Independence Day: Redundance

   There are some people who have waited a long time for a sequel to Independence Day. Twenty years. I remember being a kid and walking into see Independence Day, with my friend Tim, and being blown away. It redefined the idea of a summer blockbuster. The look, the emotion, and the cast were all spot on. So here we are twenty years later. Houston we have a sequel...or more like a problem.

    On the twenty year anniversary of the War Of 1996, the world is very different. We reverse engineered the alien technology to build what we thought is a safer world. David Levinson, the former satellite engineer the saved the planet, is now the Director of Defense. President Whitmore is long retired and his daughter is grown up. So is Dillon Hiller. He is the son of the late Capt. Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and has become a pilot too. We have better planes, bigger weapons, and a world at peace. Levinson discovers an even bigger threat and humanity must once again stand against extinction. 

  The old cast is mixed with the new and something is just off. The original players, aside from Levinson and Whitmore, serve little purpose. The new cast seems to lack chemistry. These two things are not the movie's biggest problems. I am not really sure what is? It tries to do too much. It's too cheesy. It lacks heart. It suffers from a weak plot. There is too much CGI. Pick one and they all work to define this debacle. 

  The first movie broke ground. We have better CGI now, but the original some how looks better. The first film had heart. The first cast had chemistry. The cast here is just awful. The original cast is almost over the top on purpose. I hate to say it, but the film reminds me of Sharknado with a massive budget. It really feels loaded with that much cheese.

 

 One of the best moments from the original was the Whitmore Speech. They attempt to recreate it and rather than be one of the best moments in the film, It bombs. The entire film just feels off. The story lacks depth. It has been awhile since I have been this disappointed in a film.

   Will Smith declined to participate and he clearly knew something that we didn't. They had twenty years to make a sequel to a great film. They through together the same story with more CGI and a lackluster cast. It's a sequel that is just bad. Forget the popcorn and big explosions. This one won't even help you forget about life for awhile, In fact, after this you will want those two hours of your life back. Instead of resurgence, just save your money and watch the original again. You'll probably thank me for it.