Independence Day: Resurgence

ID4:2 comes to a Bad Movie Field Trip on the show this week. Will it be stupid fun enough to get into that elusive Best Bad Movie category for the 2016 SMABFAs? Can it at least be better than that damn Jupiter Ascending?

Well the critics aren't happy. They call it bloated, lazy, and tedious. Well we have good things to say and bad things to say but these words do not come into the fray at all. 

ID4:2 has some real strengths for what it is trying to accomplish, but most notably it has one of the crappiest movie studios (FOX) sticking their damn fingers into a director's vision. The worst parts of this film are the extra action sequences that have NOTHING to do with the story most particularly the moon sequence with Liam Hemsworth's character introduction. This scene is the first bit of "action" and it stinks. It's completely not "Emerrichian" and is obviously put in there to entice the audience into a sense of excitement early on and to show that Liam's guy is kick ass. However, it falls completely short of accomplishing that with the following point - when you leave the theater ask yourself, "What was any character's name in that movie?" The silence you will hear is indicative of how little anyone gives a crap about the characters. You go to these things to see "Welcome to Earth!" (punch) stupidity and aliens getting outwitted by man. Instead you are started with an action sequence that is not exciting nor worth bothering with. It also cost $10 million dollars..for one sequence that is the worst part of the film. Spend the money elsewhere! Or don't! Save the cash so you can profit and we can get another movie. Idiots...

Secondly, which isn't a strike to the movie...it's the 30 minutes of trailers beforehand. That we've seen already. So you're already starting out bored to tears. (Also Suicide Squad looks like it's going to beat out SvB for Worst Bad Movie). These shenanigans are killing the industry. Stop it!

So now, to the fun. You can tell that Roland had fun making this. He had to work within the rules of a stupid studio but worked his silly business in without catching the ire of the men in ties at FOX. Specifically, Vivica A. Fox's completely unnecessary appearance in this film, except for the simple service of Roland saying "You were the worst thing to happen to me!" Her death caused all three of us to laugh out loud in the theater.

Secondly, Brent Spiner....wow. Brent was in the first one and was fun then but his character was relegated to punchline deliveries only. This time, his character is central to the story and has a unique non-cliche summer blockbuster idiom. Throughout Brent Spiner kills each line and is the biggest show stealer we've seen in a summer movie in years. More Brent Spiner, please!

So in whole 2 of us thought it was a blast. It's not super epic and not near as big of accomplishment as last years Jurassic World or this years Gods of Egypt, but it's still a ton of popcorny cheesy fun if you can get passed the missed opportunities and the fingers of FOX attempting to be Universal.

Individual Ratings:

Over the top action:
Cheesy effects:
Horrendous acting:
Laugh-out-loud-ability:
Ridiculous stunts:
Gratuitous nudity:
Memorable one-liners:

Overall Ratings:

Good Movie Quality:
Bad Movie Quality: