What Makes The Original 'Independence Day' Work So Well? [Video Essay]

This week we'll get to see if Independence Day: Resurgence can shake a stick at Roland Emmerich's original 1996 blockbuster. Some early reviews from select outlets attending the Hollywood premiere indicate that the movie pretty much delivers the fun and silliness of the first one, but that's something we'll find out ourselves starting tomorrow evening. In the meantime, let's take a look back at what made the original Independence Day so great with a video essay that examines just how well-crafted the screenplay is.

Watch the Independence Day video essay after the jump.

It's often said that you can't make a good movie from a bad script, and it looks like the script for Independence Day was so good in guiding director Roland Emmerich that the epic feel of the alien invasion and excitement from the action translated perfectly to the screen.

In the video, Lessons from the Screenplay examines specific excerpts from the screenplay that we see played out just as you would imagine them while reading the script. Some of the elements that make Independence Day work so well include the ominous nature of the alien invasion, only hinting at the size of their ships by avoiding showing a full ship immediately. In addition, the action that comes from the invasion is driven by the characters, and not just for the sake of spectacle.

Here's hoping that Independence Day: Resurgence follows some of the same footsteps as its predecessor. Even though we know that the arrival of the aliens won't be nearly as intimidating this time (they're not really holding anything back in the trailers), hopefully the action and story is still guided by the characters.

Independence Day: Resurgence arrives on June 24.