Independence Day poster
Independence Day

What’s Aged the Worst?

Bad rip-offs; Randy Quaid's real-life weirdness; the sequel without Will Smith; Super Bowl blockbuster ads; the Miguel character; the Quaid kids subplot

In the discussion (8)
Approx. transcript time · 00:50:42Read transcript
  • Bad Independence Day rip-offs such as Volcano, and its influence on culture has probably not been positive; care is urged because Shea likes these movies, down to Lake Placid and Anaconda.
  • A run of blow-up movies followed, including Godzilla.
  • Randy Quaid got super weird in real life, making it hard to watch him now.
  • Independence Day 2 without Will Smith has no acceptable explanation; they recast Pullman's daughter instead of using the original actress and should have waited Smith out after his $50 million ask and conflicts with Suicide Squad and After Earth.
  • The sequel is compared to a Duncan-era Spurs sequel without Duncan.
  • The movie is blamed for the trend of Super Bowl blockbuster ads, starting with a $1.3 million spot in Super Bowl 30, part of a $30 million campaign with product placement, toys, an Apple deal, strong trailers and an early limited release.
  • Miguel, played by James Duval, is a bad Keanu Reeves rip-off; the Randy Quaid kid material, such as the car-sick scene and the disappearing daughter, would be cut, keeping only the scene where he is mocked.
  • Better Miguels exist, including in Kobra Kai.