# How would you change the movie "Independence Day" from what it is to a good movie? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 4, 2012, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177 "2012-07-04T03:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/121 "2012-07-10T21:22:40Z")
The “America Yea!” thing is just the kind of thing we’d be blasting another country for doing. Say North Korea made a movie where aliens attack and somehow the North Koreans have to come to the rescue, and they praise the world with some stirring speech celebrating the date the North Koreans liberated themselves from the capitalist world or whatever. We’d totally be, well, not watching that movie anyway, but still making fun of that point. Think if the Soviets had made a movie like this, and used as their triumph of humanity over the aliens a stirring call to the October Revolution. Think if the NAZI’s had made this movie\*, and used as their speech a heartwarming inspiration of the 'stached man and his Aryan dreams. * * * \*That would have been difficult without CGI. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/122 "2012-07-10T21:29:34Z")
Change the date to May 5th. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/123 "2012-07-10T21:45:57Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > And it seems to be on about a dozen times on the week of July 4th since its release. Its gonna be the “Its a Wonderful Life” of July 4th! Pretty soon people will be talking about independence, fireworks, grills, and that Will Smith movie as part of the holiday > [@Nava](#): > > I’m glad that got taken out then, because “human science is worthless, we need the aliens’ assistance to figure anything out” was one of The Best Boyfriend’s regularly-scheduled speeches and my eyes got tired of rolling to its tune. I think its not so much as we needed alien science to help us, but that since modern computers were descended from alien technology, the coincidental similarities just happened to allow us affect them ---
**Author:** ![Drum\_God](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drum_god/32/44_2.png) [@Drum\_God](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drum_God)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2012, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/124 "2012-07-10T23:54:26Z")
> [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](#): > > I liked the movie well enough for the cheese that it was. I think most non-americans are used to American patriotism in Hollywood movies. That speech at the end where 4th of July was declared as the independence day of the entire world was kinda cringeworthy though. No. The worst was when the English officer hiding out in North Africa is told, “The Americans have a plan” and he responds with “It’s about time!” Like the whole world was sitting around waiting for the Americans to figure everything out and save the day. Wouldn’t it have been great if some guy in Latvia figured out a way to defeat the aliens? “Sir, the Latvians have a plan!” “Well, it’s about time! Where the hell is Latvia?” ---
**Author:** ![Satchmo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/satchmo/32/4223_2.png) [@Satchmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satchmo)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/125 "2012-07-11T00:12:45Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > Set the whole thing in someplace besides the US. Morocco, maybe. Jef Goldblum’s character has bought a bar and his ex shows needing help, but she’s got her new husband in tow and he leads the resistance against the aliens. Harvey Firestein is the corrupt chief of Police and Will Smith plays the piano a lot. Oh, and the aliens are Nazis. Oh yeah, that would be good! ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/126 "2012-07-11T09:18:19Z")
> [@Drum\_God](#): > > No. The worst was when the English officer hiding out in North Africa is told, “The Americans have a plan” and he responds with “It’s about time!” Like the whole world was sitting around waiting for the Americans to figure everything out and save the day. Wouldn’t it have been great if some guy in Latvia figured out a way to defeat the aliens? > > “Sir, the Latvians have a plan!” “Well, it’s about time! Where the hell is Latvia?” I’ve seen at least one theory that the “It’s about time!” is less “Thank goodness, it’s the Yanks!” and more “Oh, the Americans finally decided to show up late again.” ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/127 "2012-07-11T12:23:53Z")
> [@PSXer](#): > > the USA doesn’t unilaterally solve it. They organize a massive world-wide counteroffensive. All the countries of the world unite together and the invasion ushers in a new era of peace and cooperation _“The world declared in one voice: ‘We will not go quietly into the night!’ We’re going to survive! Today we celebrate **our** – Dependence Day!”_ ---
**Author:** ![Folacin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folacin/32/3195_2.png) [@Folacin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folacin)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/128 "2012-07-11T12:45:56Z")
> [@Boyo\_Jim](#): > > Oh yeah, and how is it that the old Jewish dad knew about the aliens in Area 51 but the President didn’t? They actually covered that. The SecDef knew it was real, and said it was “need to know”, and apparently it was decided a long time ago that the President didn’t need to be in the loop. Which makes some sense - the military decided the civilians couldn’t handle the truth. Of course, why the SecDef would be let in on it is best not thought about it. Which is true about most of the movie - thinking just ruins a fun action flick. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/129 "2012-07-11T12:50:27Z")
> [@YogSosoth](#): > > I think its not so much as we needed alien science to help us, but that since modern computers were descended from alien technology, the coincidental similarities just happened to allow us affect them Yeah but people like The Bestest Boyfriend read it as “we can’t invent anything ourselves”. Met too many of those. See: people who think the moon landing was a hoax. I’m reasonably sure that Kubrick never intended his movie to be taken that way, but it was. ---
**Author:** ![Gedd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gedd/32/4938_2.png) [@Gedd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gedd)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/130 "2012-07-11T12:58:49Z")
The part that always bugged me was why we didn’t just use another nuke after we took down their shields. Would have been a lot easier that hoping we had enough aircraft. ---
