Twenty-five year ago, Independence Day was first shown. It went on to gross an astonishing $800 million worldwide. Today, the scifi smash hit that starred Will Smith & Jeff Goldblum remains a favorite and popular film for Fourth of July viewers. What is it that keeps people coming back to this movie over and over again after all these years? These are my reasons to see the movie every July Fourth.
The results
The effects won an Academy Award for best visual effects, even though CGI was just beginning to be used in films. According to Variety, director Roland Emmerich said it best in the behind-the scenes featurette of the movie. He stated that "old-fashioned effects won't die out because they are simply too good."
Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum make a dynamic team
Will Smith's and Jeff Goldblum’s interactions were nothing short of amazing. It's hard to forget the frenetic dialogue they had as they returned the alien ship to its mother.
The aliens
Independence Day's aliens weren't only creepy, they were also quite nasty. You could almost smell them on the screen. They were clear in their evil intentions. One of the most frightening scenes was when Dr. Okun was cuffed by one of its tentacles to talk with him. It is chilling to hear President Whitmore's whisper-quiet voice tell him that peace cannot be achieved and that the aliens want everyone to die.
The delightfully campy Dr. Brakish orun
Brent Spiner played Dr. Okun, the role that epitomized geeky scientist. This role was quite different from his Lt. He was Commander Data and Star Trek fans will always remember him as Data. However, Spiner made the most of his limited screen time as the doctor.
Independence Day offers a little bit of everything
It may be a bit cheesy for some, but the film continues to attract viewers year after year. Whether it is the love story of Captain Steven Hiller (Vivica A. Independence Day has it all, whether it's the love story between Captain Steven Hiller and Jasmine Dubrow (Vivica A. It's not everyone's cup, but it's a 90s movie with an ending that explodes with fireworks.
