Independence Day 2 reviews: This disaster movie is DISASTROUS without Will Smith
INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE, starring Jeff Goldblum and Liam Hemsworth, gets poor reviews without Will Smith.
Independence Day: Resurgence trailer
Independence Day 2 has had poor reviews
The sci-fi sequel has failed charm the critics as it hits cinemas today.
Rotten Tomatoes currently has the apocalyptic movie on a dreadful 46% with reviews calling it “bloated”, “a mess” and “absurd.”
In comparison, the first film, released in 1996 was certified fresh with 61%.
It’s clear that the follow-up has failed to win over fans of Roland Emmerich’s alien original, as can be seen by the first reviews:
The film's more disastrous than this crash
Toronto Star said: “The film is so cluttered with characters, exposition and space junk, thickly lacquered with 3D, it's like a party piñata waiting to burst open - but inside are rocks, not toys.”
New Statesman said: “This is a film that thinks characterisation means having someone gaze sorrowfully at an old family photograph [of Will Smith].”
Chicago Tribune said: “From the metallic shell of the 1996 smash Independence Day, director Roland Emmerich has pulled a seriously lousy sequel, dripping with alien goo and incoherence.”
Screen It said: “No amount of sci-fi spectacle, disaster movie destruction and goofy comic relief can right this ship.”
Suite101.com said: “The visual effects in "Independence Day: Resurgence" boast all the awe and wonder of a software upgrade.”
Blu-ray.com said: “There's big and dumb entertainment, but this turkey is lobotomized.”
USA Today said: “Returning director Roland Emmerich's film checks all the appropriate boxes - wanton destruction, malevolent aliens, B-movie dialogue, rampant silliness - but the old charm just isn't there anymore.”
Nevertheless some critics found it entertaining in a “so bad it’s good” kind of way:
GQ Magazine said: “While this is utter nonsense for much of its runtime, overstuffed with people you will struggle to care about, and while its finale shamelessly begs a sequel, there's still a (molten) core of wild entertainment beneath the hokum.”
Some fans put the movie’s failure down to Smith not returning.
Liam Hemsworth stars with Goldblum in the sequel
Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum in the 1996 original
News recently surfaced that the star was originally in Independence Day 2 and was “in tears” his part was cut.
Independence Day: Resurgence is set 20 years after the events of the first movie.
Hillier’s step-son, Dylan, takes on the his late step-father's mantle with a little help from Liam Hemsworth.
Jeff Goldblum and Bill Paxton are both returning to their roles while Sela Ward will play the female US President.
Independence Day: Resurgence is out now.