Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Review

120min

Genre:     Action, Adventure, Sci-fi

Director:  Roland Emmerich

Cast:       Jeff Goldblum, Liam Hemsworth, Bill Pullman…and more

Writers:   Nicolas Wright, James A. Woods , Dean Devlin… and more

-Synopsis-

Mankind has bolstered its planetary defences by salvaging alien technology from the failed Alien invasion of the mid 90s, but it will take the best of humanity and perhaps more to prevent a devastating new wave of alien attacks in this inevitable and long-time-coming sequel to the 1996 global hit ‘Independence Day’.

Like one of the film’s perfectly apt poster tagline reads, “We always knew they’d be back”; in a nostalgia-obsessed industry addicted to sequels/prequels/spin-offs, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ was probably always an inevitability and 20 years on those pesky aliens are back to have another go.

Thanks to “creative concerns”, Will Smith doesn’t return to the character which made him a global movie star, but much of the surviving gang is back.  Jeff Goldblum’s planet-saving super-nerd gets a major promotion and is joined by Judd Hirsch as his colourful dad, while Bill Pullman’s troubled now ex-president and Brent Spiner’s ever eccentric “Dr. Okun” also return, among others.

They’re all joined by a new cast which features veteran actors like William Fichtner and Sela Ward as well as an array of pretty young things, led by Liam Hemsworth, Maika Monroe and Jessie T. Usher as July 4th’s new action heroes.

Together they struggle to protect a now peaceful and technologically advanced planet, thanks to the devastating 1996 invasion, from a new more dangerous and advanced generation of the planet-harvesting aliens in this nostalgic and steroid-pumped version of the 90’s Sci-fi disaster blockbuster.

Look, if you’re even considering watching ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ you should know what to expect; non-stop action sequences and planetary carnage brought to you by copious amounts of CGI, a ludicrous plot with corny humour and some cringeworthy attempts at drama and pathos.

So if you’re looking for a mindless 2 hours of escapist entertainment you probably won’t be disappointed, but if you’re looking for a sequel which makes an impact like the original then you probably will be… and you’ve probably not been watching many sequels and reboots lately.

The scale and visuals are impressive and the action set-pieces often entertaining, but they’re nothing we haven’t seen before in any number of disaster films and Sci-fi blockbusters over the last 20 years, including some of director Roland Emmerich’s own. But without the novelty and wonder of finding out who’s invading and why, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ is every inch the by-the-numbers sequel with a distinct lack of charm.

The new additions to the cast don’t exactly shine; but are hardly helped by an uninspired and overly familiar narrative which sets a surprisingly light and triumphant tone, with a lack of tension which is dismissive of the catastrophic destruction, almost disqualifying it as a disaster film altogether.

The irresistible and unique charms of Jeff Goldblum and Judd Hirsch are the only things that inject a little soul and humour into the piece, along with the global message of unity which is as relevant now as it ever was, but even that feels more corny and formulaic than it did 20 years ago.

If you’re looking for a repeat of your ‘Independence Day’ experience then ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ might be right up your alley. Roland Emmerich and the writers have made sure to create an updated and flashier version of the original, with the same basic narrative and character arcs, just don’t expect anything inspired or particularly memorable, but do expect the inevitable 3rd part of the trilogy in the near future.

The Bottom Line…

Big, loud and flashy, ‘Independence Day: Resurgence’ has more than enough spectacle to gleefully wile away 2 hours of your day; but an all-too-familiar and lacklustre narrative coupled with creative choices that make this seem like move-making by committee, result in yet another underwhelming nostalgia sequel/reboot which fades into a distant memory as soon as you leave the cinema.

Similar films you may like (Home Video)

Independence Day (1996)

When advanced aliens show up on Earth in massive spaceships to destroy humanity and harvest the planet, mankind must unite to fight the invaders in the epic 90s summer blockbuster which made Will Smith a household name.

Directed by Roland Emmerich and starring Will Smith, Bill Pullman and Jeff Goldblum among others.

Comments

comments

Comments are closed.