Review Detail
8.1 6 10
(Updated: September 12, 2012)
Overall rating
7.0
Audio/Video Quality
7.0
Audio Editing
7.0
Visual Editing
7.0
Enjoyment
7.0
July 1, 2010
White43 was kind enough to email the RapidShare links to D/L this edit. My review is about the .avi version. The DVD9 was not available to me at the time I watched this edit.
I was eager to watch this edit as “Independence Day” has been a favorite of my for years. The original movie has some “Ugh” and”wince” moments that I always hated about this movie. I was eager to see how White43 would handle them.
This edit is based on the UK Special Edition version, which I had not seen before. There are a number of scenes in this version that are not in the US release. Some of the “extra” scenes are very good and I was glad to see them. There are a few scenes/extensions of scenes that should have been removed. One that I am thinking about is the exchange between David and the Doctor inside the cockpit of the captured alien ship. This seemed goofy to me and would not be missed if it was excised (I don’t recall this scene in the US release).
Overall, I agree with all the edits made by White43, but I think there should have been a great deal more made. The overall feel of the movie is more serious and dire than the original. – which was White43′s intention and he generally achieves it.
I completely agree that the Russell character was annoying and was very glad to see him trimmed down. As well as the Marty character. Unfortunately, there are still a great number of other scenes that are still silly, campy and just awful still in this edit. One that comes to mind is the goofy scene where Julius and David are driving to Wash. DC and they head into on-coming traffic; resulting in stupid screaming and a crash through a barrier.. UGH, this scene was silly in 1996 and is still silly in 2010.
I was impressed at how much faster-paced the nuclear attack scenes were made; and yet no loss of plot/narrative etc happens. I was glad also to see the Jasmine at the club and her friend scenes gone. No loss at all there.
White43 also improves upon the whole “area 51″ scenes, trimming minor things here and there to make it much more serious. He definitely succeeds in making Brent Spiner’s “Doctor” less goofy. As a matter of fact, the Doctor now comes off as more of a eager but clueless scientist. I liked everything about this guy now.
The video quality, for an .avi, looked fine.
There are some very noticeable “hard edits” and “hard audio” cutss in this more that I noticed. A couple of the more stand-outs:
At approx. 24:30 into the edit, the scene between Marty and David. David says “checkmate” to Marty and they are standing side-by-side, then it cuts briefly to the President delivering his address to the country, then quickly back to David and Marty. Marty is now across form David next to a desk, with a phone in his hand. While David is now next to another desk. The scenes happen quick and it’s noticeable something was removed. (I believe this is where Marty calls different people).
At approx. 40:40, just after the FLOTUS (First Lady of the US) helicopter lifts off from the pad, a very hard audio edit occurs when the movie cuts to the people on top of the building as the alien ship is about to destroy it.
At approx 1:43:43, the scene where David and Steven are about launch. This scene is abrupt and has a very hard audio edit. This is because White43 removed the portion of the scene where Steve goes in reverse instead of forward and makes some silly comment. Now the scene abruptly cuts after Steven says “Let’s rock an roll.”
I still like this edit, but I personally feel more could be removed to make it even better. Also, I think the above mentioned issues should be addressed. I do like that this edit has a more dire and serious feel to it.
I struggled with this review and a rating for this for some time after I watched it. I wanted to be fair and constructive.
Audio 3/5
Video 4/5 (avi looks fine)
Edit skills: 3.5/5 (re: hard cuts hard audio cuts)
**** On personal side note: thank you for not trimming any of the AWACs scenes. :-) I flew AWACs out of Tinker AFB OK for 9 years (1998-2007) and always appreciate seeing the plane in a movie. Although, the interior shots are NOT an AWACs in the back end or the flight deck. The exterior shots are of an E-3B AWACs. ****
White43 was kind enough to email the RapidShare links to D/L this edit. My review is about the .avi version. The DVD9 was not available to me at the time I watched this edit.
I was eager to watch this edit as “Independence Day” has been a favorite of my for years. The original movie has some “Ugh” and”wince” moments that I always hated about this movie. I was eager to see how White43 would handle them.
This edit is based on the UK Special Edition version, which I had not seen before. There are a number of scenes in this version that are not in the US release. Some of the “extra” scenes are very good and I was glad to see them. There are a few scenes/extensions of scenes that should have been removed. One that I am thinking about is the exchange between David and the Doctor inside the cockpit of the captured alien ship. This seemed goofy to me and would not be missed if it was excised (I don’t recall this scene in the US release).
Overall, I agree with all the edits made by White43, but I think there should have been a great deal more made. The overall feel of the movie is more serious and dire than the original. – which was White43′s intention and he generally achieves it.
I completely agree that the Russell character was annoying and was very glad to see him trimmed down. As well as the Marty character. Unfortunately, there are still a great number of other scenes that are still silly, campy and just awful still in this edit. One that comes to mind is the goofy scene where Julius and David are driving to Wash. DC and they head into on-coming traffic; resulting in stupid screaming and a crash through a barrier.. UGH, this scene was silly in 1996 and is still silly in 2010.
I was impressed at how much faster-paced the nuclear attack scenes were made; and yet no loss of plot/narrative etc happens. I was glad also to see the Jasmine at the club and her friend scenes gone. No loss at all there.
White43 also improves upon the whole “area 51″ scenes, trimming minor things here and there to make it much more serious. He definitely succeeds in making Brent Spiner’s “Doctor” less goofy. As a matter of fact, the Doctor now comes off as more of a eager but clueless scientist. I liked everything about this guy now.
The video quality, for an .avi, looked fine.
There are some very noticeable “hard edits” and “hard audio” cutss in this more that I noticed. A couple of the more stand-outs:
At approx. 24:30 into the edit, the scene between Marty and David. David says “checkmate” to Marty and they are standing side-by-side, then it cuts briefly to the President delivering his address to the country, then quickly back to David and Marty. Marty is now across form David next to a desk, with a phone in his hand. While David is now next to another desk. The scenes happen quick and it’s noticeable something was removed. (I believe this is where Marty calls different people).
At approx. 40:40, just after the FLOTUS (First Lady of the US) helicopter lifts off from the pad, a very hard audio edit occurs when the movie cuts to the people on top of the building as the alien ship is about to destroy it.
At approx 1:43:43, the scene where David and Steven are about launch. This scene is abrupt and has a very hard audio edit. This is because White43 removed the portion of the scene where Steve goes in reverse instead of forward and makes some silly comment. Now the scene abruptly cuts after Steven says “Let’s rock an roll.”
I still like this edit, but I personally feel more could be removed to make it even better. Also, I think the above mentioned issues should be addressed. I do like that this edit has a more dire and serious feel to it.
I struggled with this review and a rating for this for some time after I watched it. I wanted to be fair and constructive.
Audio 3/5
Video 4/5 (avi looks fine)
Edit skills: 3.5/5 (re: hard cuts hard audio cuts)
**** On personal side note: thank you for not trimming any of the AWACs scenes. :-) I flew AWACs out of Tinker AFB OK for 9 years (1998-2007) and always appreciate seeing the plane in a movie. Although, the interior shots are NOT an AWACs in the back end or the flight deck. The exterior shots are of an E-3B AWACs. ****
F