Film Review – Independence Day: Resurgence

It was with trepidation AND reluctance that I bought a ticket to see the “two decades in the making” follow up to the surprise 1996 blockbuster Independence Day from director Roland Emmerich.

I like his ridiculous epic destruction sagas from The Day After Tomorrow to White House Down, they seem to have delivered awesome action on an enormous scale with a solid dose of humour and self-awareness.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first film, the notion of a sequel twenty years later, without the charismatic Will Smith did not fill me with enthusiasm.

I spent more at the candy bar than I did on the ticket, making sure I was well stocked for a popcorn blockbuster.

The film delivers spectacle and excellent special effects in spades, which may be enough for many movie-goers, as the aliens who wrought destruction on us back then return, with improved technology.

When they first attack, planet earth seems comically unprepared, and reliant on the balls of gung-ho types like Liam Hemsworth’s rogue pilot Jake Morrison, or the brains of kooky pseudo-scientists led by Jeff Goldblum as computer expert David Levinson, on whom the governments of the world seem to rely singlehandedly on for tactics to outwit the extra terrestrial threat.

In being SO big, the film relies purely on the SFX budget to win you over, and that at least is impressive, with awesome aliens, and jaw-dropping destruction across the globe

For me though, the weak script, unconvincing acting and general overall lameness of the film wore thin by the time we reached the end of two hours, with the (spoiler alert) promise that as the alien planet’s location had been revealed, the humans knew where to find the space invaders and could thus go find them and, in the words of one of the characters, “kick some alien butt.”

Mindless, unoriginal, and lazy, this big screen blockbuster setting up a franchise where none was required and destined to be huge in China, left me cold, and fifty dollars poorer.

2 and ½ stars. “Worse Than We Feared”.