I love Independence Day to death. I know it's a fairly cookie-cutter action movie, but it's one of the best, most well-made cookie-cutter action movies ever.

Goddammit, I think I'm going to have to see this turd of a sequel in theaters. That's how much I loved ID4. Goddamn you Roland Emmerich.

"IT IS A FARGATE! From the makers of Thindependence Day! We will give it a mohawk and wheelchair if you need help."

/totally unrelated.

In Independence Day, it was about a king who leads his country into a fight against an outside invader. I didn't want to make that movie during the Bush years. It was not thought that George W. Bush would have made a great king. Now with Obama, it's another story.



Here's a quick prediction: This movie is going to *SUCK*.

I hear this time the aliens use Macs.

PenguinTheRed: In Independence Day, it was about a king who leads his country into a fight against an outside invader. I didn't want to make that movie during the Bush years. It was not thought that George W. Bush would have made a great king. Now with Obama, it's another story.



Here's a quick prediction: This movie is going to *SUCK*.

Wow. That is weapons grade stupid in the article.

Welcome to Earf!

Obama inspired a disaster movie? I'm SHOCKED.

/Runs

Will it feature Will Smith? B/C I love him.

Treygreen13: PenguinTheRed: In Independence Day, it was about a king who leads his country into a fight against an outside invader. I didn't want to make that movie during the Bush years. It was not thought that George W. Bush would have made a great king. Now with Obama, it's another story.



Here's a quick prediction: This movie is going to *SUCK*.

Wow. That is weapons grade stupid in the article.

This sounds like the Black Hole of Suck
and, no -- this is not a poke at Obama's Race

Sybarite: I hear this time the aliens use Macs.

One of the more unintentionally funny scenes in ID4 was when Goldblum and Smith are trying to hack the mothership, an obvious Apple Remote Access screen is shown negotiating a PPP connection. I said to a friend of mine, "I didn't realize the TCP/IP stack was a universal constant!"

It's always been an interesting concept for a movie, but will it work? Maybe.

theorellior: Sybarite: I hear this time the aliens use Macs.

One of the more unintentionally funny scenes in ID4 was when Goldblum and Smith are trying to hack the mothership, an obvious Apple Remote Access screen is shown negotiating a PPP connection. I said to a friend of mine, "I didn't realize the TCP/IP stack was a universal constant!"

This from the guy who brought us:

Godzilla (the crappy American version)
The Day After Tomorrow
10,000BC

And the soon to be release and most likely to crash and burn:
2012

By and large this guy is a legend in his own mind.

And here I was thinking earlier today that as fun and flawed as ID4 was as a summer blockbuster, I was glad it wasn't completely ruined by some stupid-ass cash-in sequel. I guess I thought too soon.

Ugh, I'm not sure I what to think. ID4 was awesome (despite how stupid the solution ended up being), and I've always wondered if that was all there was to the aliens, but Emmerich's work since then has been crap, so...?

I'm torn. :-P

alternative girlfriend: Ugh, I'm not sure I what to think. ID4 was awesome (despite how stupid the solution ended up being), and I've always wondered if that was all there was to the aliens, but Emmerich's work since then has been crap, so...?

I'm torn. :-P

I did like The Patriot and The Day After Tomorrow, but I will freely admit they are guilty pleasures.

Go ahead and hate now, but one day critics will put Emmerich on the same pantheon as the likes of Kubrick, Goddard, and Orson Wells.


Ok...he probably won't, but he SHOULD be

Jonathan Hohensee: Ok...he probably won't, but he SHOULD be

You'll need to back that statement up with some reasoning and citations, good sir.

After Independence Day brought us Bill Pullman as the inspirational President Whitmore, Emmerich didn't feel the spirit of the film was compatible with the times of the Bush administration:

That's too bad. I'd think the "waterboarding the aliens" scene would be particularly poignant.

IXI Jim IXI: That's too bad. I'd think the "waterboarding the aliens" scene would be particularly poignant.

Who would get to play Lynndie England?

After Independence Day brought us Bill Pullman as the inspirational President Whitmore, Emmerich didn't feel the spirit of the film was compatible with the times of the Bush administration

But it did in The Day After Tomorrow?

