Independence Day 2: Same Old, Same Old

20 years ago, Independence Day blew audiences away using old fashioned effects. Now, Independence Day: Resurgence is nothing more than a bloated concoction of alien junk. In the end, Director Roland Emmerich’s (ID4, The Day After Tomorrow and 2012) stale popcorn flicks have gotten really old.  

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​In 1996, Independence Day hit theaters leaving audiences everywhere fueled with popcorn excitement. The 4th of July summer flick embraced its patriotism and explosions, oh the explosions. Now, I’m not a huge fan of big bangs and little plot but in this case Independence Day worked thanks to its terrific cast and old school visual effects. Man vs. Alien, that was the simple plot and audiences everywhere ate it up.

Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith were hilarious together on and off the screen. Smith even punches an alien in the face, Oorah! Fast-forward to present day, Smith is dead because he didn’t want to appear in this lousy sequel and Goldblum is just old. Here’s the plot, after the first Independence Day invasion, Earth is faced with a new extra-Solar threat. So two decades later and director Emmerich makes basically the same movie with better special effect … come on. This sort of filmmaking is lazy and nothing more than an easy cash grab.

​Pairing Goldblum with a fresh Liam Hemsworth is not the same as Smith’s original chemistry. The visuals are impressive as ever, but that can’t save this film from the end-of-the-world stakes. The dialog is cheesy and the emotional heft is nowhere to be found. The dull, brainless sequel shows a major decline for Fox Studios in the past two decades. The first Independence Day slapped a smile on your face. Now, two decades later Resurgence rips that smile from existence. You know the saying: “the bigger they come, the harder they fall.” Same applies for Independence Day: Resurgence. Rest in peace Will Smith. 

Independence Day: Resurgence is rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned). For sequences of sci-fi action and destruction, and for some language.