6 Reasons Why Will Smith's Independence Day Is Still Great 30 Years Later

After 30 years, Independence Day, starring Will Smith, is still a great film. Roland Emmerich has been a hit-or-miss director for most of his career. Sometimes he makes a movie that genuinely connects with audiences, while other times he makes something like 1998’s Godzilla.

However, the one film that many fans have agreed is his best is Independence Day. Released on July 3, 1996, the film follows the perspectives of various people in the United States as Earth comes under siege by a hostile alien race. Setting their differences aside, they realize they must come together to take down a threat that could spell the end of humanity.

Independence Day isn’t a particularly deep film. In fact, it’s incredibly simple with a heavier focus on big-budget action than a well-thought-out script. Still, this movie is the perfect blend of action and sci-fi that makes it a phenomenal blockbuster. It has charming characters that fans can root for while showcasing some large-scale action scenes that showcase just how massive the story is.

It’s a fun film that has delighted audiences for years. Now, the movie has officially reached its 30th anniversary, and it’s since become a fan-favorite in Roland Emmerich’s filmography. There are so many things that make this film great all these years later, but six reasons ultimately come to mind when deciding why Independence Day is still great today.

1

The White House Destruction Scene Is Iconic

If there’s one scene that perfectly defines Independence Day, it’s the iconic shot of the alien spaceship destroying the White House. This image has come to fans’ minds for years when thinking about the film. The scene itself lasts for only a few moments, but it’s such a shocking sight that it’s stuck to the public consciousness for 30 years now.

What makes this scene so remarkable is just how well-executed it is. The calamity of seeing this US landmark so easily vaporized in such detail is remarkable. Plus, for a film that heavily uses CGI, the White House in the film was a miniature model, giving it that necessary extra impact when it was destroyed. The shattered glass and splintered wood were all real, making it a remarkable moment that stung the hearts of American audiences for decades.

2

Will Smith Plays One Of His Best Roles

Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller holding his son in Independence Day

Independence Day features a wide range of characters navigating the film’s alien invasion. However, Will Smith sticks out among the cast of Independence Day – perhaps unsurprisingly – as the headlining attraction. Captain Steven Hiller is fairly standard for someone stationed in the army, but Smith’s performance adds a ton of soul to the character. He’s witty, charming, and can be incredibly funny.

While Hiller certainly isn’t the most complex character ever written, Smith makes the character his own by seeing his family as his greatest motivation to stay alive and fight back. This prevents him from being fairly one-note, especially when he begins cracking one-liners. He even delivers one of the best lines in the film as he punches an alien square in the face, proclaiming, “Welcome to Earth.”

In a film with so many characters to keep track of, Will Smith’s role grounds the audience into a single protagonist that helps center the overall movie. Without his fantastic performance, Independence Day could have easily been less engaging as audiences navigated a sea of various lives onscreen with nothing to attach themselves to.

3

The Aerial Fights Are Among Roland Emmerich’s Best Action Scenes

Aliens Attack Area 51 In Independence Day's Climax — Aliens Attack Area 51 In Independence Day’s Climax

What Independence Day truly excels at is its use of action. Since the aliens in this film are primarily airborn, there are many incredible dogfights throughout the movie as humanity fights back against the extraterrestrial threat. One scene that stands out is the first major offensive against the aliens as Hiller navigates the Grand Canyon to chase after one of the interstellar ships. It’s filmed with such intensity that it’s hard to look away.

Plus, the final battle at Area 51 is particularly entertaining as the US president and various other pilots team up to buy time for Hiller and David, played by Jeff Goldblum, to install a computer virus into the aliens’ ship. It’s a thrilling sequence of traditional jets against advanced spacecraft, leading to a memorable sacrifice from Randy Quaid’s character.

4

Independence Day Features Incredible Alien Designs

When it comes to the primary antagonists, Independence Day gives audiences a great new look for their version of extraterrestrials. What makes these aliens so creepy is their organic armor that protects their actual bodies. They bear the large, formless eyes that are standard with the common depictions of aliens, but the creatures themselves have tentacles and psychic abilities that make them a huge threat.

Their first real moment on Area 51 is particularly frightening as they capture a scientist and use him as a host to release it from its captivity. It’s a horrifying scene that has caused nightmares for many young fans since the 1990s. Independence Day does such a phenomenal job showing how threatening these creatures are through their design and actions, making them such a worthy threat for the film’s story.

5

Bill Pullman Delivers A Phenomenal Speech

What makes Independence Day so special is a rousing speech delivered by Bill Pullman as the film’s US president. The night before the film’s climax, President Whitmore grabs the attention of everyone preparing for the attack by motivating them to put their differences aside. It’s a sequence that plays to the film’s overall heart as Whitmore proclaims that the Fourth of July will forever be known as a worldwide holiday as they fight back against the aliens’ forces.

This speech has gone on to become known as one of the greatest monologues in film history. It’s delivered with such passion and fervor that fans often cite it whenever talking about the most emotionally powerful movie scenes. It’s even become one of Bill Pullman’s most iconic performances in his long career because of the amount of soul he put into it to capture this moment.

6

Independence Day Includes A Great Unity Message

Will Smith as Captain Steven Hiller in his jet, looking defeatedly off camera in Independence Day.

By far, the best thing about Independence Day is its overall theme of unity. While Bill Pullman’s speech pulls it all together, the film does a great job showcasing people from different walks of life coming together to take on a major threat to their own existence. People join forces regardless of skin color, religion, ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and more to work together in the Earth’s greatest time of need.

This makes the overall diverse cast of Independence Day carry so much more meaning. This is a story about humanity and the trials we must overcome to ensure our survival. At the end of the day, the bickering between people is petty compared to greater forces that threaten human existence. The soldiers from various countries during World War II knew this when facing against authoritarianism, and this film ups the stakes by posing an interstellar threat.

This is the biggest reason why Independence Day continues to be great after 30 years. Its message is timely, even if the effects are dated by comparison. It shows humanity at its absolute best, especially in a time when people are more divided than ever. This is a film that will continue to live on as a stark reminder of what humanity can accomplish when they work together, uniting forces for the betterment of the human experience.

Source: YouTube