The aerial battle in Independence Day: Resurgence is exactly the kind of sequence I dream to see in a Star Wars film. But apart from some solid action sequences and a bit of humour - the movie disappoints. Especially when you compare to its 20-year old predecessor, this film lacks the intensity and the emotional weight of the unfolding events.
The film disappoints, but it doesn't mean that its not watchable. There are some exciting moments, too. And these are mostly the exciting action sequences. And like I said, the aerial battle in the second act of this film is, I have to admit, spectacular! It's exactly what I want to see in a Star Wars film. The Force Awakens potentially had it, but their focus was more on Rey & Han Solo on the ground and the aerial battle became sidelined. I hope to see such intense aerial dogfights in future SW films.
But back to ID: Resurgence, I have to give the director full credit fo pulling off one of the best aerial battles ever. And I would be mad not to give credit to the visual effects team for these excellent effects - and not just on the aerial battle, but with all the destruction of cities, etc. And to wrap up the things I like about this film - it has humour. Not a lot of them, but it has them, especially with Jeff Goldblum's character. With that, there are some enjoyable moments to be found in the film.
However, in other aspects, the film is very much a disappointment. In terms of plot, I'm not going to complain the fact that it was straightforward - the first film was like that, as well. But...the first film had an intensity to it. There is a sense of mystery and danger and defending against an unknown threat. Resurgence doesn't have that. And additionally, some scenes feels totally unnecessary, like the opening scene in the moon.
The other major aspect that lost me in the film are the characters. I'm not praising them, but the only characters I can feel for are Bill Pullman's and Jeff Goldblum's character. Every other characters are so dull and I don't feel any emotional weight to any of them. And perhaps that's why even the final act bored me to death.
Overall, while it is not entirely unwatchable (thanks to its fun action sequences), I am really disappointed with the film for not having any emotional impact at all. It doesn't even have a sense of mystery & danger which the first ID film strongly thrives on. It lost the sense of humanity versus the unknown, and is now looking like just another fun fantastical sci-fi film.
VERDICT: 5.0
Having watched this film, I would not personally recommend anyone to watch this film. But if you can enjoy an action film without any emotional impact or interesting characters, then you may enjoy this film.
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