**Author:** ![vislor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/vislor/32/5933_2.png) [@vislor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vislor)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/131 "2012-07-11T13:19:12Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > I class it as a ‘popcorn flick’ - entertainment that does not require any real thinking. I like it for the same reason people like Buckaroo Banzai, The Shining or any other movie that totally lacks any deep inner meaning whatsoever. When I sit down to watch a movie, I want entertainment, I do not want any deep inner meaning, I do not want any existential angst, I don’t even want to worry about the environment. I want to kill a few hours being entertained. If Buckaroo Banzai lacks meaning, what’s the watermelon for? 😃 This is one of those movies that I have flipped on over the years. I rolled my eyes at the mac fix in the theater but enjoyed the movie. Then read up on things like science and didn’t like the movie. In fact, I think after The Core, ID4 was heavily used in the book, Insultingly Bad Movie Physics book, such as how they described the tiny ships, they could have just driven them over cities to flatten them and when they fall, they cause more damage than a nuclear blast and in a bigger area! However, at the end of the day, I think I liked it enough in my first viewing of it, that I can watch it for the popcorn flick it is, roll my eyes at the science, and have fun watching it. ---
**Author:** ![Raguleader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/258eb7/32.png) [@Raguleader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raguleader)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/132 "2012-07-11T13:34:15Z")
> [@Folacin](#): > > They actually covered that. The SecDef knew it was real, and said it was “need to know”, and apparently it was decided a long time ago that the President didn’t need to be in the loop. > > Which makes some sense - the military decided the civilians couldn’t handle the truth. Of course, why the SecDef would be let in on it is best not thought about it. Which is true about most of the movie - thinking just ruins a fun action flick. No thinking required on this one, they state outright that he knew because he was head of the CIA before he became SecDef. ---
**Author:** ![Zyanthia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Zyanthia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyanthia)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/133 "2012-07-11T13:53:04Z")
They just needed some Jackson action. “I’ve had it with these mother-fucking aliens invading the mother-fucking planet!” ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/134 "2012-07-11T14:21:00Z")
Put Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl “Schwartzenegro” Weathers, and Jesse “The Body” “The Mind” Ventura in it. Working title: Predatory Aliens Who Want To Terminate Us Wholesale. Bastardize a Dick story for some of the plot, throw in a Ridley Scott scene or two … ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/135 "2012-07-11T14:22:37Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > Put Arnold Schwarzenegger, Carl “Schwartzenegro” Weathers, and Jesse “The Body” “The Mind” Ventura in it. Working title: Predatory Aliens Who Want To Terminate Us Wholesale. Bastardize a Dick story for some of the plot, throw in a Ridley Scott scene or two … :smack: And put it all in the 23rd century. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/136 "2012-07-11T14:35:02Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > is just so fricking clichéd and hackneyed that I can hardly watch it Uhhh… whoosh? The movie is almost a comedy. It is an excuse to have the Whitehorse blow up. I haven’t watched it in years but I looked forward to it when it first came out and enjoyed it thoroughly. It is unashamedly stupid. What it needed was some Shatneresque monologues delivered with better ham and it would have been monumental. This movie was Mars Attacks with tongue in cheek and budget not wasted quite as much on big names. ---
**Author:** ![FluffyBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecb155/32.png) [@FluffyBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FluffyBob)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/137 "2012-07-11T14:39:30Z")
Er… White House. I hear Whitehorse is a nice town but I think it lacks monumental architecture to be destroyed spectacularly. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2012, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/138 "2012-07-11T19:06:02Z")
> [@FluffyBob](#): > > Uhhh… whoosh? The movie is almost a comedy. It is an excuse to have the Whitehorse blow up. I haven’t watched it in years but I looked forward to it when it first came out and enjoyed it thoroughly. It is unashamedly stupid. What it needed was some Shatneresque monologues delivered with better ham and it would have been monumental. > > This movie was Mars Attacks with tongue in cheek and budget not wasted quite as much on big names. I don’t agree; I think this movie was taking itself more seriously than it had any right to, in all the wrong places. ---
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/139 "2012-07-12T13:40:12Z")
> [@A Monkey With a Gun](#): > > When the aliens showed up, the first thing they did was hack in to _our_ satellite communication system to shut us down. Goldblum’s character saw that, and that was where the whole, “It’s a countdown!” thing came from. They hacked in to our systems first. The aliens themselves had provided the computer language to get the different systems to talk to one another. Hell, it was their opening gambit. > > So Goldblum just figured out whatever computer language they were using to hack our satellites, and used it against them. He didn’t invent it with his Macintosh laptop - they accidentally gave us the protocols for our systems to tie into theirs. And that bit’s just as silly, as they have absolutely no reason to do so. The aliens could have achieved exactly the same results, a coordinated attack, by equipping their saucers with egg-timers. The saucers don’t need energy weapons to cause havoc. All they need to do is fly over a city at 300MPH, and let the shock-wave do the work. Instead, they park very carefully like an old lady reversing into a tricky spot, then unleash a feeble ray which destroys buildings one at a time. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177/140 "2012-07-12T13:56:41Z")
> [@Alka\_Seltzer](#): > > And that bit’s just as silly, as they have absolutely no reason to do so. The aliens could have achieved exactly the same results, a coordinated attack, by equipping their saucers with egg-timers. > > The saucers don’t need energy weapons to cause havoc. All they need to do is fly over a city at 300MPH, and let the shock-wave do the work. Instead, they park very carefully like an old lady reversing into a tricky spot, then unleash a feeble ray which destroys buildings one at a time. But they film it, and here’s the tricky bit … they play it back in reverse! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-change-the-movie-independence-day-from-what-it-is-to-a-good-movie/627177.md?page=8)