Summer blockbusters are a very delicate subject.

On one hand, most of the movies that fall into this category favor style over substance. On the other hand, they're usually a great deal of fun. Somewhere in the middle lies Independence Day, easily one of the most successful summer blockbusters of the 20th century. It's also one of the most-hyped, most loved, and most hated.

Released on July 2, 1996, Independence Day had a huge opening, earning $100M in the first week of release (which was $30M over the total budget). It featured everything that makes a blockbuster successful: well-known actors (Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman), nifty special effects, and lots of explosions. It was an "event movie", and undoubtedly the event movie of the year. Unfortunately, the previously-mentioned "style over substance" is in full effect during every frame of the movie. Let's face it, Independence Day is the equivalent of cinematic junk food: fluffy, artificial, and not something you'd want to partake of on a daily basis.

However, it's OK to pig out when nobody's looking.

Sure, it's no personal favorite of mine, but there's something inherently likeable about Independence Day. My brain tells me I should pay attention to the gaping plot holes, cheesy one-liners, and mind-numbingly patriotic speeches. However, it's still a fun ride, and moves along much more quickly than its 2 1/2 hour running time might suggest. While not particularly thought-provoking or deep, Independence Day contains a healthy dose of what my inner child loves about movies: escapist entertainment, and nothing more.

By now, you're probably familiar with the plot: Humankind is minding its own business, aliens show up, chaos ensues, the humans fight back, more chaos ensues, big explosion, we win, the end. Stars and Stripes forever and all that. The performances aren't particularly memorable, especially since the sheer spectacle of it all is the real selling point. After all, where else can you see giant UFOs, an alien autopsy, and the destruction of The White House, all in one oversized package? Sure, it's no The Day The Earth Stood Still, but it's an entertaining, brainless romp that aims to please…and sometimes, that's just what the doctor ordered.

Director Roland Emmerich is no stranger to the big-budget epic, as he's stayed within the confines of the genre for much of his career. With Universal Soldier and Stargate under his belt by 1996, Emmerich would later continue with the box office bomb Godzilla, as well as The Patriot. He looks to be continuing this trend with The Day After Tomorrow: a movie about---you guessed it---the end of the world!

This, of course, leads us to the new "Limited Edition" of Independence Day. Already available in two earlier versions (including an excellent 2-disc package), this shameless rehash does little more than provide a taste of the aforementioned The Day After Tomorrow, and a rather unsatisfying one at that. Essentially, there's nothing here to write home about, although the elements that return (including a superb technical presentation, as well as a pair of commentaries) are uniformly excellent. Still, the ham-handed marketing of this disc will likely leave the viewer with a bad taste in their mouth…not to mention their wallet. In any case, let's see how this one stacks up:

Basically, the sole purpose of this re-re-release is to generate interest in The Day After Tomorrow, although there's not much here that you can't already see for free at the official website (linked below). I've never been a big fan of DVDs that shamelessly tie into upcoming movies, and the real lack of anything new makes this release wasteful and unnecessary. Despite a nice technical presentation and a few commentaries, there's really not much here that hasn't been done better already. Although this Limited Edition wouldn't make a terrible purchase if you don't have the movie on DVD yet, you're better off hunting down the far-superior Five Star Collection of this film. It's a rare case where a studio got it right the first time...and things went downhill from there. Skip It.