It has been 20 years since aliens tried to invade Earth and destroy all life.  The nations of Earth have united and formed the Earth Defense Force using alien technology as they are trying to be ready for the next alien invasion.   Area 51 is the headquarters of the ESD.  Many of the members of the old cast (except Will Smith) have returned along with some new cast members including Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Sela (as the President of the United States), and William Fictner (as a general in the ESD).  Jeff Goldbulm, Brent Spiner, and Bill Pullman shine with the material given to them in the movie while Judd Hirsch and Vivica A. Fox seem unnecessary and do nothing to further the central plot.  Charlotte Gainsbourg holds her own as an old on and off love interest of David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum).   The aliens return with a 3000 mile long ship which would cause lots of weather and tidal changes on Earth (and not just the gravity of the ship causing entire cities to be lifted up and dropped back down in pieces. 

 

The new cast leads like Liam Hemsworth and Jessie Usher are knida wasted in a movie like this with the inferior sequel script.   Dean Devlin and Ronald Emmerich are more interested in providing decent material for the original cast than the new cast. INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESUREGENCE isn’t a classic blockbuster like the first INDEPENDENCE DAY.  Instead the sequel delivers a rushed plot with more absurd action sequences without the fun.  The humor is great in this movie (Brent Spiner is fun in this movie with his crazy scientist out of a coma routine) and this sequel even sets things up for a sequel.   However if you want a summer popcorn film to entertain you, I recommend you wait to rent this sequel and go watch the original superior INDEPENDENCE DAY which Dean Devlin and director Ronal Emmerich should have studied more at what made their earlier work such a fun experience instead of the rush plodding absurd mess they decided to deliver as a sequel.  I hope they don’t bring the same kind of lackluster shine when they remake STARGATE.

 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Deleted scenes with optional audio commentary and some of the scenes add to the characters, but they were all cut for pacing reasons.

 

Audio commentary with director Roland Emmerich

 

ANOTHER DAY: THE MAKING OF INDEPENDENC DAY: RESURENCE-  a four part documentary that covers the making of the sequel from the new cast members to the sequel story to the visual effects, but it doesn’t mention what they would have done with Will Smith’s character if he did sign on for the sequel

THE WAR OF 1996- a faux documentary featurette on the events of the first movie and what has happened in the 20 years since then

IT’S EARLY, ABQ!- an interview with David Levinson’s dad who is promoting his book (and we get a special appearance from Jeff Goldblum in character as David Levinson)

 

Also on the blu-ray disc are the theatrical trailers for the movie and concept art galleries

 

The movie is also included in standard definition on DVD and a code to download/ stream a digital HD copy too

 

FINAL ANALYSIS: The extras are better than the sequel.  I wish they written a better sequel instead of this B grade attempt at capturing lightning in the bottle once more.  Go watch the original film instead or again.  It seems the makers of the first film have played it too safe instead of coming up with a  great script.

 

This review is ©10-29-2016 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  Send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com

 

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