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ID4 Independence Day
DVD Review by Yanman |
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"Perhaps it is
fate that today is the fourth of July and you will once again be fighting
for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from
annihilation."
Four years have passed since ID4 hit the theaters; one year later DVD players were just hitting the marketplace (the same year that ID4 hit video and Laserdisc), and then the wait began for this film to be released to DVD. Well, the long three-year wait has ended and just like The Abyss, the wait was well worth the end result. July 2, the earth begins to rumble, the skies darken over the major cities of the world, and the question of whether or not we are alone in this universe has been answered forever. The next question that remains though, is why are they here? The answer to this question is found not by the top scientists, but by a "cable repairman" with a degree from MIT, David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum). When David discovers that the aliens are using our satellites to send a "countdown" signal, his first thoughts are to warn his ex-wife and still first love Constance (Margaret Colin) who just happens to be the president's chief aid. While David is on his way to Washington to warn her, 3,000 miles away Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) is reporting for duty at El Toro air force base to prepare for battle with the aliens. As the battle ensues it will take all of David's brains and every ounce Steven Hiller's testosterone and energy to fight this extra terrestrial enemy. Can superior intellect and pure American tenacity overcome the aliens' highly advanced technology? The video quality here is good, but does have some grain and compression artifacts. In addition the layer change located at 1:08:18 (Special Edition Version) is also more noticeable then we would have liked from a new DVD release. These flaws aside, the Anamorphic 2.35:1 video is very crisp, with great color depth and details, only picky reviewers will probably find reason to complain. Audio is top notch, the THX mastered Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack provides clear dialog, as well as dramatic surround effects, and incredible low bass effects. There are a number of scenes here that can be considered "demo quality", including the cities blowing up, the fighter battle scenes, and the ultimate destruction of the mother ship. The only people that won't like the audio here are the apartment dwellers near by neighbors. Fox has again created a two disc DVD set with an outstanding amount of extras; this one is in the league with other Fox sets like The Abyss and Fight Club. One day is not enough to view them all, set aside a weekend, better yet a long weekend (A Fourth of July weekend not necessary, but would add a nice bit of realism). Extras include two versions of the film, two commentaries, 3 documentaries, original ending and more. There is even a hidden menu (Accessed by using the computer in on the second disc menu) that allows access to even more extras. One caveat here though, the hidden menu has been reported to not work on some players (verified here at Yanman.com, it only worked on two of our three players.) Some have complained that ID4 has a corny super patriotic feel to it, with big speeches and even bigger fight scenes. In the world of summer blockbusters, though the recipe for success is easy, lots of advertising, make it big, blow things up with inconceivable special effects, and then add the summer rainmaker Will Smith, for good measure. In this world of DVD, we get to take this to an even higher degree; we get all the elements of the great blockbuster listed above, with a healthy helping of extras for dessert. Now that's what I call a close encounter…
This DVD was reviewed on Yanman.com's Reference Theater #1, using a Toshiba SD-5109 DVD player, (Also Sony 550D and Panasonic DVD-A-100 for extras) Toshiba TW56X81, and M&K 750 THX Speakers. Panamax protects all systems at Yanman.com. |
ID4 Well, the long three-year wait has ended and just like The Abyss, the wait was well worth the end result. Staring: Will Smith Directed By: Roland Emmerich Running time:
153 Min (Special Edition) Bonus Materials
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