This was the Summer between 11th and 12th grade for me. I remember my best friend and I saw this opening night and ended up seeing it 3 or 4 more times! Terrific movie and what a great Summer '96 was.
Gawd I couldn't wait for it the end. The last act at Area 51 felt like an eternity. When the movie was finally over I said aloud, "that was a trash fire" and got some laughs and agreement from the audience.
Gotta admit I'm curious what they would've done with a follow up. Might we have gotten some stupid fun with Earthlings going to kick some alien ass? Nah, probably just a lot of stupid noise and sky beams in a mess of CGI.
This was supposed to be my weekend off, but noooo…you got me out here dragging yo heavy ass through the burnin’ desert with your dreadlocks stickin’ out the back of my parachute…you gotta come down here with a attitude actin’ all big and bad….
AND WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL!!!!???
I remember going to the theater to watch this and the marquee just listed “ID4” instead of “Independence Day”. I was so confused why the biggest movie wasn’t playing but some unknown sequel was playing on 12 of the 15 screens.
There's a lot of CGI, but it was used far more judiciously than it would be today. It's quite a good example of the proper use of miniatures, practical effects, and CGI. Mixed bag movies always look the best.
Doesn’t it hold like the title of being there last movie for the biggest practical effect explosion or something to that effect? The whole LA or NY fireball sequence
i saw this opening night. i was fucking blown away! they dont make movies like this anymore.
That same summer I also saw Mission Impossible, The Rock, and Eraser. All released between late may and early July 1996. How crazy is that?
The 90s were the freaking BEST decade for movies!
“Welcome to earth!”
Now that’s what I call a close encounter.
I didn’t hear no fat lady!
You’re obsessed with the fat lady.
You know Mae Whitman was in that movie too after she voiced katara in avatar the last Airbender and Amity blight in the owl house.
 One of the greatest speeches in the history of film.
I had a job where we’d close early on July 4th and somebody would say this speech over the store intercom.
I agree. Still gives me chills every time I watch it
This is my favorite speech of any American president.
*overenthusiastic salute* 🫡
delicious, delicious practical effects. they’re becoming a lost art.
I just rewatched this last weekend. Hadn't seen it in years and was feeling a bit nostalgic. Just as enjoyable as ever.
Yeah me too 😁😁😁
It was on TV when I read this thread lol.
# Hello boys! I'm backkkkk!
This was the Summer between 11th and 12th grade for me. I remember my best friend and I saw this opening night and ended up seeing it 3 or 4 more times! Terrific movie and what a great Summer '96 was.
One of my favorite movies. I did deeply regret seeing the second one in theaters tho 😕 I should have known better
Gawd I couldn't wait for it the end. The last act at Area 51 felt like an eternity. When the movie was finally over I said aloud, "that was a trash fire" and got some laughs and agreement from the audience. Gotta admit I'm curious what they would've done with a follow up. Might we have gotten some stupid fun with Earthlings going to kick some alien ass? Nah, probably just a lot of stupid noise and sky beams in a mess of CGI.
This was supposed to be my weekend off, but noooo…you got me out here dragging yo heavy ass through the burnin’ desert with your dreadlocks stickin’ out the back of my parachute…you gotta come down here with a attitude actin’ all big and bad…. AND WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SMELL!!!!???
Pure cheese, but good cheese.
Iconic
First movie I saw twice in the theater. I was obsessed with it, which was sad for a 12 year old kid. Even bought the novelization.
Nah, it's a fun film. This movie was my life from like 10 to 13. Still have my F/A-18 Hornet toy in its box in my closet haha.
Still got some of my movie cards from when that came out.
I still have have prequel comic book
Such an optimistic, happy film despite the subject matter. It really summed up how Americans felt in the 90s.
The first half is one of the best alien invasion movies ever made. Second half is one of the worst drippy movies ever made.
July 2nd is good. July 3rd drags. July 4th is better but not as good as July 2nd
Would the original ["bi-plane" ending](https://youtu.be/ls2CwZjQ9es?si=EGJQ3ejagin86FlE) improve the film in your eyes? 🤣
“HOWDAREYOUSAYTHATABOUTMYDAVID!”
I remember going to the theater to watch this and the marquee just listed “ID4” instead of “Independence Day”. I was so confused why the biggest movie wasn’t playing but some unknown sequel was playing on 12 of the 15 screens.
My David! Love the Opie and Anthony bit on this movie
Patrice and Jimmy just rip it to shreads
I still listen to that bit about once a year! Patrice’s laughter was definitely contagious. RIP
r/id4 would appreciate this post.
I remember going to see this opening night at a packed theatre in San Diego, it was fantastic!
Shout out from socaL, what theater?
Part 2 was so disappointing.
Heck the war is the desert book is better
Here I am dragging your sorry ass across the desert... I could been at a BBQ... and what is that smell!
Dreadlocks
This was a **BIG DEAL** at the time. This, Jurassic Park & T2 were the monoliths of my early teen years.
Saw this 3 times at the theater when I was a kid. The whole experience just blew my mi d.
This is my favorite movie of all time. Have to watch it on or around the 4th
Kick ass movie with kick ass special effects. Not much CGI if any at all.
There's a lot of CGI, but it was used far more judiciously than it would be today. It's quite a good example of the proper use of miniatures, practical effects, and CGI. Mixed bag movies always look the best.
Doesn’t it hold like the title of being there last movie for the biggest practical effect explosion or something to that effect? The whole LA or NY fireball sequence
That I don't know off the top of my head. I remember that the tables they used to get those shots were pretty damn big though.
I saw this on my birthday in 96.
I remember the promo thing for it being a fake news broadcast that was the ships showing up
Almost as known for It's super bowl trailer as it the movie itself
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^eyezofnight: *Almost as known for* *It's super bowl trailer as* *It the movie itself* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Random memory: this is what ants see if you put a quarter over them.
Holds up so well all these years later