Independence Day

Audio problem: When the Knights deploy their missiles with no results, we see in close-ups as they respond that Steven is Knight 1, Jimmy is Knight 7, and another Marine is Knight 3. After Steven says, "Knight 1. Sweet Luck. Echo, Fox 2," we see a close-up of Knight 3 and hear his voice (not Jimmy's) say, "Knight 7, Fox 2", though he is in fact Knight 3, and Jimmy is Knight 7. (01:00:45)

Super Grover

Audio problem: At the White House, when Connie hangs up on David, as the President stands at the podium behind her, his mouth and the words we hear are not in sync. We are seeing and hearing him live, not on a delayed news feed. (00:28:15)

Super Grover

Audio problem: The same female scream can be heard three times during the first attack by the aliens. It is first heard in the scene when Jeff Goldblum is riding his bike to his father's house. The second time it is heard right as Jeff gets to his father's door. The third time is in Los Angeles when the people are running away. It's a very distinct scream.

manthabeat

Audio problem: After David's rant about burning the rainforests, etc, when he's on the ground Julius takes the bottle out of David's hand and we hear the sound of the bottle hitting the floor. But Julius still has the bottle in his hand, then puts it down two shots later - with no sound obviously. (01:35:30)

Super Grover

Audio problem: After the President tells General Grey that he is a combat pilot who belongs in the air, Major Mitchell says, "Okay, sir," but his mouth movements are not in sync. (01:57:40)

Super Grover

Audio problem: In the car with Julius, we hear David say, "Hey, hey slow it down," but his mouth actually says, "Hey, hey what have..." (00:40:25)

Super Grover

Audio problem: Aboard the USS Georgia in the Persian Gulf, when the Captain stands beside the submarine sailor who says, "Sir, we're looking at a total radar block out over a 13 kilometer area," the words we hear are not in sync with the reflection on the screen in front of him.

Super Grover

Independence Day mistake picture

Continuity mistake: When General Grey tells the President not to engage until they have visual, in the President's close-up the exterior of this F/A-18 Hornet is quite different than what was shown in the earlier shot, as the canopy closed over him. All the rivets around the canopy have disappeared and the 'danger' triangle is much closer to the name Patrick, the seat differs, etc. Plus the fact that the canopy and hull are actually one unit in the second shot. (02:02:15 - 02:03:15)

Super Grover

More mistakes in Independence Day

President Thomas Whitmore: I don't understand, where does all this come from? How do you get funding for something like this?
Julius Levinson: You don't actually think they spend $20,000 on a hammer, $30,000 on a toilet seat do you?

More quotes from Independence Day

Trivia: According to the Director's commentary, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation did not want the film to be released under the title "Independence Day" to avoid legal complications (specifics weren't disclosed as to what the problems might be, but it's also why the abbreviation "ID4" was used). Roland Emmerich (director/writer) and Dean Devlin (writer) needed to justify the title, so they added the rousing bit right at the end of President Whitmore's speech at the hangar when he ends with, "The 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday...today we celebrate our Independence Day!"

Super Grover

More trivia for Independence Day

Question: It's been shown in the film the the aliens are technologically more advanced than us. Then, how come, with all their technology, they were unable to defend themselves from something as simple as a computer virus?

Socks1000

Answer: Remember that the aliens had to interface with our satellite computer code first...David simply "reverse engineered" the code to create the virus. When it was uploaded, they didn't have enough time to combat it.

Answer: It was also a bit of a tribute to "War of the Worlds", in which the alien invaders with much more advanced technology ultimately succumbed to ordinary terrestrial pathogens in the original novel by H. G. Wells as well as its many screen adaptations.

zendaddy621

Chosen answer: Its supposed to be an exercise in demonstrating how the aliens underestimated their opponent, but in reality it's merely a convenient plot device.

GalahadFairlight

Answer: I was wondering the same thing. Since the Harvesters had our satellites meant they could eavesdrop on every single conversation. David and other people in the facility probably put up a firewall on the computers and cameras, so that the aliens couldn't see or hear what they were planning on doing.

Answer: Maybe there were no viruses in the planet where these aliens came from so they didn't have any countermeasures against them.

Answer: They could defend against it, hence why they bring the nuke. The virus drops the shields, and the nuke destroys The Mother Ship. David even says that the shields will be down for a few minutes.

More questions & answers from Independence Day

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