Independence Day: Resurgence
2016 · Directed by Roland Emmerich
Original language: English
- action
- adventure
- science fiction
The story
We always knew they were coming back. Using recovered alien technology, the nations of Earth have collaborated on an immense defense program to protect the planet. But nothing can prepare us for the aliens’ advanced and unprecedented force. Only the ingenuity of a few brave men and women can bring our world back from the brink of extinction.
What it’s like
Big, bright, and relentlessly busy: sweeping aerial shots of skylines shattered into glowing debris, city streets lit by fireball orange and the hard blue of alien energy beams, and a glossy digital finish with little grain or atmosphere. The camera rarely sits still, swooping through command centers and over scorched deserts, while the score swells with heroic brass and synth pulse whenever a new ship fills the sky. The vibe is loud, sunny spectacle with a wink, the kind of blockbuster you put on for a rowdy Friday night or a long-haul flight where you want to be carried rather than challenged. Pacing is brisk and relentless, with frequent cuts between a few ensemble groups, and the emotional register stays broad and earnest: estranged fathers and sons, a grieving widow, and a gruff old warrior finding new purpose. Violence is frequent and large-scale, with city-levelling destruction, fiery crashes and explosions, and many deaths shown at a distance; it is not gory, and the peril feels more like roller-coaster thrill than dread. For people who want escapist disaster spectacle with heart, comic-book heroics, and no real need for subtlety.
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