Independence Day: Resurgence 3D

Independence Day: Resurgence takes place 20 years after mysterious aliens nearly wiped out humankind. Well, they're back with a vengeance. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth developed a vast defense program to protect the planet, led by brilliant scientist David Levinson (Goldblum). But nothing could prepare us for a new invasion of unprecedented scale—and only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can save our world from extinction. (Gary Reber)

Special features include commentary by Director Roland Emmerich, eight deleted scenes (HD 08:24), the special features The War Of 1996 (HD 05:11), It’s Early ABQ! (HD 03:07), and Another Day (HD 55:25); a gag reel (HD 06:14); concept art; theatrical trailers; upfront previews; and an UltraViolet digital copy.

The 2.40:1 1080p MVC 3D picture is superb. The stereo conversion was performed by Stereo D and Legend 3D, lead by stenographers Simon Kern and Graham Clark. Depth is exceptional, which perfectly enhances the sense of vast scale and alien threat. The production design is extremely realistic, with an impressive sense of perspective and volume. Foregrounds and backgrounds are in convincing balance with one another, to create realistic dimensional spaces and environments. Humans and aliens exhibit realistic volume and density, as do objects. The color palette is heavily rendered with blue/grey hues, against which natural humans’ fleshtones nicely contrast. Overall contrast is well balanced with deep blacks and excellent shadow delineation. The sense of space is wonderful, which is mesmerizing. Resolution is excellent as well, whether with respect to native imagery or CGI. Detail is impressive, especially in close-ups of human and alien features, clothing, and uniforms, and all manner of object texture. This is a wonderful 3D conversion and attest to the remarkable achievements in conversion technology. It will not disappoint. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1-channel soundtrack is extremely dynamic and aggressively holosonic® in spatial soundfield dimension. Sonics pan and swoop directionally from channel to channel, conveying a seamless sense of soundfield cohesion. Deep sub-25 Hz bass is strangely energized in the .1 LFE, which permeates throughout the soundfield, for impressive realism. The added two channels are extremely active, which enhances the sense of dimensional space and weight, especially during the intense action scenes. Sound effects are wonderfully suited to the imagery and the battle scenes, which dominate the entire movie. The orchestral score is nicely recorded with a wide and deep soundstage that aggressively extends to all four surrounds. Throughout, dialogue retains intelligibility with impressive spatial integration and natural tone. Even the more quiet scenes are filled with sonic nuances, while the focus is on dialogue. Atmospherics and Foley are excellent. This is a powerfully dynamic and sonically spatial soundtrack that is reference quality
throughout. (Gary Reber)