Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) 20th Century Fox/Sci-Fi-Action-Adventure RT: 120 minutes Rated PG-13 (sequences of sci-fi action and destruction, some language) Director: Roland Emmerich Screenplay: Nicolas Wright, James A. Woods, Dean Devlin, Roland Emmerich and James Vanderbilt Music: Harald Kloser and Thomas Wander Cinematography: Markus Forderer Release date: June 24, 2016 (US) Cast: Liam Hemsworth, Jeff Goldblum, Jessie T. Usher, Bill Pullman, Maika Monroe, Travis Tope, Sela Ward, William Fichtner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Deobia Oparei, Nicolas Wright, Judd Hirsch, Brent Spiner, Angelababy, Chin Han, Vivica A. Fox, John Storey, Patrick St. Esprit, Jenna Purdy (voice), Gbenga Akinnagbe, Joey King, Garrett Wareing, Hays Wellford, McKenna Grace, Robert Neary, Joshua Mikel, Joel Virgel, Arturo del Puerto. Box Office: $103.1M (US)/$389.7M (World)
Rating: **
For the record, I didn’t hate Independence Day: Resurgence, the long-belated sequel to the blockbuster 1996 alien invasion actioner directed by that master of disaster Roland Emmerich. It’s reasonably entertaining at times, I’ll give it that, but it’s huge step down from the original for many reasons. I really liked ID4 a lot; it’s one of the last huge summer movies that I thoroughly enjoyed. Enough to see it more than once at the movies, in fact.
I had strong reservations about Resurgence from the get-go. It’s been twenty years, did anybody either want or need a sequel after all this time? The teenage movie geek in me was curious to see what, if anything, Emmerich could bring to the table after a two-decade wait. More of the same, it turns out, but with a huge difference. It’s nowhere near as fun as ID4. I look at the original as a salute, a homage if you will, to the disaster movies of the 70s with its all-star cast and mass destruction of entire cities (and the White House). All that was missing was a poster with the actors’ faces in little boxes under the title. It was a great summer popcorn movie. Resurgence, conversely, is a rather hollow viewing experience.
Of the many reasons that Resurgence falls short, the biggest is Will Smith’s absence. The actor opted not to reprise the role that made him a big name star; in his stead, we get Jessie T. Usher (When the Game Stands Tall) as his now-grown stepson, following in his late father’s footsteps as a pilot. But he’s not the lead actor. That would be Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games) who can always be counted on to deliver a wooden performance. He doesn’t disappoint here. He plays hotshot pilot Jake Morrison, your typical maverick type with little regard for human life and even less for authority figures. To be fair, Usher isn’t a bad actor, but neither he nor Hemsworth can fill the slot vacated by Smith.
As one would expect, Resurgence deals with a second attack on a much-changed Earth by the same alien baddies who arrive in an even bigger ship (3000 miles wide!). Since the events of ’96, all the countries of the world have come together to form a single government. The UN has created the ESD (Earth Space Defense), a global defense program against any future attacks. Alien technology has been incorporated into things like transportation and weaponry. Former president Thomas Whitmore (Pullman) has gone loco. He has recurring nightmares and visions of alien symbols. He’s convinced the aliens are coming back. David Levinson (Goldblum) is now the director of the ESD. He’s also concerned about another attack, especially after being informed that a still-intact ship in Africa has suddenly sent a distress signal.
Like the first movie, Resurgence has a lot of characters. Judd Hirsch reprises his role as David’s father. He provides the movie’s only real comic relief as a grumpy old Jewish man. Brent Spiner also returns as the eccentric scientist from Area 51. I’ll bet you thought his character died in the first movie, didn’t you? It turns out he’s been in a coma for twenty years and wakes up just ahead of the second invasion. Remember Whitmore’s daughter Munchkin? Her name is actually Patricia (Monroe, It Follows) and she works as a speech writer for the new President, Elizabeth Lanford (Ward, The Day After Tomorrow). Other new characters include General Adams (Fichtner NOT playing a villain), African warlord Umbutu (Oparei, Game of Thrones), tax attorney Floyd Rosenberg (co-writer Wright), UN psychiatrist Catherine Marceaux (Gainsbourg, Nymphomaniac), Morrison’s sidekick Charlie (Tope, The Town That Dreaded Sundown) and Chinese pilot Rain Lao (singer Angelababy). For good measure, there’s also a group of kids (and a little dog) driving to safety led by teenage Sam (King, White House Down).
Like I said, the aliens have come back for a rematch of sorts only this time they’re also drilling a hole to the Earth’s core in the middle of the ocean. There’s also some business about an intelligent orb retrieved from a shot-down spherical ship on the ESD base on the moon where Morrison is stationed. Apparently, it came to help the primitive Earthlings fight their mutual enemy. In the midst of all the exposition and explanation, the aliens suck up an entire Asian city and drop it on London. Between this and London Has Fallen, the Brits just can’t catch a break this year.
Because Resurgence isn’t as fun as ID4, it’s easier to see its flaws and shortcomings. It’s short on character. Many of the supporting characters have only a few scenes. Some characters, like the kids, are entirely unnecessary and do nothing to serve the plot. The narrative is sloppy. The scenes don’t fit together all that well. Most attempts at humor fall flat; it all feels rather forced. Usher doesn’t have the same knack for one-liners as Smith. There’s a world of difference between “Now that’s what I call a close encounter.” and “Get ready for a close encounter, bitch!” The dialogue in this one is stilted, the performances stiff. The effects are mostly CGI. I didn’t experience the same sense of wonder that I did with the effects in the original.
Resurgence does get better in the second half, especially when the queen alien emerges from the mother ship. Granted, it’s derivative of Aliens and Starship Troopers, but it’s still kind of cool. The movie also borrows from Top Gun and Armageddon. ID4 is wonderfully self-aware of how silly it; Resurgence is grim and takes itself just a bit too seriously. Emmerich appears bored this time around. He’d better get over it if he plans on making the sequel promised by the ending. As for the script, there’s a lot of truth to the old saying about too many cooks. Resurgence has its moments but they’re far and few in between. It’s just not a well-made movie. In attempting to outdo the original, it shoots itself in the foot. Like I said, I don’t hate it but fans of ID4 deserve a lot better than this yawner of a sequel.
