Independence Day

I have just watched the director's cut of Independence Day (1996) which has always been one of my favourite disaster films ! It is ten years since I enjoyed it at the cinema for the first time, and although it is hokum of the purest kind, the whole film still holds up pretty well against other more showier films that imitated and followed it.

The sequence that holds up the best is the initial destruction of the cities of New York (of course), Los Angeles and Washington. C.G.I combined with the more old fashioned physical special effects (aka Poseidon Adventure and Towering Inferno) are used in increasingly iimpressive set pieces to crank up the tension to unbearable levels. Director Roland Emmerich, obviously seemed to enjoy himself and gives great homage to all those disaster flicks of the 1970s as well as epics like the War of the Worlds. The piece de resistance scene where stripper Vivica A. Fox saves her son (and dog) in an L.A. road tunnel which is exploding in flames has to be seen to be believed.

all bollocks but great fun