Hard to believe, but it was back in 1996 when Independence Day hit the big screen for the first time... twenty years on, and we are about to get the long-awaited sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence.
Independence Day
However, it is the original film that is in the spotlight today as it remains one of the best sci-fi action movies in recent history. It is just as exciting and action-packed a watch today as it was when it first hit the big screen back in 1996.
Independence Day was the eighth feature film for director Roland Emmerich - who had brought us Universal Soldier and Stargate - but this was the biggest film of his career at that point. It was to be the movie that was to really put him on the map as a blockbuster director.
The aliens are coming and their goal is to invade and destroy Earth. Fighting superior technology, mankind's best weapon is the will to survive. Against the odds, the human race stands together to fight - determined not to go down without a fight.
Independence Day is everything a blockbuster film should be; full of action, great set pieces, characters that you are rooting for and incredibly entertaining. Independence Day has it all.
After twenty years, this movie still looks fantastic and the destruction of both the Empire State Building and the White House are some of the most iconic film moments of recent years.
When it came to the visuals, Emmerich pulled out all the stops to deliver a film that was enormous in terms of its scale. You well and truly feel the threat from the alien invaders when they make their appearance. You could never accuse Independence Day of being a dull looking movie.
This was the movie that turned Will Smith into a bonafide leading man and action star as he took on the central role of Captain Steven Hiller. He and David Levinson - played by Jeff Goldblum - are the everyman heroes who step up when they are needed the most.
I love the banter and chemistry between these two actors as they set out on a seemingly impossible space mission. There is a charm to their relationship that has you rooting for them to succeed.
Upon release, Independence Day went on to be a smash hit at the box office. The film grossed over $817 million worldwide and was the highest-grossing film of the year. It was also the second-highest grossing film at the time - behind Jurassic Park.
Twenty years on, the movie is now the fifty-first highest grossing film of all time.
Independence Day is a movie that I have loved for years and a film that I go back to time and time again if I want a piece of great entertainment... no matter how many times I watch it, it never disappoints.
Emmerich is back in the director's chair for Independence Day: Resurgence while Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, and Vivica A. Fox are some of the familiar faces on the cast list. Liam Hemsworth, Sela Ward, and William Fichtner are some of the new names on an exciting cast list.
Independence Day: Resurgence is released 23rd June.