The debut is a science fiction blockbuster, as it is in the book. But the sequel turns out to be an exorbitant mishap. You can see the mishap on TV on Sunday evening.
In 1996, the German director Roland Emmerich delivered a real firework of an action film with “Independence Day”. Will Smith as Steven Hiller, the witty fighter pilot who gave the aliens a good beating on the head, proved to be a sympathizer of the highest quality and the powerful action also made for happy minds. On Sunday, May 14, 2023 at 8:15 p.m. the sequel awaits you on Sat.1, which unfortunately not only had to do without Will Smith, but also many other qualities of the debut.
20 years after “Independence Day” Roland Emmerich returned to his roots. Because when the aliens were defeated by humans in 1996, they were able to send out a signal shortly before they were destroyed, ordering reinforcements to come to Earth. Thus, in “Independence Day: Resurgence” the human species must once again brace itself for an alien invasion – but this time without Will Smith as the callous alien hunter.
Instead, Dylan Dubrow Hiller (Jessie Usher) follows in his father’s footsteps. Patrica Whitmore (Maika Monroe), the daughter of former US President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman), is also in a relationship with ex-fighter pilot Jake Morrison (Luke Hemsworth). He lost his parents in the first invasion and now vows to take revenge on the invading species. In addition, the scientist David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), now head of Area 51, is back on board and provides the US military with his accumulated knowledge in the fight against the aliens.
And without giving too much away, the film’s ending points to a final battle in a third film. But due to the mixed box office and the devastating reviews, there was never a sequel. The second offshoot is already one of those films that no one wanted to see anymore.
“Independence Day: Resurgence”: A phenomenal flop
Independence Day: Resurgence grossed nearly $390 million at the box office. With a budget of $165 million, the sequel doesn’t prove to be a complete failure, but the result isn’t great either.
The film was punished much worse in the reviews. The opinions of the trade press collected on Metacritic result in an average rating of a miserable 32 out of 100 possible points. Things are even bleaker for the blockbuster on Rotten Tomatoes, where Independence Day: Resurgence received a critics’ rating of just 29 percent. The audience is also extremely disappointed with a 30 percent rating.
If you want to convince yourself of the intergalactic faux pas, tune in to Sat.1 on Sunday at 8:15 p.m. The spectacle of destruction then continues with “Godzilla” from 2014.
