THEY SAVED THE WORLD!

AMONG a rash of turn-of-the–century

Hollywood blockbuster disaster movies, 1996’s

Independence Day thunders with explosions

and missiles as it chronicles an alien invasion!

Leading a counterattack are WILL SMITH as a

Marine pilot and JEFF GOLDBLUM as an MITtrained

tech expert, who manage to penetrate

the space creatures’ mother ship and destroy

their communications system. The actionpacked

flick hauled in almost $817 million,

making it the then-second most successful film

of all time — only exceeded by 1993’s Jurassic

Park, which also had Goldblum in a leading role.