

Kevin McManus
January 1, 2000
Kevin McManus, Washington Post

As for the human characters, they give merely adequate back-seat support to the special effects that drive this big-budget thriller. Full Review

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    • Jasmine Dubrow: [hides from explosion] Boomer!
    • Boomer: Ruff?
    • Jasmine Dubrow: Boomer!
    • Boomer: Ruff! [runs up to them]
    • David Levinson: [looks at the clock on his computer] Time's up...
    • David Levinson: You're obsessed with 'fat lady'.
    • Capt. Steven Hiller: Now that's what I call a close encounter.
    • David Levinson: We're hit! We took a hit!
    • Capt. Steven Hiller: We're not hit! We're not hit! Stop side-seat driving!
    • President Thomas J. Whitmore: 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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