Virgin Movie Review – Independence Day 2: Resurgence

What did I just watch? This movie was incoherent. It’s probably better if you recently did a rewatch of the original Independence Day film before viewing 2016’s Resurgence, but I can’t be sure if this is just me not paying enough attention, or the movie being made mostly of nonsense.

In spite of not understanding most of the narrative, I liked it. I love me some interesting science fiction, even when it’s more fiction than science. It was pretty, and showed neat sequences of mankind’s adaptation to alien technology, which was just darn cool. Resurgence had Data Brent Spiner back on the big screen (YAY, says the geek in me). And Jeff “Must Go Faster” Goldblum, and pretty boy Liam Hemsworth. What’s not to love?

Well, the movie was universally panned, and I can see why. It’s got a lot of side stories that don’t pay off, the big action set-pieces were too clearly CGI, and there were too many characters who didn’t actually do anything. I think the writers threw spaghetti on the wall to see what would stick. What’s the word I want? Oh, yeah: it was a hodgepodge.  Very attractive, but strangely inconsequential.

The World’s Most Indispensable Movie App

The RunPee app tells you the best times to
run & pee during a movie
so you don't miss the best scenes.

As seen on

Download the RunPee app.
100% free (donation supported)

     

Read more about the RunPee app.

Maybe I need to see it again. What was the deal with the school bus in the dry lake? Why did the aliens have a Queen that looked and acted just like the Zenomorph Queen from Aliens? What was the helpful white alien sphere about? And why was it so momentous that Bill Pullman shaved his beard?

I think there was just too much going on. I mainly came way thinking, “Looks cool,” and “Stuff blowed up real good.” As Goldblum’s character said, “They like to blow up landmarks.” This time we see Beijing dumped on the Tower Bridge in London.  The White House was spared this time around, but I think I didn’t care. Again, I ask, what happened here?

There’s 20 real-life years of buildup to this underwhelming sequel. Is it that Will Smith’s character was killed off-screen in the meantime that made it so lackluster? I honestly don’t care enough to figure it out.

To Summarize: I actually had a good time watching this long, bladder-busting movie. (How long? 2 hours and 9 minutes, to be precise.) I didn’t really care that it was a dumb, messy narrative until later, as in right now, while penning my review. As long as you’re content to see some weird alien shit, and watch  the good people of Earth fighting  against almost insurmountable odds, it’s worth streaming this flick. Just don’t pay out good money for it on a DVD.

Movie Grade: C- (This is a higher grade than it probably deserves, but I had a good time with the pretty. So there.)

What people are saying
about the RunPee app.

dd33803, 07/05/2023

This is a great app. I wish more people would support it

This app provides info about movies, reviews, ratings from people who have seen it before and after viewing. It has links to info about the movies. It let’s you know when there will be a lull in the action and how long it will last. If you want to know what happens during that time, you can check the brief synopsis (you have to click a link, so no accidental spoilers). It has a timer you can set (silent) to alert you to a break. It also tells you whether there is anything extra during or after the credits. It’s really a wonderful app. I’ve subscribed for a couple of years to support the developers, but I noticed some of the links to provide feedback didn’t seem to work today. They also made it free, with voluntary donations to see the pee-times. If you haven’t tried it, I encourage you to do so, and subscribe if you like it. I really hope the app is supported so it can continue to be maintained!

Developers note: RunPee doesn’t make much money but it supports itself nicely. Donations are appreciated, but not required. We’ll add as many movies to the database as we can until there are no more movie theaters.

View all reviews: Apple App Store | Google Play Store

     

Jill Florio

Co-Creator of RunPee, Chief of Operations, Content Director, and Managing Editor. RunPee Jilly likes galaxy-spanning sci fi, superhero sagas, fantasy films, YA dystopians, action thrillers, chick flicks, and zany comedies, in that order…and possesses an inspiringly small bladder. In fact, that little bladder sparked the creation of RunPee. (Good thing she’s learned to hold it.)