It didn't matter if I'd just seen it a few days earlier if a friend called up and wanted to go again, I was more than happy to blow some of my allowance on a ticket. Movies like 'Jurassic Park,' 'Terminator 2: Judgement Day,' and 'Batman Returns' are all prime examples of films that I saw multiple times in the theater as a kid. It's obvious that Roland Emmerich is more concerned about building the cinematic world than making one great sequel.There's something about the 90s era summer blockbusters that make me happy whenever I sit down to revisit them. This ends trying to set up for an interstellar space war franchise. It would be popcorn fun if the characters are more than cardboard cut-outs. There is plenty of action and a lot of CGI stuff. As for Brent Spiner, I thought he got killed in the first movie. Bill Pullman has grown a beard and has a lesser speech to make. Judd Hirsch is driving a bunch of kids for some reason. The returning Goldblum has a couple of fun lines and he tries to bring some needed humor. Mae Whitman is replaced with the hotter Maika Monroe. Jessie Usher is not even a shadow of Big Willie. I don't want to say this but it misses Will Smith. The only compelling characters are from the original and that's because they build up the characters before. The difference in this one is that the new characters are not compelling played by actors with less charisma.
The original has fun charismatic characters. Julius Levinson (Judd Hirsch) is estranged from David and selling his book "How I Saved The World". Joshua Adams (William Fichtner) is the general in charge of ESD. Dylan Dubrow-Hiller (Jessie Usher) is a new pilot and the son of the hero Steven Hiller who died in a training accident after the first movie. Dr Brakish Okun (Brent Spiner) wakes up from his 20 year coma. Patricia Whitmore (Maika Monroe) is an aide, former pilot, and fiancée to present pilot Jake Morrison (Liam Hemsworth). Elizabeth Lanford (Sela Ward) is the new president. President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) have a psychic connection with the aliens. Catherine Marceaux (Charlotte Gainsbourg) and warlord Dikembe Umbutu, they endeavor to decipher the alien language. David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) is in Africa. The Earth Space Defense (ESD) is adapting the alien technology for its defense. The world has been at peace as it prepares for the expected next invasion. Reviewed by SnoopyStyle 4 / 10 invaded by characters I don't care about In summary, starts promisingly but runs out of steam fast. The acting from capable actors, disadvantaged by material so bad from many (such as Brent Spiner), give career-worst performances. The music is unmemorable and instead of rousing it's like a dirge-like drone or overbears everything. The script is weak by any standards, and often even worse, with a lot of misplaced and unfunny attempts at humour that comes over as juvenile or stilted gibberish. Characterisation is next to zero, with all the characters either being paper thin or annoying, sometimes even both. Attempts at drama are mawkish and forced. Outside of the opening, the rest of the action and storytelling is like an underpowered damp squib and instantly forgettable at best. There is absolutely no emotional investment either, the only emotion most viewers, including me, will feel is stone-cold boredom. There are times where it does try to cram in too much but most of the time it lacks thrills, excitement or suspense and replaced by dullness and stupidity with scenes that are unnecessary or go nowhere. Another big problem is the story, or shall we say lack of it. Roland Emmerich delivers reliably at the start but the rest of the direction is phoned-in and lazy. Unfortunately, 'Independence Day: Resurgence' rapidly runs out of steam after that promising beginning. When watching the opening, there was the thought "maybe this sequel may turn out sort of alright after all".
Speaking of the opening, that was a very promising start to the film, it was spectacularly destructive and was the most exciting the entire film ever got. Granted 'Independence Day: Resurgence' does look great, with a slick and sleek look to it without being too much of either and the special effects are surprisingly impressive, especially in the opening. The film does suffer from "sequeltitis", but in all honesty it is the sort of film that falls spectacularly on its own terms. While not really a fan of the original 'Independence Day', it is a masterpiece compared to the mess that 'Independence Day: Resurgence' is. Reviewed by TheLittleSongbird 2 / 10 Falls rapidly downhill after the opening