The first Independence Day was a big summer blockbuster hit. I ended up seeing it in theatres, and even though it was not a perfect movie by any standard, it delivered fun and adventure in a goofy and visually pleasing way. Anchoring the film was the charisma of Will Smith. We also had a bunch of supporting actors who were relevant in Hollywood at the time in Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum, and, to a lesser extent, Brent Spiner.
The sequel, Independence Day: Resurgence, has many of the same players from the first one, with one major exception. Will Smith is nowhere to be seen. And with that departure from the franchise, so did leave the charisma. Those supporting actors from the previous one were now left to carry the weight of the film, a movie that needed more life and energy than they were up for bringing to the stage.
I shouldn't go that far. Jeff Goldblum was decent in his return as David Levinson, but that is about as far as I will go in saying that the returning cast was up to the challenge of battling outer space monsters. Brent Spiner's character was a goofy and cartoonish ploy, intending to bring many laughs that ended up falling flat and inducing groans. In general, there were many intended moments of comedy, but there was only one time when the audience actually let out an audible giggle. I giggled at that point as well.
The sad thing is that twelve hours after seeing it, I cannot even remember what happened that made me giggle. This is a big problem with Independence Day: Resurgence. It is ultimately forgettable. Yes, the special effects are magnificent. Yes, the danger is bigger. However, bigger is not always better, and it is proven by the fact that there were few standout scenes and moments during the alien invasion. Heck, I remember more scenes from last year's San Andreas than I do about Resurgence.
Part of the issue comes down to the horrendous script that is full of the most insane expository dialogue that I have seen in years. Part of the issue could be that there were five people involved in the writing of the script, trying to shoehorn explanation in wherever they could with the minimum amount of effort needed. The plot issues don't stop at exposition. We get so many cliches that it feels as though we are watching a spoof of a Hollywood blockbuster.
One of those cliches is Jake Morrison, played by Liam Hemsworth. He is a too cool for school pilot who plays by his own rules. Never seen that before. Hemsworth was quite obviously director Roland Emmerich's attempt at a young lead that would carry a hefty portion of the film. The problem was that he is not at the level to elevate scenes above the script, which is what Will Smith was able to do. He plays the role just fine, but 'just fine' bleeds him in with everything else that is nondescript about this movie.
One shining star was the performances of both Maika Monroe and Joey King. I have long been a fan of both of those young actresses, and they show more depth than they should have here. Really, they should have just been reading the lines and forging themselves into the mosaic of bland scenery, but instead they decided to bring something more to their characters. They brought life and emotion, something their contemporaries were without.
This film is an orgy of special effects with paper thin plot and characters. It may not have been the best blockbuster season this year, and this film is just another one to add to the list of 'see it if it is on television.' There are some who may get a kick out of the nostalgia, but for people who are looking for something energetic and new, you will be left yawning and wondering what the hell you just sat through.
Rating - 2 out of 4 stars
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