Back in 1996, the sci-fi/extraterrestrial genre was taken by storm with the release of Independence Day. I remember it well. Those chilling iconic scenes of the White House being blown to smithereens or the fifteen mile wide alien mothership that just happened to plonk themselves over key cities all over the world. It was something we hadn’t as yet witnessed before on the big screen and thus now Independence Day has gained something of a cult following worldwide. But considering the film’s hugely successful cinematic run, it surprisingly took exactly two decades for a sequel to arrive. Originally intended to be shot as two separate movie sequels, Will Smith’s departure from the project factored in to opting for just a solo production. So was the wait worth it or had the innovative spark of yesteryear run its course ultimately delivering too little too late.
The threat upon Earth having been eradicated led to a long period of rebuilding all that was destroyed in the invasion. Captain Steven Hiller, the marine F/A-18 pilot who helped save the day by nuking the mega-mothership during the first attack, has since died. Instead his son, Dylan Hiller (played by Jessie Usher) now follows in his father’s footstep as an aviation top gun. Twenty years on, the UN has helped in creating the ESD (Earth Space Defense) using the same alien technology that was originally pitted against them. David Levinson (reprised once more by Jeff Goldblum) is now the acting Director for ESD. He soon discovers that right before the alien’s defeat, a secret distress call was dispatched, presumably back to their home world of origin. AsDavid** and his team frantically attempt to decipher what is actually happening, a huge mothership is seen looming it’s way toward Earth. The enormity of the craft this time is such that it even manages to dwarf those during the first war twenty years ago. Hence begins a global struggle for the survival of mankind again, bringing with it dangerous adversaries the likes of which no one has never witnessed before.
I had high hopes for this one. Call it a nostalgic hopefulness or just plain desperation to somehow reconnect with the same feelings I had when I initially watched the first movie. But alas, it was not meant to be. This movie was a travesty almost from start to finish. We have a cast who offer up some absolutely abysmal performances. With a selection of the leads comprising of Liam Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum, you’d to forgiven for wondering why they even bothered signing up to this production, considering their calibre of acting in regards to past works. Sometimes I was amazed the sleepy-eyed Goldblum managed to even stay awake at times. Yes, it was that bad. And concerning the other on-screen actors (with Bill Pullman making a surprise return as the former president), it’s just a cringe worthy train-wreck that begs the question of why they took so long to produce this drivel given all that time they had on their hands.
“If” (and that is one ginormous mothership of an “If”) there is any entertainment value to be had, it could be the action set-pieces as our heroes fly through cities being literally turned on their head. But even this is enjoyment on the very basest of levels. The ship ducks and dives past plumes of fire and debris, narrowly missing a messy demise each and every time. It’s all stuff you’ve seen a thousand times before and comes with the same eye-rolling reaction it garnered back then. The aliens make another uninvited entrance upon their second run to destroy humanity once and for all. However it's all been seen and done before, albeit much better. The themed order of the day is the same with the extraterrestrial nasties as it is with the movie in general. Bigger is better. Humongous spaceships that cover almost a quarter of our planet's surface. Super-villains that wouldn’t look out of place in some video game boss battle. It’s all stuff pertaining to a childish dream (or nightmare, depending on how you look at it).
Sadly, this should mark the end of a possible beginning to a long franchise. The poor ratings and reception it received upon release were all rightfully earned. It irked me more than usual this time as the hype bandwagon for a sequel to the original was alive and well for many years. Though when the full circle finally came around, nobody seems to care. It was a mistimed, calculated mess that even the likes of Laurel and Hardy would have chuckled at. A terrible movie through to its core, saved from absolute scrap-worthiness by a few notable, yet clichéd, action sequences and the odd okayish special effects sprinkled here and there. One for the bargain basement… Or lower.
My Verdict: (4/10)
