Independence Day: No Family Edition

To be honest, the original film was not that enjoyable to me (just not my genre). So, I watched this edit in order to find if the changes would make it, at least, entertaining. And they did. It’s still a guilty pleasure, way-over-the top action film, but it’s now streamlined and focused and doesn’t overstay its welcome.

All the character removals actually fix a lot of annoyances and moments that didn’t age well. And good riddance Randy Quaid.
The edit does what the author intended and the film is better because of it.
Cheers

Wow. This was unexpected. After reading what the goal was, I couldn't see how the film would work. ID4 has always been a guilty pleasure of mine

The Cuddlyninja took this film and shaped it into a very fun and amazingly workable shorter science fiction movie. It became a straightforward film with no silly nonsense. It just worked so well that this may become my preferred viewing version. Without spoilers it had one short shot where he needed the alien ship to hover above something, but you can see it was borrowed from another shot earlier in the film since the "ground scenery and area" doesn't match-- but who cares it still worked well

"Ah-MUR-ih-ca! F*** yeah!" pretty much sums up the plot of this film, especially this version. If aliens come to take over the world, who you gonna call? 'Murica!

Now, this is called the "No Family" Edition, but really it's the "Crossfit Super Lean" Edition. Basically anything that does not service the plot: gone! Randy Quaid: gone! Character depth: gone! Strippers: gone! Women contributing to saving the Earth in any way: gone! Okay, honestly there wasn't much of that in the original film, so I'm sure the removal of nearly all females from this story is an unfortunate byproduct of the main function of the edit. Now, you might be saying "Hmmm...I dunno, I could do with some strippers in my dumb popcorn flick..." And to that I say, "touche' sir and/or madam!" I did really miss Vivica Fox, et al. That said, the original is honestly a pretty bloated film for a dumb popcorn flick, and so it kind of depends what experience you want.

I was worried that this edit would get rid of anything that gave the film actual fun or character, but not so! There are still plenty of quirky lines from the characters, and there is still some goofiness. But it's all toned down to sane proportions that better stand the test of time (holy crap, did I see this in theaters over 20 years ago!?) It moves along at a rip-roaring pace that exposes the film for what it is at its core: an update of the procedural disaster flick. But unlike an earthquake or burning skyscraper, the disaster here is global, and only the US military-industrial-complex can save us! Plus a dude with a Macbook!

Interesting results of this edit: not only is the US President an ultimate wish fulfillment character in that he's a young fighter pilot, but he's also a bachelor, a historical first. He actually plays co-star in this edit to Jeff Goldblum though, who now seems oddly cast as a relatively straightforward heroic heartthrob. Will Smith loses tons of screen time, ending up really as a distant third co-star, more fitting with his actual career at that point (as opposed to starring). Oh, and the President really saves the world in the relative absence of Quaid. 'Murica!

All edits are accomplished smoothly and expertly, btw, and everything is super professional except the kind of cheesy titles, tbh. And if you really wanted family, there actually IS some... Goldblum's dad and ex-wife still get a decent amount of screen time in conversation with him. In summary: this edit doesn't cut out all the cringe, because it's an Emmerich/Devlin film and there would be nothing left. But it's a ripping yarn that's kind of refreshing in it's lack of surprises or fancy twists (for the most part). Great watch for a July 4th beer 'n brats barbecue.

Ah, the cheesy, '90s time capsule that is Roland Emmerich's Independence Day. I know it's ludicrous, stupid and cliche but I still love this movie for it's upbeat/fun atmosphere that's celebrated throughout. That said, there are instances of pointless scenes and characters, as well as moments that just drag down the movie in 180 degree somber tone. For anyone who agrees with me on this, thecuddlyninja's edit deals with all of those problems, giving us the un interrupted theme park ride we all wanted. Overall, the source file works pretty well aside from occasional artifacting say in the background, though thankfully it never ruins the quality or detail. Visual editing is smooth and seamless as it should, as if it were always that way. Audio editing overall is good, albeit several small cases of abruptness or sfx/music bleeding into the next scene. It's not a deal breaker, because again the goal here is achieved and is a very good example of how a proper ID4 edit should be like.

This is the movie I wanted to see in the cinema 1996. The edit has focus. No more unnecessary characters or storylines that are either stupid or not interesting. Or just annoying. The pace and rhythm are great. Also the tone is more serious in a way that is right for the film. I enjoyed this edit a lot. Only thing that didn't work perfectly is the destruction of the Area 51 ship in the end of the movie. You can see that something has been cut out, but it's still far better than the original version. Well done!