Those of a certain age might recall watching the Super Bowl back in 1996, and during a commercial break, witnessing the most jaw-dropping teaser trailer of all time. Who wasnt awestricken by the image of a massive fireball rolling up the streets of New York, tossing cars through the air like toys? Or the total annihilation of The White House, rendered to splinters with a single shot fired from a miles-wide alien saucer? The trailer alone arguably sold Independence Day to the world, and it didnt matter that the movie itself turned out to be a corny mash-up of 50s sci-fi and 70s disaster movies. After ID4 (as its affectionately nicknamed), the massive destruction of famous landmarks became a common trope in countless large scale actions & disaster films. Though some of its special effect shots look a bit creaky today, ID4 is fondly remembered as one of the 90s definitive summer popcorn pictures. And until just recently, it was one of the few true blockbusters of the past 20 years where, not only were there no serious sequel plans, nobody was pining for one. Most of the civilized world was destroyed in the original film, along with the entire invading alien race. What was left to blow up? But a belated sequel has indeed been announced, to be released as two separate films with the stupidest title ever. There are numerous reasons why this is a terrible idea. First and foremost, the original films concept in-no-way warrants any kind of follow-up. Earth was invaded, then the aliens were defeated, and we were all happy with that. Theres absolutely no need to revisit any of these characters or rehash yet-another invasion story. Second is the decision to divide the sequel into two separate films (the most blatantly-greedy trend Hollywood has ever conceived), which reeks of overconfidence. While the original ID4 remains undeniable fun, it hasnt really aged that well. Producers are being hopelessly optimistic to assume audiences will flock back (twice) to a franchise thats a generation old. Finally, part of ID4s retro charm lies in its still-impressive use of practical special effects (one of the last mega-budget films to do so). It seems highly unlikely these sequels will revert back to models and miniatures when CGI is more economical. CGI will render these films indistinguishable from any other effects-laden blockbuster. Not only that, the wholesale destruction of famous places is no longer a novelty. WHAT COULD SAVE THIS FILM: New landmarks to destroy, a lead actor as amusing as Will Smith (who opted out of these sequels, even though he could use a hit right now) and one hell of a story to justify two separate movies.
D.M. Anderson works and lives in Portland Oregon. He is the author of two young adult novels (Killer Cows & Shaken) and a collection of dark tales (With the Wicked). He has also published several short stories which have appeared (or will appear) in various anthologies and magazines such as 69 Flavors of Paranoia, Night Terrors, Trembles, Encounters, Implosion, Strange Fucking Stories, Perpetual Motion Machine. He documents his adventures in the dark on on his movie site, Free Kittens Movie Guide
