Rather than staying true to the self-aware, summer blockbuster flair in 1996’s Independence Day, Resurgence is an overstuffed, repetitive self-parody of its well-known predecessor. The warning was on the wall when five writers were credited for the script, in addition to the filmmakers having faith in Liam Hemsworth, whose chemistry is as engaging as a Ben Stein lecture, succeed Will Smith in the male lead role. Both the returning stars and new actors are mostly dour in their performances, and the attempts at humor are haphazard and juvenile. Also since ID4 set the bar for mass destruction of worldwide landmarks in blockbuster movies, we’ve become so accustomed to the trope that the action in the sequel feels ultimately stale and uninspired. After his success with the first film, Roland Emmerich has since fallen deep down the filmmaking depths, and has now reached the point where studio heads need to invade his office and obliterate the license that allows him to make movies. – -Tyler Christian
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