Some people say that critics no longer matter with giant blockbusters — that these things have built in audiences that will turn up regardless. We’d argue that’s not really the case — look at how a “Captain America: Civil War” or “The Force Awakens” performs at the box office versus a “Batman V. Superman” or “Warcraft,” and even the always-derided “Transformers” films have dropped off with each film in the U.S..
READ MORE: ‘Independence Day’ Director Roland Emmerich Says He Doesn’t Like ‘Silly’ Superhero Movies
20th Century Fox are putting that to the test. Though “Independence Day: Resurgence,” their sequel to the fondly-remembered alien-invasion blockbuster is one of the most hotly anticipated blockbusters of the year, they aren’t screening it to U.S. critics until after the movie opens to the general public on Thursday night.
But internationally, it’s a different story, and the first reviews have been arriving from the U.K. and elsewhere today. They suggest that Fox might be a bit over-cautious in holding it back, because they’re mostly mixed-to-positive, with most critics so far seeming to have fun with it. Take a look below for a brief round-up of verdicts, and check back here near the end of the week for our own take.
Den Of Geek (4 stars)
“Like its predecessor, Independence Day: Resurgence is a 50s B-movie writ extra-large. Critics who railed against the original film’s pulpy sensibility will probably find themselves enraged all over again. For the rest of us, Independence Day: Resurgence is another goofily entertaining July the 4th fireworks display.”
CNET
“‘Resurgence’ is exactly what you expect, down to the predictable story beats, the laughably earnest dialogue, the fundamental misunderstanding of science and the plot holes deep enough to reach Earth’s gooey delicious center. But that’s all beside the point. You should never have expected it to be anything else.”
Total Film (2 stars)
“With this many characters (we haven’t even mentioned William Fichtner’s military general and Deobia Oparei’s katana-wielding African warlord) and a sub-plot involving humans dreaming of a circular symbol, this might have been titled ‘Independence Day: Submergence’. It’s certainly hard not to drown in the sea of CGI, with the exponential increase of pixels being to Independence Day what the Star Wars prequels were to the original trilogy.”
Screen Anarchy
“The original was a fun, campy b-movie with a huge budget, but this sequel is an utter failure in almost every regard. So much so, that it makes me wish the aliens had won at the end of the first movie. That would have robbed us of ID4’s fist-pumping finale, but also saved us from this pricey monstrosity.”
Time Out (3 stars)
“Which isn’t to say ‘Resurgence’ can’t be a lot of fun in short bursts. Emmerich’s glee is infectious as he trashes Big Ben but leaves the rebuilt White House standing, and there are few things on earth cooler than Jeff Goldblum exasperatedly explaining how doomed humanity is, again. But it’s all too much too fast, and the cumulative effect is like watching a two-hour trailer – more dizzying than thrilling.”
Empire (4 stars)
“As spectacular as you’d hope from a sequel to the 1996 planet-toaster, and as amusingly cheesy. You’ll enjoy yourself enough that you won’t even miss Will Smith.”
Hey U Guys (2 stars)
“With a myriad of characters and intersecting narratives, it becomes somewhat overbearing to indulge in them throughout this convoluted endeavor. There’s an abundance of characters to invest in, each complete with their respective arc and it’s impossible to keep on top of it all. The preceding production had an injection of comedy prevalent too, deriving from Smith, while there was an air of defiance and inspiration from Pullman’s President Whitmore, but this film comes without either, with no true comedic presence, nor any identifiable leaders amongst this cast.”
Screen Daily
“And it’s ultimately hard to resist a film which is so confidently self-knowing. As the aliens commence their global destruction – which includes a trademark Emmerich tidal wave – Goldblum quips “they like to get the landmarks” just before the London Eye hones into view (and shortly before Kuala Lumpur falls on top of it). There’s a profoundly silly white ball, an emissary from a now-extinct “nice alien” planet, which is hilariously chatty and expositional. The ever-reliable Goldblum, who has been honing this schtick since Jurassic Park at the very least, now has a wildly improbable role as the head of the global space defence programme, and “palpable” sexual tension with the bizarrely-cast Gainsbourg.”