In the two decades since the humans claimed victory over the alien invaders, the world lives at peace with each other and has merged their technology with alien technology. Independence Day: Resurgence is the sequel to the 1996 sci-fi action film Independence Day. Though most people have made up their minds about the movie, declaring in one voice that this movie should go quietly into the night, is it really as bad as people are saying? I’m hesitantly in! Hesitant, because this could also be a real bomb if handled incorrectly. Take all the fun, loud and dumb of the original and translate it in the modern day, and you’ve got yourself a modern classic. I didn’t really feel it called for a sequel, but I knew that this could be amazing if done right. The concept of an Independence Day 2 interested me upon first hearing it. It remains a staple of the dumb 90’s action movie genre and an undeniable classic, one that apparently had grounds for a sequel. While debates concerning the film’s quality still persist to this day, the film is still beloved by many for its impressive effects, memorable scenes, lovable characters and overall fun vibe. The film set in the mid 90’s with an all-star cast wowed audiences with its depiction of a world defending itself from an alien invasion.
It has been 20 years since the first Independence Day hit theaters in the summer of 1996. Today we celebrate our Independence Day…2 ! On this day 240 years ago, the 13 British colonies in the recently discovered Western World declared in one voice that we will not go quietly into the night. But if you can remember what you actually liked about Independence Day, then consider this film for what it truly is: a throwback to the sci-fi of the past, much in the way Independence Day was a throwback to the sci-fi of old.Note: SBR never spoils. There are so many jokes it's hard to look at the film too seriously, there's a corny love story that sure as hell doesn't track with modern social progress, and you're either going to love or hate Brent Spiner's eccentric schtick that permeates the film's story. But at the same time, it's pretty much the sequel one should expect after finishing a triumphant viewing of Independence Day. Sure, after being exposed to 20 years of blockbuster evolution, the long awaited sequel isn't as much of a slam dunk as people were hoping. Independence Day: Resurgence is the film that would have been made if it was produced in 1997, only a year after the original took the world by storm. But other than those touches, the Roland Emmerich sequel actually matches its predecessor better in its tonal balance than most would think. President Whitmore is reduced to a "crazy old man" in the beginning of the picture, and the world is definitely a bitterer, guarded place when an alien probe crosses through a wormhole to our side of the universe. That's a tall order to fill, but in some respects Independence Day: Resurgence gets to be a little darker than its predecessor. In case you needed a reminder, let Bill Pullman's famous speech from the war of 1996 remind you of how the original became the highest grossing film of 1996.įast forward 20 years into the future, and your modern audience is expecting Independence Day: Resurgence to fit two different molds: they want it to live up to the quality of the original, while at the same time embracing the modern style of blockbuster. Most importantly, it was an unabashedly fun film, in a time when that sort of thing was still in style. It had a cast of excellent character actors and up-and-coming talent that all coalesced into a sci-fi film that recalled the 50's era of sci-fi, while mixing it in with an Irwin Allen sort of disaster angle. Its visual effects were hailed as making Star Wars look like a B-movie. Let's address the obvious elephant in the room, before we start in on the whole circus: Independence Day was a pretty big damned deal in 1996.
So why is the second film better than the critics say it is? Because it's a film that not only lives up to the promise of the film that came before it, it may as well have been made in that same era. Yet this is one of the reasons that Independence Day: Resurgence is a fitting sequel to Independence Day, as both films indulge in a lot of the same set-pieces and schmaltz that are seen on the screen. Truly, the film is definitely a trope laden mess, what with grand speeches, witty one-liners, and acts of sacrificial bravery all still reigning supreme.