3 out of 5 stars
"We convinced an entire generation, that this is a battle that we could win. We sacrifice for each other no matter what the cost. And that's worth fighting for." - President Whitmore
The aliens are back and they aren't happy. It has been two decades since the original invasion of planet earth. This victory over the interstellar force has not been forgotten by these galactic intruders. If anything good has come from the initial attack, the world population has come together to prepare for the inevitable future invasion. All of earth has taken advantage of the access to the weaponry that was left behind by the retreating invaders and they are confident in thwarting the potential future event. The time has come for the people of Earth to feel the vengeful repercussions of their actions or is there another motivation for the alien throng to come back?
Independence Day: Resurgence was another nostalgic romp that goes into the category of guilty-pleasure. With Hollywood striving to strike gold with a multitude of older franchises, similar to Star Wars and Jurassic Park, this outing goes into the deserving league of true '90s throwback. It provides earlier film going generations with the opportunity to share with the new generations of cinematic fans the joys of the cheesiest of cinematic adventures. Over the last twenty years, the plot for Independence Day has not changed, the scripting continues to be humorous, but cringe-worthy, the plot continues to be unbelievable and the special effects cover a multitude of many sins which assist in delivering a package of enjoyable amusement. What truly helps in making this film work better than the multitude of other apocalylyptic journeys is that everyone on screen and in the audience seem to be in on the ludicrous intention of the film. No one can be blamed for taking things too seriously, except for the possibly the CGI team.
Most of the original cast is back and it was good to see them back on the screen in amongst all of the cheesy dialogue and alien invaders. Director Roland Emmerich once again sits at the helm of this adventure and does a masterful work (using the term lightly) at balancing the heritage of the former blockbuster and introducing enough of the new to make the formula work, again. Jeff Goldblum (Jurassic Park), Bill Pullman (While You Were Sleeping) and Brent Spiner (Star Trek: The Next Generation) provide the nostalgic touch needed for fans of the original Independence Day. These blasts from the past manage to apply their experience to the next generation for the inevitable future attacks from the intergalactic villains. While new entries in this franchise, Jessie T. Usher (When the Game Stands Tall), Travis Tope (Men, Women and Children), Liam Hemsworth (The Hunger Games), provide the comedic touch and bravado that was provided by Will Smith in the first chapter.
The question remains, why does this re-boot work where others have failed? Emmerich manages to incorporate two key elements that add to this experience that make it fly above other films. He has a knack for knowing how far to take the intentionally sophomoric dialogue by allowing the cast to have fun with each line. Also, he knows that the weakness of scripts can be hidden in amongst amazing special effects. In this outing they do a wonderful work in providing the perfect places for the weaker components of the writing to hide.
This seasoned director not only manages to pull this elements off and helps the audience to remember that sometimes they can merely go to the cinema to be entertained and be willingly be taken to new places of imagination and disbelief. Independence Day: Resurgence is far from being great cinema, but there is nothing to say that this was meant to be an award-winning experience. What should be expected? An opportunity to go and enjoy a pure, unadulterated, ridiculous joyride.
REEL DIALOGUE: Does God laugh?
There are passages in the Bible that show that God does laugh. This is where we should go to consider the answer to this question, but one does not have to look too far past His creation to see that laughter is part of life. Laughter, humour and joy can be credited to the creator. So, it is good to laugh, it is a gift from God.
- Are we allowed to laugh? (Genesis 21:6, Proverbs 17:22, Psalm 126:2)
- What does the Bible say about war? (Psalm 144:1,Ecclesiastes 3:8)
- What does the Bible have to say about peace? (Matthew 5:9, John 18:36)
