The sequel you never thought you wanted or needed to the 1996 smash-hit blockbuster “Independence Day” isn’t as terrible as you would expect, given that it wasn’t shown to critics before opening day. It’s just … dull. A massive waste of time and money. My RogerEbert.com review.
Read the review here
Christy,
Is there a pattern developing here? As in, we’re so shamefully lacking in good ideas for the big screen nowadays, that we’re attempting to raid the pantry that was the early to mid 1990’s, and hope that audiences won’t notice?
As in, Point Break. Independence Day. And even go so far as to suggest, re-makes or re-branding’s of solid, old school classics like Lethal Weapon (Nice Guys). And it turns out, that we’re just not able to do this stuff, like we once were able to.
We won’t even go to places, like what’s happened to Die Hard franchise by now. However, to counter balance the above statement about doom in general – there is another side to the weighing scale of movie making project success. I’m thinking about Star Wars recently, and I’m thinking about the latest Stallone Rocky installation.
At the heart of it all though, seems to be something quite basic – presence of ability in story telling – as in Rocky and in Star Wars, . . . or the lack, thereof, . . . Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, Independence Day, Point Break etc.
Lest I forget it also, we had a Terminator sequel of late also, that sunk like a lead baloon. I mean, remember the time in place, . . . when a Terminator sequel, was almost as big and brash, and ‘important’ in the universe of cinema, . . . as a Star Wars sequel was, almost.
Lest I forget also, for every Terminator sequel that we witness nowadays, . . . maybe we should mention, there is often a new ‘Mad Max’ out there also. Same point as above really. This thing of doing re-makes, and raiding the cupboards of the not-so-distant past, for new (old) ideas, . . . seems to go one of two ways, . . . either well, as in Star Wars, Mad Max, Rocky, . . . or really bad, as in the others.
I was laughing to myself, listening to William Bibbliani’s admission, about the daily drudgery of a film critic professional.
I’m wondering, if this movie Independence Day, had just been a block-buster too far?
Draft for a scene of ‘A Block-buster Too Far’, inspired by old movie from 1977. Commanders of various branches of the movie critics profession are sitting in the balcony, watching the action as it unfolds beneath them on a huge iMax screen. Having discussed the movie for a while, they must have the vote (Okay, what’s you’re numbers?).
Christy asks for consensus, Brigadier General James M. Gavin :
“Well, that’s it then. We’re pulling them out”.
[ A lengthy pause ]
“It was Nijmegan”.
Ben puts forward, Lieutenant Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur :
“It was the single road – getting to Nijmegan”.
Matt counters, Lieutenant General Horrocks:
“No, it was after Nijmegan”.
Alonso, thinks outside of the box, Lieutenant General Frederick Browning :
“And the fog – in England”.
Cenk, a ‘My Take’, as Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski :
“Doesn’t matter what it was. What one man says to another, I know what we’ll do together, let’s play a war game”.
[ Pause ]
“Everybody dies”.
[ Cut ]