Independence Day: Resurgence

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

34% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 114 reviews)

Runtime: 120 minutes

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Starring: The returning faces plus people like Maika Monroe, William Fichtner, Sela Ward, Jessie T. Usher, and Liam Hemsworth

From: 20th Century Fox

I have a controversial opinion about this movie; you can read it below in my Letterboxd review but even I am surprised that I enjoyed something where people constantly yell as they're doing something big, especially with one character in particular. I try to explain why I felt this way:

Looking at the Internet last night and today, I realize that I have a far different view of this movie than most; many seem to hold the original in high regard and think this is awful; me, I think this was actually a little preferable to the original, and even I am surprised at such an admission. I guess never having the OG flick on a pedestal for years is part of it, but this is full of CGI and is just as stupid as the movie from 1996. I'll try to explain why I feel this way.

I won't reveal anything that wasn't already public knowledge; the aliens come back from revenge, and that's about it. Oh, humanity has also used the left behind alien technology to become more advanced in their tech-filled 2016 than we are in our 2016, and the UK gets destroyed... in a different way than the UK is destroyed after what happened yesterday... the children of some of the original's characters now have a role in this and in case anyone had any doubts, this is as jingoistic as the first one. Sure, the plot takes place in a few countries and there is some diversity (although I can certainly be cynical about it, especially the Chinese presence) but it's still jingoistic.

So why did I enjoy this when most critical types hate it? Honestly, not having as many stupid/annoying characters was a big reason why. Oh, there are still some awful cringe-worthy character moments that fail at being funny or even amusing; it's not as bad as the original. At least like with the first one, the action can be followed and isn't horribly edited to where it's a blur that gives you a headache trying to follow it. In this day and age I have to commend Emmerich for doing such a thing, even if most of what he does is stuff I'd rather not see. It is not beyond the realm of possibility that me not seeing too many extravaganzas bloated with CGI means that I haven't grown as tired of them as most people have. Or maybe that this is 2 hours even and not as long as the original, and I am thankful it's not grossly bloated like “the superhero” movies are.

I thought the cast was fine, from the returning faces to the new people returning. Will Smith's absence did hurt, charisma-wise. The guy that played his son, that character definitely wasn't the same. They have to deal with a cliche-filled script jam-packed with ridiculous moments... so just like Independence Day. The universe is expanded upon and it offers up more information about the aliens and why they are the way they are. I realize that most detest this movie and that is OK with me. Who knows, you may end up liking this also no matter your opinion of ID4.