6 Ups & 7 Downs From Independence Day: Resurgence

5. The Lazy & Overstuffed Plot
Independence Day Resurgence Maika Monroe Liam Hemsworth
Fox

Though a most basic narrative that's nothing more than "aliens invade the Earth, we fight back" would probably have done the job, the script bogs itself down with a plot that's at once even lazier than that but also overly busy.

Without giving away the main beats, it recycles a lot of the alien invasion tropes we're familiar with ("kill the Queen, save the world!"), while also doubling down on an abundance of subplots, ranging from the weird and unnecessary to melodramatic exchanges to try and make us care a little more for the new characters. Most of it doesn't work.

Look, nobody expected scripted brilliance from this film, but something more simple and less frantic probably would've worked better, considering that it's just a primer for all the CGI-fueled explosions anyway. Instead, it ends up feeling cluttered and rushed all the way to the finish line.

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Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.