On their fantastic podcast Denzel Washington Is The Greatest Actor Of All Time Period, W. Kamau Bell and Kevin Avery talk about certain movies being “Day Changers,” that is, even if you have other plans, or something you should be doing, if you find that movie on TV, your day changes so that you can sit for two hours and watch it.
Independence Day is a day changer movie for me. I love everything about it. I love that it’s completely cornball cheesy, I love the on point charismatic performances from the entire cast but especially Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith. I love how straightforward it is. I love that it’s an action movie dressed up like a Sci-Fi movie.
Independence Day: Resurgence is the opposite, it’s a Sci-Fi movie dressed as an action movie, which gives it a place among other sequels that have switched genres, like T2 or Aliens. Now, I’m not saying this is as good as those movies, it isn’t. But Independence Day isn’t as good as The Terminator or Alien, so of course it doesn’t reach those levels.
The movie picks up 20 years after the events of the first movie, and we see the sort of Utopic future that’s been born from the unity of the finale. Nothing is perfect, and it appears that there is some psychic damage from many who had close encounters with the aliens. When a new ship appears, which looks mysteriously like a symbol many victims have been scrawling (including President Thomas Whitmore, played in a kooky and wonderful performance by Bill Pullman!) everyone, including David Levinson (Goldblum) kind of freaks out.
The action is pulled off mostly by a young ensemble cast, lead by Liam Hemsworth as Jake Morrison and Jessie T. Usher as Dylan Hiller. It turns out when he’s not playing the most insufferable dude in Panem, I actually enjoy watching Liam. The fact that it takes five young actors to replace one Will Smith is telling though. The others are Maika Monroe, who is great, but who’s casting I really resented, as there was literally no reason to not bring Mae Whitman back to play Patricia Whitmore, Angelababy, who’s Chinese pilot was a refreshing bit of WOC diversity, even if it was probably done to pander to the Chinese market, rather than to improve the story, and Travis Tope.
Brent Spiner, Judd Hirsch and Vivica A. Fox are all back in small-ish parts (guess who’s is the smallest? I’m hoping it’s because she didn’t want a big role.) and Hirsch’s storyline is easily my favorite.
Overall I really enjoyed myself and Resurgence leaves itself very open for sequelization, so we’ll see what happens next.
Rankings:
- The Nice Guys
- Popstar: Never Stop Never Stopping
- Captain America: Civil War
- X-Men: Apocalypse
- Finding Dory
- Independence Day: Resurgence
- Alice Through The Looking Glass
Trailers:
Jason Bourne: Seriously, though, it looks so good. I really can’t wait for it.
Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates: I feel like the marketing for this movie is holding me hostage. I’ll probably wind up liking it a lot, but UGH, I just don’t care and I’m sick of it.
The Legend of Tarzan: Looks pretty good. Tarzan has never really been in my box of toys, but I’ll certainly check it out.
Doctor Strange: FINE YOU WIN MARVEL. (You always win) I’ll go see the movie. I’ll probably love it. It will probably turn me around on Cumberbatch. FINE! FINE!
The Fangirl's Dilemma 