I liked ID4. Fun movie.... where would the second take off from? Did it turn out that the aliens who came to Earth were just a "scouting party" of sorts?

/shrugs
//goes off to kick the tires and light the fires

theorellior: Jonathan Hohensee: Ok...he probably won't, but he SHOULD be

You'll need to back that statement up with some reasoning and citations, good sir.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGUqd_M6Mg (new window)
Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world.
And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day!

/citation

FishyFred: Goddammit, I think I'm going to have to see this turd of a sequel in theaters. That's how much I loved ID4.

I don't love ID4, but so long as the reviews weren't too brutal (like Transformers 2), I'll see it. I was watching ID4 on cable a few weeks ago and kept bouncing between "this is pretty good" and "this is pretty good trash". It has an endearing (though stupid) quality to it.

theorellior: Who would get to play Lynndie England?

Lady Gaga?

Jonathan Hohensee: /citation

And just what was that supposed to prove?

And the first ID4 inspired Bush to dress up in a flight suit. There's a certain symmetry in that.

As silly as hacking an alien computer with a Mac book from 1996 is, you have to admit the computer virus that gave rise to a kick ass air battle was more interesting than the regular virus that just brought Spielberg's War of the Worlds to a fizzling halt.

/yes, that was the ending in the novel
//doesn't mean that it was cinematic
///In two instances Spielberg made the ending of a novel better

Bill Pullman? I like that guy from Twister!

RoxtarRyan: I liked ID4. Fun movie.... where would the second take off from? Did it turn out that the aliens who came to Earth were just a "scouting party" of sorts?

That's always been my guess.

"So...you think you killed us, hoo-man?"

ID4 was one of the few movies I saw opening night in the theater. Funny how much cheering there was. Also funny that one of the times was when Brent Spiner got killed :D

Mugato: And the first ID4 inspired Bush to dress up in a flight suit. There's a certain symmetry in that.

As silly as hacking an alien computer with a Mac book from 1996 is, you have to admit the computer virus that gave rise to a kick ass air battle was more interesting than the regular virus that just brought Spielberg's War of the Worlds to a fizzling halt.

/yes, that was the ending in the novel
//doesn't mean that it was cinematic
///In two instances Spielberg made the ending of a novel better

I dunno, the son magically wandering back to an untouched home (after being at the impact zone of a tremendous alien weapon explosion) at the same time as the father and daughter stumbling home was quite possibly the most dumb ending of any big budget movie. He should be ashamed of how that loose end was tied up.

IXI Jim IXI: ID4 was one of the few movies I saw opening night in the theater. Funny how much cheering there was. Also funny that one of the times was when Brent Spiner got killed :D

Same thing here. Hell, I think I saw it again the weekend after it opened. All that movie needed was some naked women to be the perfect summer movie.

theorellior: Jonathan Hohensee: Ok...he probably won't, but he SHOULD be

You'll need to back that statement up with some reasoning and citations, good sir.

That speech aside, I think that he does tap into something deeply emotional and intellectual in his films, even though I admit I HIGHLY doubt that Emmerich intended to do so.



I love the imagery and narrative of how he will blow up national monuments, for example.
Collectively, as a society, we assume that institutions and their symbols (such as a White House) will stand forever and so it is jarring to witness a foreign force come in out of no where and seamlessly obliterate them. It's a pretty powerful image, and says a lot that nearly everyone could identify the movie based on that one frame. How many directors can create an image like that?

He's not perfect, but he's really unappreciated for doing things right as a director that not a lot of directors do right.

Treygreen13: I dunno, the son magically wandering back to an untouched home (after being at the impact zone of a tremendous alien weapon explosion) at the same time as the father and daughter stumbling home was quite possibly the most dumb ending of any big budget movie. He should be ashamed of how that loose end was tied up.

IIRC, they did that movie on the quick and the cheap, so I always kinda figured they ended the movie when they ran out of money. Because yeah that ending did feel like it was just sorta... there.

Jonathan Hohensee: I love the imagery and narrative of how he will blow up national monuments, for example.

Yeah

Clarence Potter: Treygreen13: I dunno, the son magically wandering back to an untouched home (after being at the impact zone of a tremendous alien weapon explosion) at the same time as the father and daughter stumbling home was quite possibly the most dumb ending of any big budget movie. He should be ashamed of how that loose end was tied up.

