Let’s face it – despite the long trend of reboots coming out of Hollywood, trying to create film that blends old, fan-cherished elements with new, fresh storylines, characters, and technologies can be challenging. This is especially true when dealing with sequels, and as the case with Independence Day: Resurgence, long-time-coming sequels.
After watching the film it’s obvious that the creators expected the viewers saw the original. Taking it a step further, it feels like the creators of the film assumed fans had a strong loyalty to the world in which these alien invaders visit. I think that was a miscalculation on their part and that most sci-fi fans (me included) would quickly acknowledge that their level of attachment to Independence Day does not come anywhere close to the loyalty they have for other sci-fi universes, notably including the Star Wars universe or the Star Trek universe. In short, this “Independence Day” movie isn’t part of some franchise and while many liked the first one, Resurgence isn’t really the kind of movie where audience expectations are set in stone.
Oddly enough, the continuities that were absent were also a problem. I viewed this movie knowing that Will Smith was not part of the cast and, while I had hopes for it regardless of his absence, the movie did not accurately fill the void his character left, and on multiple levels. Don’t forget it was a big deal to have a non-white male acting as a hero when the first Independence Day film came out and the sequel didn’t succeed in being equally brave in casting their heroes. One exception to that observation was the introduction of a new character: Congolese warlord Dikembe Umbutu (played by Deobia Oparei). This character was a welcomed introduction in Resurgence and was a brief shining moment where the old was successfully being blended into something new.
Read another review at http://www.commdiginews.com/entertainment/independence-day-resurgence-is-a-tired-sequel-to-nowhere-68393/
~Steven Hold