1. The '90s disaster flick - When I think of '90s movies, I think disaster flick. There were just *so many*. As a teenager in the '90s, and a film lover, I was very accepting of these movies - even the bad ones can be saved if they're bad enough to be hilarious. However, one thing can be said about Independence Day, is that it stood out from the rest. It was the disaster flick to aspire to. It had everything - explosion scenes never seen before (THEY BLEW UP THE WHITE HOUSE), characters with charisma and chemistry, dialogue so smooth that the foreshadowing was perfectly subtle while still being in your face, and a cheesy "the good guys won" ending so great that it solidified Independence Day as my favorite American holiday (true story). So, what do I think of Independence Day: Resurgence? Let's just say it is missing every single one of these elements. Every. Single. One. (ok...the initial attack was very cool visually - but scientifically absurd). This is just a disposable blockbuster movie. It's the exact opposite of the original.
2. The "Will Smith" element - When I heard they were making a sequel to one of my favorite movies ever, I did not throw a hissy fit like most. Instead, I though "that could be cool" - especially with the original directer Roland Emmerich involved. Then, I heard that Will Smith would not be involved and my whole Independence Day world exploded. It's a huge mistake to not realize the importance of not only Will Smith, but his character. He was the "everyman" that the audience could relate to. He wasn't a scientist, a government official, etc. Sure, he was a pilot for the Marine Corps, but he still represented "us". Plus, Smith was at the beginning of a stunning career and this cemented his blockbuster status. It's essential for the audience to still see him thrive as a character, and as an actor. Whether, he turned the sequel down for money issues, or for scheduling issues, or because the script was shit (which I believe is the case, even though it was a different script when sent to him to include his character); it doesn't really matter. He turned it down; therefore you don't make the film.
3. 20 years later - *spoilers* So now you're going to make an Independence Day sequel without the star of the film? The next best option: focus on the surviving kids! But wait, let's recast them and hire terrible actors instead. Ummm....WHAT?! WHY?! I will concede that Ross Bagley isn't very well-known (but neither is the guy they recast him with...), but Mae Whitman?! She's a very successful actress! Maika Monroe did a great job in It Follows, but she was AWFUL in this. The "next generation" plot was so headache inducing not only because of the acting, but the actual storyline was just dumb (we were friends, but now we're enemies, *punches in the face*, but let's be friends again). Plus, how is it a good idea to kill off all of our favorite characters? Like, really, who wants to watch that?? At least they didn't kill Jeff Goldblum because I would have literally thrown a true film-geek hissy fit.
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