Independence Day: Resurgence - 8 Reasons It's The Worst Movie Of Summer 2016
6. Its Set-Up Is Ponderous And Works Against The Film
What the original Independence Day did so well was its slow-build set-up; despite opening on the mothership arriving at earth, there’s thirty minutes before the ships are properly revealed, and a further twenty before the countdown runs out and fire rains down. In that time, the stakes are raised, characters are introduced and we get time to adjust before the White House goes down.
Resurgence takes all that worked there and forgets it, going for a randomised, rushed approach; the characters are introduced with no real connection and at such an oddly paced rate we're still meeting new key players after forty minutes, making figuring out any coherent through line impossible.
It also does that perplexing sequel thing of forcing in retroactive exposition that powers the film more than the original. It’s apparently not enough to have the aliens come back for revenge; there was a whole other extra-terrestrial plan going on in 1996, which brings in the idea of alien stragglers, cults and the introduction of a whole third party in the battle. Confusing enough as it is, establish this with the same skill used on the characters and you have a ponderous first half.