Amongst the flurry of comic book trailers, Fox has just released the trailer for Independence Day: Resurgence. It may be too early to tell, but so far from this trailer, the sequel looks like it might actually be a decent film.
Set 20 years after the events of Independence Day, Resurgence once again sees the human race battle for their lives against an alien invasion. I’ll be honest, I didn’t want a sequel. I enjoyed the first film for what it was: a corny popcorn movie, but still worth a watch. So when news broke of the sequel finally being made (it was in development for years), I was a bit hesitant; but alas, the film’s been made and the trailer has dropped.
Surprisingly, it doesn’t look bad! Despite the lack of Will Smith, who was one of the leads in the first film, the trailer offered a lot of promise to fans and sceptics such as this writer. There was the return of Jeff Goldblum’s character David Levison, who it seems has been working with the government in preparing the world if another invasion strikes. There’s also his grumpy dad/comical relief, played by Judd Hirsch, making a return. Most importantly, Bill Pullman’s President is back, and it looks as if the aliens are using him as a communication device by giving him daunting visions. His emotionally driven Independence speech from the end of the first film is played throughout the trailer, which adds to overall tone of what the filmmakers must have been aiming for.
We are also introduced to new characters, such as Liam Hemsworth’s Jake Morrison, who looks to have taken over from Will Smith’s duties as a fighter pilot. Smith’s son in the film is all grown up too, and has also taken on the role of a fighter pilot, following in his dads footsteps. There’s also a new President – taking over for Bill Pullman is actress Sela Ward, whose character has been said to have a more aggressive approach to defending the world.
As you may expect, the film is going to have action galore (it is a Roland Emmerich film after all). The trailer revealed that Goldblum and his team have been preparing for 20 years in case of another invasion. They’ve also managed to use the technology recovered from the first alien invasion to strengthen the planet and its defenses with all new looking fighter jets and technology.
As you can guess, the aliens have found their way back to earth, and look to once again invade and attack its lands. In the trailer, scientists discover an unfound alien ship, which is said to have let off a signal leading to the events in this film.
The trailer has certainly made me more interested in seeing the film. It looks to be a promising approach at reviving the alien invasion series, and with the advancements in technology since the original in 1996, we can expect more scenes to rival that of the iconic White House scene. Goldblum perfectly delivers the final line of the trailer (on the moon!) when he says, “That’s definitely bigger than the last one” whilst referring to the new alien mother ship. It’s safe to assume that the film will be bigger and louder than its predecessor.
Although I will say that I am still disappointed that Will Smith won’t be returning. As much as I’ve not enjoyed his recent work, it would have still been nice to see him return with Goldblum and Pullman. He had some of the best lines in the original, and he blended the seriousness needed for the role, with his typical humour and charisma. His chemistry with the other actors, as well as his cigar chomping and punching of aliens square in the face will be missed. I hope the new batch of actors can bring something similar to their roles, and aren’t as two dimensional as I fear they might be.
2016 looks to be a huge year for films, and Independence Day: Resurgence looks like it might join the list of big money makers. If you go into the film expecting The Godfather, then you will be left massively disappointed. Resurgence knows what type of film it is, and that’s a mindless summer blockbuster that can be enjoyed by people of all ages. If you take that into consideration, then it looks like the film will be a lot of fun. Is it a needed sequel? We’ll soon find out as it is set to hit our screens next summer.
For those of you that wish to learn more about the film and the fate of Will Smith’s character, Fox has launched an Independence Day viral site explaining why the character won’t be appearring in Resurgence, Which can be viewed at The War of 1996- United We Stand
Are you excited to see Independence Day: Resurgence? What did you think of the trailer? As always, we’d like to hear from you in the comment section or on Twitter!
