With the stars-and-stripes decor, grill and sparklers, everyone in the United States knows what holiday it is: Independence Day. After a full day of having fun with friends and relatives at the beach, the local park or in your own home, you can wind down the Fourth of July holiday by watching a live firework show and capping off the night with an equally explosive movie. If you’re looking for a movie to watch, here is a list of five exciting and adventurous movies to watch at the end of Independence Day!
1. “Independence Day”
The 1996 blockbuster movie that spawned a video game, comic books and a sequel 20 years later, “Independence Day” (1996) follows joint protagonists Marine pilot Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and MIT-grad satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum). The two men come from completely different backgrounds and have completely different skill sets, but must work together to prevent the incoming invasion and destruction of our planet from extraterrestrial aliens. With moving speeches from President Whitmore (Bill Pullman), the teamwork displayed by David and his father, Julius Levinson (Judd Hirsch), and the emotional reunion between Steven and his girlfriend, Jasmine Dubrow (Vivica A. Fox), this movie embodies courage and the belief that you should fight for and protect the things you love.
You can stream “Independence Day” for free on Tubi or for purchase on Amazon Prime.
2. “National Treasure”
Starring Nicolas Cage as Ben Gates, an American Historian and treasure hunter, “National Treasure” follows Ben and computer expert friend Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) on a mission to find a hidden treasure in America. Left behind by the secret societies of the Freemasons, the Knights Templar and the Founding Fathers, Ben and Riley
travel across state borders to find clues left behind in historical artifacts, including in the Declaration of Independence, all while evading the FBI and crime bosses. This is a fast-paced action movie told through a historical lens, so if you’re looking for a fun movie that can also be used as an educational tool, “National Treasure” is the perfect movie.
You can stream “National Treasure” on Disney Plus with a subscription or for purchase on Amazon Prime.
3. “Armageddon”
With a star-studded cast, “Armageddon” follows Harry Stamper (Bruce Willis), an oil-driller summoned by NASA to assist with an apocalyptic-level situation — a massive meteor is heading straight towards Earth. The scientists had hatched a plan to drill a hole in the meteor to fill with explosives and detonate, and that is where Harry enters the scene. Harry agrees to help, as long as he is able to pull in his choice of members to be on the team, including young driller A.J. Frost (Ben Affleck), Harry’s best friend and drill member Chick (Will Patton), and several other of his best drillers in order to save the planet.
The rough and tumble camaraderie between Harry and his teammates will remind those that when times are tough and things seem near impossible, you can count on your friends and family to pull together to help.
You can stream “Armageddon” for free on Tubi or for purchase on Amazon Prime.
4. “Captain America: The First Avenger”
Set in the early 1940s, this comic-book movie focuses on the evolution of scrawny and illness-prone Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) and his transformation into the hero known as Captain America. When the Nazi sub-orginization called H.Y.D.R.A. and its leader Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving) obtain the Tesseract, a mystical object that would be harnessed as an undying power source, the American organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. takes on the task of creating a serum that would turn ordinary soldiers into Super Soldiers to combat H.Y.D.R.A.’s forces. After being discovered by a scientist running the
Super Soldier program, Steve is found to be the prime test subject due to his strong sense of morals and good-hearted nature. After Steve receives the Super Soldier serum, and with his newfound physical strength and muscular appearance he is sent out to fight against H.Y.D.R.A. and Nazi members alike. Leading the rugged group of soldiers called the “Howling Commandos,” Steve aims to keep them alive while trying to retrieve the Tesseract.
You can stream “Captain America: The First Avenger” on Disney Plus with a subscription or for purchase on Amazon Prime.
5. “Jaws”
Set in the fictional picturesque town of Amity Island in New England, summer vacation for many is halted after the remains of a member of their community wash up on shore from the result of a shark attack. The coroner states to protagonist police chief Martin Brody (Roy Scheider) that they must close the beach for the safety of the public to which the mayor disagrees, stating that the town’s economy will plummet if the beaches are closed. The mayor has the final word, and the beaches remain open until the shark attacks and kills two more children, prompting Martin to pull together Quint (Robert Shaw), an experienced shark hunter and Matt Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss), an oceanographer. The three men go out on Quint’s boat in order to track and kill the shark terrorizing the people of their small town.
A movie doused with surf, sand and sun, “Jaws” is the perfect adrenaline-filled summer movie for those who like to sit at the edge of their seat.
You can stream “Jaws” on Peacock with a subscription or for purchase on Amazon Prime.