One of the
problems with making sequels is that they’ll always be compared to the
first (Independence Day (1996)). People will pick apart how things
were done and how they don’t measure up to the original. To make the comparison
even deadlier, the farther apart the sequels are released, the harsher the
criticism will be—especially if the first was a hit.
I guess that’s
just how it is, and I don’t wish to change things.
So, the first
movie was far better than this one for reasons that are easy to point out.
First, the characterization in the original spanned different walks of life and
behaviors. There was never a dull moment in the first movie, nor did you wish
for more screen time for one character over another. In this new one, however,
they seemed to skip making the characters lovable and focused solely on the
action. There’s no depth or development for any character, mainly because there
were just too many people involved. I never got drawn into the life of any one
of them.
Then there’s the
straightforward story the first film delivered. Aliens show up, we have no idea
why they’re here or what they want—until they start blowing up buildings,
leading to massive casualties. The humans band together and take down the
aliens. In this sequel, they decided to complicate things: there are bad aliens
who want to kill us and good aliens who want to help us kill them.
Yes, people,
there are more civilizations (aliens) out there!
With all of this
happening and the sheer number of characters on screen, it was hard to believe
the world was coming to an end.
Now, the huge
plus side of this movie is the visual masterpiece it delivers, which is on par
with what I saw back in 1996
when I first watched Independence Day.
The movie’s plot
is set twenty years after the events of the first film. The human race has
advanced by using the technology salvaged from the alien race that attacked
Earth. They’ve even developed a space-fighting air force, presumably preparing
for another attack.
Well, the aliens
came back, and this time we were ready for them (even though the characters in
the movie didn’t seem to know that).
I’ve seen better
sequels, and this one is a waste of your money.
Some characters
from the
first film return here, though Will Smith is only present as a photo on
a wall.
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