Independence Day: Resurgence gives new meaning to ‘disaster movie’

Back in 1996, cinemagoers were blown away (as was the White House and many other famous landmarks) by what is arguably the best alien invasion movie of all time. Independence Day delivered an unforgiving alien assault on our planet in the most epic way ever seen on screen, with King of the 90s Jeff Goldblum’s hair-raising one liners, Fresh Prince Will Smith’s bad boy charm, and Bill Pullman’s unforgettable speech.

Now, 20 years later, we have the sequel we weren’t waiting for. That’s not to suggest that the trailers haven’t been brilliant; breath-taking shots of a bigger ship unleashing destruction; scenes of a futuristic world owing its advanced technology to the remnants of the “War of 1996” space-crafts; and the original cast, evoking a sense of both nostalgia and anticipation. Unfortunately though, the awesomeness ends right there. And if I was to list everything that was awesome about this movie, then this review would end right here.

Prepare yourself for a movie that drops cities on everything you loved about the original, and whisks you away from a relatable human world and introduces you to an incredibly outlandish one filled with flying cars, laser guns, space portals and a moon colony. There's none of the suspense or dark tone from the trailer, or the sense of global threat from the first film. Instead, expect a painfully comical sci-fi romp that feels like its set during its own third act in its entirety, while jumping from one location to the next faster than the speed of light. The film also marks the 20 year anniversary of its predecessor, yet it makes no effort to celebrate this and as a result has about as much nostalgia as it does Will Smith. 

This is one disaster Jeff can't one-liner his way out of...

Echoing some of director Roland Emmerich's worst work, Resurgence is a CGI-soaked mess that screams bigger is better from start to finish, serving as something of an ugly love-child between a few of his older catastrophes. There are Stargate-esque wormholes and some awkwardly-contrived alien mythology, and overly-digitised collapsing continents and a green-screen backdrop throughout, giving the film the same look and feel of the disastrous 2012. 

But with all that said, the film can’t be faulted for some of its creative choices, and I’ll let you discover these for yourself, even if you do spit out your popcorn and bury your face in your hands. A sequel should build upon the first, and if it must, make some brave strides so that it can pave the way for future movies. The trouble is, a bold move isn’t a smart one if it’s been horribly executed. 

The film's tagline reads, "We Had 20 Years to Prepare". So perhaps we should have braced ourselves for this disaster, or perhaps the film makers should have spent that time trying to avoid making the worst sequel to the 90’s classic imaginable.