Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Erm…..

Now I’m going to keep this short and sweet, unlike Roland Emmerich’s latest intergalactic instalment. This sequel follows the incredibly successful 1996 summer blockbuster Independence Day starring Jeff Goldblum, Will Smith and Bill Pullman. Simply put, the plot of the original feature is an ominous race of aliens visit earth. Their ships hover over cities around the globe before unleashing their destructive capabilities upon humanity. Leaving the last remnants of the human race needing to galvanise together to save the planet. A fairly simple plot that understands its blockbuster label. And whilst not being complex in its storytelling, the film had a particular attitude and audacity that was incredibly admirable. And through that charm, the characters became more engaging that then papered over the cracks in the narrative.

However, Resurgence (set 20 year after the original) never seems to rectify those cracks but instead amplifies them to such a degree they become canyons. It is very rare for me to watch a film and not find a handful of positives as I understand the difficulty in making films. But this film fails on every level thematically and technically. Jeff Goldblum’s performance is the only gratifying part of this entire experience. His unorthodox manner for split seconds reminds you that this is meant to have the appeal of a fun entertaining blockbuster. Will Smith’s absence is sorely missed as the comedy attempts (if you can even call it that) are so misjudged it becomes uncomfortable as the film wears on; instead Smith’s flavoursome presence would have injected some spark in the film.

Leading on to one of the biggest problems of the film being the amount of characters and sub plots we have to follow. Through Emmerich’s attempt at world building, the drowning volume of new characters becomes unbearable. Nearing the end of the second act there were still characters being introduced which demonstrated the lack of discipline from Roland Emmerich. The new main characters introduced in Resurgence, played by Liam Hemsworth and Jessie T. Usher (playing the son of Will Smith’s character) were the epitome of lacklustre chemistry. Granted, the dialogue wasn’t the best it could’ve been but their on-screen connection was embarrassingly obsolete.

It is a real shame as Independence Day was one of my true childhood VHS blockbusters and this sequel encapsulates the unfortunate running trend of most remakes and sequels; heightening the spectacle whilst subordinating the character development.

Spectacle over substance.