IIRC, they did that movie on the quick and the cheap, so I always kinda figured they ended the movie when they ran out of money. Because yeah that ending did feel like it was just sorta... there.

They didn't have to have the son (whose apparent death was the moment when the main character had lost the most) magically survive the explosion that wiped out the bulk of the US military and then arrive home at the exact same time.

Just leave the son dead. There is no reason to ressurrect him. It's even cheaper to not drag his ass on set to show up in the scene and cause the audience to go "WTF?"

Treygreen13: Mugato: And the first ID4 inspired Bush to dress up in a flight suit. There's a certain symmetry in that.

As silly as hacking an alien computer with a Mac book from 1996 is, you have to admit the computer virus that gave rise to a kick ass air battle was more interesting than the regular virus that just brought Spielberg's War of the Worlds to a fizzling halt.

/yes, that was the ending in the novel
//doesn't mean that it was cinematic
///In two instances Spielberg made the ending of a novel better

I dunno, the son magically wandering back to an untouched home (after being at the impact zone of a tremendous alien weapon explosion) at the same time as the father and daughter stumbling home was quite possibly the most dumb ending of any big budget movie. He should be ashamed of how that loose end was tied up.

Word.

Spielberg: "That's a wrap, folks! Good job."

Assistant Director: "What about the kid?"

Spielberg: "fark, ummmm, let's just show him safe at home."

Treygreen13: Just leave the son dead. There is no reason to ressurrect him. It's even cheaper to not drag his ass on set to show up in the scene and cause the audience to go "WTF?"

This is true. He was kind of a punk anyway, IIRC.

IXI Jim IXI: RoxtarRyan: I liked ID4. Fun movie.... where would the second take off from? Did it turn out that the aliens who came to Earth were just a "scouting party" of sorts?

That's always been my guess.

"So...you think you killed us, hoo-man?"

It's just... I dunno, sure, that would explain why the aliens came back, but to me, it seems like a bit of a cop-out. Predictable. Granted, there isn't a whole lot to offer to explain why they came back.... Hmmm...

Perhaps in the last several years since the movie, they've reverse-engineered the alien technology, decided to experiment with some worm-hole shiat, but ended up going to the aliens original homeworld, alerting them to the existence of Earth and such, and when trying to escape, ended up having the armada follow suit. That could be neat.

Personally, I always found those aliens a bit like the Protoss, while the aliens from Starship Troopers like the Zerg.

/i can haz kickass crossover?

"Independence Day" was a much better remake of "War of the Worlds" than "War of the Worlds" with Tom Cruise.

Clarence Potter: Treygreen13: Just leave the son dead. There is no reason to ressurrect him. It's even cheaper to not drag his ass on set to show up in the scene and cause the audience to go "WTF?"

This is true. He was kind of a punk anyway, IIRC.

His motivations for staying to get fried were very, very lame.

"Hey son, don't go over there and stand near the military while they fight the aliens, which will almost certainly end in the total destruction of our armed forces.

NO DAD! I'm rebellious! I'll kill them with my bare hands.

I'm telling you, don't do it. You were with me when they turned all our neighbors into plasma-dust.

NO WAY! CHAAAAAARGE

Alright, dumbass, whatever, let's get out of here."

Contrabulous Flabtraption: Treygreen13: Mugato: And the first ID4 inspired Bush to dress up in a flight suit. There's a certain symmetry in that.

As silly as hacking an alien computer with a Mac book from 1996 is, you have to admit the computer virus that gave rise to a kick ass air battle was more interesting than the regular virus that just brought Spielberg's War of the Worlds to a fizzling halt.

/yes, that was the ending in the novel
//doesn't mean that it was cinematic
///In two instances Spielberg made the ending of a novel better

I dunno, the son magically wandering back to an untouched home (after being at the impact zone of a tremendous alien weapon explosion) at the same time as the father and daughter stumbling home was quite possibly the most dumb ending of any big budget movie. He should be ashamed of how that loose end was tied up.

Word.

Spielberg: "That's a wrap, folks! Good job."

Assistant Director: "What about the kid?"

Spielberg: "fark, ummmm, let's just show him safe at home."

