Happy spectacle, not classy

Johnson Thomas

Roland Emmerich’s 1996 release ‘Independence Day’ practically revolutionised the scale of sci-fi blockbusters. And the visual calisthenics displayed then were simply outrageous. It was a brave film that showed the ‘White House’ being blown-up on a never-seen-before scale. 

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This sequel, a reboot of sorts, puts the focus on most of the modern architectural wonders in order to work a bang-for-buck magic. It’s 20 years since the original’s alien attack and Earth has become a much safer place, a united force under Madam President of the USA, Lanford (Sela Ward)’s stewardship. A unified, cleaner, much more advanced Earth has prepared itself strategically and scientifically, using leftover alien technology for another possible extinction attempt.

Then comes the unexpected alien intrusion and experts as well as former leaders converge back to Area 51 in order to combat the seemingly irreversible. Captain Hiller (Will Smith) may be out of the picture but fresh blood in the form of new heroes, his son(Jessie T Usher) and orphan fighter pilots (Liam Hemsworth and Travis Tope) get to do the unimaginable deed. 

Screenwriters Dean Devlin, Nicolas Wright, James A Woods, James Vanderbilt and Emmerich himself have put together an efficient framework to pull-off all that heavy-duty effects frenzy. The effects are bigger, the destruction is much more pulverising and the technology on display is out of this world.

The new batch of aliens are leaps ahead in scientific advancements and it’s man’s intelligence as well as cunning that plays a vital role in pulling off this rescue mission. There’s no doubt that Emmerich has put in a lot of effort in crafting something that looks fancier than the original, but the experience is not as likeable or for that matter, freely enjoyable!