Says dumb
Even if the aliens used a compatible signal, the idea that a laptop could write code for their ship in a few minutes is a leap. The film does not respect its audience here.
How did a Mac laptop upload a virus to an alien mothership?
Independence Day
Independence Day (1996)
At 1:51:40
Verdict: Guilty. 89% of viewers say this is dumb. Top defense: David is shown working out the aliens' signal earlier in the film, and the upload is treated as a premise.
Guilty
89% dumb11% explained
2,300 votes
Dumbness rating
8.5/ 10(2,300 ratings)Professional error: techImpossible knowledgeTrope: Hacker typing furiously
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What happens in this scene
David Levinson connects a laptop to an alien ship and uploads a virus that disables the defensive shields. The film gives only a short explanation of how a human computer could talk to alien software. The shields drop across the whole fleet.
The tone toggle also switches the reviews below. Contains spoilers for this scene only.
Reviews 3
Says dumb
The film shows David noticing the countdown signal earlier, which is something. But the final upload relies on an unexplained translator between two kinds of computers.
Says dumb
A short line about how the signal is interpreted would have helped. As it is, the film skips straight to the screen full of progress bars.
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Actually, it’s explained
David is shown working out the aliens' signal earlier in the film, and the upload is treated as a premise.
- DumbScenesStaff12 months ago
David is shown working out the aliens' signal earlier in the film, and the upload is treated as a premise.
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Quick Fix
Fixes are written by people. The smallest change, in 200 characters or fewer, that would have fixed the scene. AI is used only for duplicate detection, length and moderation.
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David says the ship's systems use a signal he has already decoded, and the laptop only has to send it back in the right order.
Would this fix it?88% say yes
script_doctor_samSupporter4 months ago
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Also asked as
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