Not to mention allowing Dakota Fanning to scream like a twit to the point where I wished the aliens would've snuffed her out.

/I hated the remake
//Hated Dakota Fanning in that role as well

Psykorgasm: Bill Pullman? I like that guy from Twister!

You moran. He was the guy in The Thing.

Mugato: /yes, that was the ending in the novel
//doesn't mean that it was cinematic
///In two instances Spielberg made the ending of a novel better

I must have some of what you're smoking. WotW was yet another "here's-a bunch-of-long-drawn-out-dark-and-spooky-psychodrama-but-whoops!-time-to-wrap-up- the-movie-and-everyone's-home-and-happy!" crapfest from Spielberg. Wells' novel had something of a deus ex machina in it, but it wasn't cliché when he wrote it, and Spielberg could have finessed it much better than saying, "Whelp, Tom Cruise is home, that's a wrap!"

Mugato: Psykorgasm: Bill Pullman? I like that guy from Twister!

You moran. He was the guy in The Thing.

No no no no, that's a common mistake. You are talking about the guy from Dances With Wolves

Treygreen13: Mugato: And the first ID4 inspired Bush to dress up in a flight suit. There's a certain symmetry in that.

As silly as hacking an alien computer with a Mac book from 1996 is, you have to admit the computer virus that gave rise to a kick ass air battle was more interesting than the regular virus that just brought Spielberg's War of the Worlds to a fizzling halt.

/yes, that was the ending in the novel
//doesn't mean that it was cinematic
///In two instances Spielberg made the ending of a novel better

I dunno, the son magically wandering back to an untouched home (after being at the impact zone of a tremendous alien weapon explosion) at the same time as the father and daughter stumbling home was quite possibly the most dumb ending of any big budget movie. He should be ashamed of how that loose end was tied up.

Well the instances of Spielberg making a movie ending better than the novel wasn't War of the Worlds. It was Jaws and Jurassic Park. And the kid made it home before the father and after walking into an enormous explosion filled firefight.

That was not the Spielberg who killed a child and a dog in Jaws. It wasn't even the Spielberg who had God destroy a bunch of Nazis and a French asshole in Raiders.

Mugato: Treygreen13: Mugato: And the first ID4 inspired Bush to dress up in a flight suit. There's a certain symmetry in that.

As silly as hacking an alien computer with a Mac book from 1996 is, you have to admit the computer virus that gave rise to a kick ass air battle was more interesting than the regular virus that just brought Spielberg's War of the Worlds to a fizzling halt.

/yes, that was the ending in the novel
//doesn't mean that it was cinematic
///In two instances Spielberg made the ending of a novel better

I dunno, the son magically wandering back to an untouched home (after being at the impact zone of a tremendous alien weapon explosion) at the same time as the father and daughter stumbling home was quite possibly the most dumb ending of any big budget movie. He should be ashamed of how that loose end was tied up.

Well the instances of Spielberg making a movie ending better than the novel wasn't War of the Worlds. It was Jaws and Jurassic Park. And the kid made it home before the father and after walking into an enormous explosion filled firefight.

That was not the Spielberg who killed a child and a dog in Jaws. It wasn't even the Spielberg who had God destroy a bunch of Nazis and a French asshole in Raiders.

I loved the novel. The setting was more interesting, the action was more suspenseful, and the ending was more inspiring.

The part in the novel where the ship rams itself into the walkers, crippled and burning but still causing damage is awesome. I wish they would have included that.

Instead we got Tom Cruise escorting a little brat around.

Treygreen13: Instead we got Tom Cruise escorting a little brat around.

And Tim Robbins doing his patented Tim Robbins Psycho Guy™ schtick.

Treygreen13: Instead we got Tom Cruise escorting a little brat around.

with this (new window)

theorellior: One of the more unintentionally funny scenes in ID4 was when Goldblum and Smith are trying to hack the mothership, an obvious Apple Remote Access screen is shown negotiating a PPP connection. I said to a friend of mine, "I didn't realize the TCP/IP stack was a universal constant!"

Goldblum wasted a lot of effort. He was using a PowerBook 5300. All he had to do was deliver it inside the mothership and wait for it to blow up on its own.

FTW, Subby!

And Mr. Emmerich, please don't drag the President down to your level.