Product Details

• Actors: Will Smith, Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, Mary McDonnell, Judd Hirsch
• Directors: Roland Emmerich
• Writers: Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin
• Producers: Roland Emmerich, Dean Devlin, Peter Winther, Ute Emmerich, William Fay
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: French (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround), English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English, Spanish
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: 20th Century Fox
• DVD Release Date: February 11, 2003
• Run Time: 145 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (719 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00005V9IK
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,314 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #6 in	Movies & TV > Action & Adventure > Action Stars > Will Smith
  #11 in	Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Alien Invasion
  #15 in	Movies & TV > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Science Fiction > Aliens

• For more information about "Independence Day (Single Disc Widescreen Edition)" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

In Independence Day, a scientist played by Jeff Goldblum once actually had a fistfight with a man (Bill Pullman) who is now president of the United States. That same president, late in the film, personally flies a jet fighter to deliver a payload of missiles against an attack by extraterrestrials. Independence Day is the kind of movie so giddy with its own outrageousness that one doesn't even blink at such howlers in the plot. Directed by Roland Emmerich, Independence Day is a pastiche of conventions from flying-saucer movies from the 1940s and 1950s, replete with icky monsters and bizarre coincidences that create convenient shortcuts in the story. (Such as the way the girlfriend of one of the film's heroes--played by Will Smith--just happens to run across the president's injured wife, who are then both rescued by Smith's character who somehow runs across them in alien-ravaged Los Angeles County.) The movie is just sheer fun, aided by a cast that knows how to balance the retro requirements of the genre with a more contemporary feel. --Tom Keogh

Product Description

One of the biggest box office hits of all time delivers the ultimate encounter when mysterious and powerful aliens launch an all-out invasion against the human race. The spectacle begins when massive spaceships appear in Earth's skies. But wonder turns to terror as the ships blast destructive beams of fire down on cities all over the planet. Now the world's only hope lies with a determinded band of survivors, uniting for one last strike against the invaders - before it's the end of all mankind.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Good transfer, but still disappointing, March 23, 2009

By	C. McCarville-Schueths - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Independence Day [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray)

I have to say that I'm a big fan of this film, and I already own the DVD. Most of those wanting to buy this film on Bluray are those who have already seen it and liked it, so I won't comment on the movie content itself, but rather the technical and supplemental aspects of this release.

I borrowed a friend's copy of the BD version of ID4 just a few weeks ago, as I was contemplating whether to add this to my small but growing blu-ray collection. The picture and audio are superb, and watching this on my new LCD at 1080p with the lossless DTS-MA audio track really transported me back to the July of '96, when I watched this on the big screen. This movie has certainly aged well these thirteen years, and the special effects are still terrific even today. While watching, I was pretty much set on adding this to my collection.

That is, until after I finished watching the movie and wanted to see the extras in HD.

The DVD version I have contains two discs and a lot of extras, including an alternate ending, making-of feature, trailers, and cast/crew interviews. Sadly, in this BD release there are none, not even in standard definition. The only "extra" is a commentary track, which, as an another reviewer already pointed out, is laughably outdated. At $25, I would expect more than just a movie and nothing else.

The Dark Knight BD had two discs plus a digital copy for the same price- that was justifiable, even in this economy. This... isn't.

FOX is notorious for double-dipping their DVD and Blu-ray releases. I would imagine that a two-disc or dual-layered "special edition" version will come out over the next year or so.

Needless to say, this BD release is quite a disappointment.

40 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding DVD Package!, July 3, 2000

By	Star Sailor "Worldwide Traveler" (Whidbey Island, WA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Independence Day (Five Star Collection) (DVD)

Studios are finally getting the whole DVD thing! This is a truly worth-your-money deal with lots of extras including two versions of the film; the first version is the original theatrical release and the second version is a directors cut featuring about 9 minutes of added footage not released in theatres. What's really great about this is they list what new scenes have been included and some of them are really funny and some of them make the story a lot more heartfelt. Also included is a second disc that includes a really cool mockumentary called "The ID4 Invasion" which is truly a priceless gem in this great collection. Also, there is commentary, lots of interviews with cast and crew, a special effects documentary on the making of the film and the original biplane ending which unfortunately looks really hokey and what I felt after watching it was-THANK GOD THEY DIDN'T GO WITH THAT ENDING-THAT ENDING WOULD'VE MADE THIS MOVIE A "REAL" DISASTER! For a product like this under $30 it is totally worth your money. For those who appreciated this movie as a special effects funfest, this DVD is not one to be passed up. For those of you boring types who felt this movie needed a "serious acting edge" buy Out of Africa and leave science fiction alone! Cheers!

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Independence Day, March 24, 2008

By	Kelly "Reviewer for The Sinfully Sensuous" (Littleton, Colorado) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is one of my most favorite movies!! It is hard to pick which is better the cast, special effects or writing. The special effects go without saying - superb. The timing on some of the events like the synchronized takedown of the different cities could not have been done better. I can't say enough nice things about the cast. Will Smith was funny at times and yet still the tragic hero. Randy Quaid was priceless! Jeff Goldblum was more likeable in this movie than I have ever seen him in the past. I also thought Robert Loggia and Bill Pullman were well chosen. While the script was similar to movies done in the past, there was a new spin on it. I particularly liked the scene when Bill Pullman gave his speech prior to fighting the enemy. Some borrowed history from a Dylan Thomas' poem was genius.