MovieChat Forums > Independence Day (1996) Discussion > I get the love, how old were you?

I get the love, how old were you?

posted 8 years ago by drew1116
20 replies | jump to latest

Let me preface the following comments by saying that I think it's great that this movie gets all the love it does. In my mind, if people are entertained, then they got their money's worth and that is all that matters. This is not a commentary on the intellect of fans of this movie. Heck, I love the Three Stooges and still watch them on occasion.

When I came of movie watching age, the summer blockbusters were films like Close Encounters, Raiders of the Lost Ark and others. I still watch these almost every time they are on TV. Are these movies "better" than ID4? Who knows and it doesn't matter. What I am proposing is that ID4 was and is so well liked because many of us saw it when we were kids. The nostalgic memories of lazy summers while seeing blockbuster movies are pleasant to relive, no doubt.

Unfortunately, for me, I was 31 when it came out. My taste in films was much different than when I was a kid. And as a big sci-fi fan, I believe I was spoiled with The Thing, Alien, Aliens and the first two Star Wars films.

That being said, I was greatly underwhelmed by ID4. I just finished watching it again this last week and it just doesn't register with me at all. There are so many things I don't like about it, but in the end, who cares? All that matters is if YOU liked it.

Btw, at 51, there are movies I turn my brain off and still find entertaining. Battleship is an example. I think it's a pretty awful piece of filmmaking, but I was entertained.

How old were you when you first saw ID4 and liked it?

[–] elliedivito 8 years ago

20 years younger than i am today :)

[–] Edd-79 8 years ago

I was 17, I liked it when I saw it back then and every time it's on TV I watch parts of it. I still like it.

[–] Kaybee81 8 years ago

I was 15 when it came out and loved it.

[–] fountaincap 8 years ago

I think your assessment is true. A lot of it is nostalgia.

I was 13. I think one of the reasons kids my age loved the movie is back in 1996 we were still impressed by special effects and CGI. We were kids. Who cares about story, right? Nowadays, we experience CGI detachment, but when the trailer came out and I saw a whole wing of F-18s going up against an alien spaceship I was blown away!

Back then, and this goes for adults of the time too, I think we also had more of a sense of humor about seeing the destruction of U.S. landmarks.

Watching this again today in honor of its 20-year anniversary and it's definitely a silly movie. But it takes me back to a time when movies could still wow me with their special and visual effects, computers were the coolest thing ever and when our thoughts didn't automatically drift to terrorism when watching buildings blow up.

I miss the 90s.

[–] ryhoyarbie 8 years ago

I'm currently watching it right now. it's on the scene where Goldblum is downloading the virus in the main Alien space craft while Pullman and the rest are in the air fighting the aliens.

I was 14 when this movie came out, and I would be going to 9th grade in a month. I remember seeing this movie the Tuesday it came out (July 2nd I believe) for a special screening. The theater I went to (before stadium seating became the big new thing) was packed. I saw it with my uncle and aunt, and I thought it was a fun movie.

The next day my parents wanted to see it, so I went with them. Good, but I already knew what happened.

I remember one of the previews to the movie was a teaser trailer for Star Trek 8: First Contact, the movie where Picard and crew have to battle the Borg.

Independence Day is still a fun movie. Special effects are great and the music score is great too.

The new film however was all over the place. The pacing, bad editing, flat characters, too much special effects. Just horrible.

[–] gwnightscream 8 years ago

I was 16 when it came out and liked it since. Naturally,
It's a holiday tradition to watch every year and Pullman's
famous speech gets me each time.
🇺🇸 🗽

[–] kryptangel-34-33065 8 years ago

35 now was 15 when it came out was always a scifi nerd so loved it I was also a hardcore star trek TNG fan at the time so one of hightlights for me was seeing Brent Spiner in his natural appearance instead in all the make up playing Data. If I happen to see it on cable and nothing else is on I'll watch it even tho I have seen it so many times I can basically recite it word for word. Hell I'm watching it right now on HBO as I type this lol.

[–] FrankBooth_DeLarge 8 years ago

When this first came out I just turned 7, though I first saw it in the spring of 1997 when we rented it. I really enjoyed it at the time for the special effects and action scenes. Today, though I recognize how cheesy it is, I think the special effects hold up well and it is a fun movie overall.

Trailer For My Second Feature
https://youtu.be/UXsIq-oPxXA

[–] bishp23 8 years ago

I was in my mid teens when it came out...hated it then and hate it now. It was just so cheesy.

I did like the early destruction scenes though.

[–] danb1982 8 years ago

I was 13!