The 1996 action Sci-Fi film Independence Day, with Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman, is directed by Roland Emmerich. Its plot is straightforward and resembles other sci-fi movies such as War of the Worlds and Mars Attack: Earth faces potential destruction from alien invasion and must retaliate. Advanced technology aliens pose a threat of war or invasion in line with many sci-fi films. Excellent advertising before release by the movie's producers included one of the most notable trailers showing an alien ship obliterating the White House. Though revealing the plot, viewers were still enticed by trailer effects resulting in great success for the film.
The sci-fi film features typical characters: David, a scientist and self-proclaimed nerd, is the flawed hero while Captain Steven is a confident and well-liked protagonist. The film also in
...cludes a comical character, Russell, who is a failed father and alcoholic, yet sympathetic to the audience. Despite claiming to have been abducted by aliens, no one believes him, adding irony as he ultimately becomes one of the heroes who helps defeat them. The first 15 minutes of the film are the most important as they introduce the main characters and story; without it, the movie lacks full comprehension. Starting with a close-up of the moon and an Earth plaque, we hear mechanical sounds and witness a shadow passing over.
The audience anticipates the appearance of an alien spacecraft. The camera captures a view of the earth, and we witness the spaceship headed in its direction, thereby affirming our expectations. The lighting and framing of this shot generate a sense of drama and foreshadow that the aliens' intentions are either peaceful o
hostile. As the scene changes, we are presented with computer-generated text displaying the date, time, and location, which contributes to the sci-fi theme and genre. This technique resembles the one used in The Matrix, where streaming computer text appears at the beginning. The first protagonist, David, is then introduced and shown in his workplace.
The protagonist's day at work is normal and uneventful, giving the audience a chance to assess their opinion of him. Additionally, the audience gains insight into the president's life at the White House, including his marital status, young daughter, and youthful age causing some difficulties. Captain Steven appears as the third protagonist after a scene transition.
The protagonist, Captain Steven, appears calm until his girlfriend's son points to the sky. The audience is left unclear about what he is pointing at, but Steven's shocked reaction suggests danger. Later, when Steven's girlfriend arrives, she too is oblivious until she notices his gaze and joins him. The camera angle changes, revealing a fast-moving cloud with flames that threatens the city. These early scenes deepen our connection to the characters and heighten our hopes for their survival. As the film progresses, it embraces more conventions of the sci-fi genre: slimy and big-headed aliens with insectoid features. These aliens resemble those found in other movies such as Alien. In the finale, tension builds as David and Captain Steven upload a virus to the alien mother ship, seemingly bringing down their defenses. However, when the US military attempts to attack, their weapons prove ineffective.
Despite their failed attempts to breach the alien defenses, the virus ultimately succeeds in bringing them down. The tension intensifies as David and captain
Steven find themselves trapped in the mother ship and decide to sacrifice themselves by blowing it up. However, they manage to escape when they release the bomb, only to find themselves pursued by smaller alien ships in a high-speed chase. This action-packed scene is a common trope in sci-fi films and serves as the resolution of the movie. Overall, the film meets all the typical conventions of the sci-fi action genre and delivers on audience expectations.
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