Independence Day 2

[Judderman]

This big budget sci-fi sequel seems to have passed the Chrons by so far.

I loved the first film from 20 years ago when I was a teenager, but when I saw it again around 5 years later I found it a bit too cheesy. I still thought of it as a decent effort but too American Hero based. This sequel again has quite a bit of cheesiness with the heroic characters enjoying their triumphs in the end.
But having said all the above I really enjoyed the first half an hour of this sequel. The graphical effects in space were fantastic. Then the sucking up of buildings from the earth''s surface was brilliantly done, and I thought a very good idea. Also the aliens themselves looked excellent. But as team USA mounts their fightback the film declines a bit. Overall an entertaining watch. What did anyone else think?

 

[2DaveWixon]

This big budget sci-fi sequel seems to have passed the Chrons by so far.

I loved the first film from 20 years ago when I was a teenager, but when I saw it again around 5 years later I found it a bit too cheesy. I still thought of it as a decent effort but too American Hero based. This sequel again has quite a bit of cheesiness with the heroic characters enjoying their triumphs in the end.
But having said all the above I really enjoyed the first half an hour of this sequel. The graphical effects in space were fantastic. Then the sucking up of buildings from the earth''s surface was brilliantly done, and I thought a very good idea. Also the aliens themselves looked excellent. But as team USA mounts their fightback the film declines a bit. Overall an entertaining watch. What did anyone else think?

Well, you certainly started off by giving us a lot to chew up and spit out -- all right, I'll be nice! -- that is, to comment on. I'll go first:
I, too, loved the first one. And even now I have no caveats about it.

Maybe the first thing I need is your definition of "cheesiness..."???

You impression that it (the first ID) was too "American Hero based" does not work for me because (1) there were a goodly number of references to people from other countries taking part in the resistance -- remember the Russian and Chinese pilots being informed of the schedule planned by the Americans? the Israeli and Egyptian pilots camping together in the desert? I liked that a lot. And (2) It's not unlikely, given the situation of the film, that Americans might be the ones who have the technical expertise that results in the victory (including, but not limited to, Area 51 -- itself due to the fact that Roswell occurred in the U.S.)

Alas, I found this sequel much less enjoyable -- in fact, I'd say it was in a league with the Battleship movie of a few years back: I had a lot of trouble with the fact that an Air Force captain was the leader of the first attack on the alien ship, an attack that seemed to involve scores of aircraft. And with the fact that the other hero, a mere lieutenant, is such an important person that (a) he is an important part of the group working on the moon station, despite apparently having a reputation as an undependable troublemaker, (b) he gets to have his brother working with him, and (c) he is able to simply commandeer a ship and take off with no objection from anyone on the moon base. (This in particular is what reminded me of Battleship, which featured a pair of brothers who rose to positions of command in astonishingly short periods of time...)

Now, none of what I just said is really a reason to dislike a movie that is otherwise good. But this one just did not do it for me. Rather, it is telling of my reaction to this movie that my reaction that my attention went to such details as those I must mentioned -- if this had been a good movie (by which I mean in large part one that grabbed me and made me get INVOLVED with the characters!), I would not have really noticed such minor details. But I did notice those, and more; and it's because the movie was not entertaining enough to stop my mind from doing that...

Sorry. It just didn't make it for me. I'd rather go watch Batman v. Superman again, if only it were still in the theaters....

 

[Judderman]

For cheesy I would say a bit predictable, some clichéd characters, a bit too much trying to make the audience patriotic by waving flags around, a bit silly. Corny might be another word to call it. It doesn't necessarily mean the movie(s) are bad but you can't take them seriously.

 

[Judderman]

As someone who works with seismic data I can say the fact that a passing fishing boat was able to monitor the progress of drilling into the core was also absurd. Sonar isn't the same as seismic, so they wouldn't be seeing images deep in the subsurface. Seismic requires the use of airguns and then streamers that can be of several kms with receivers towed behind the boat. Plus they don't have any drilling information from the mother ship. Seismic measurements can also be received down a wellbore with the correct equipment but clearly that wasn't done by the people on the boat. Actually even with a big 3d seismic survey you aren't going to image near to the earth's core. But I suppose all sorts of criticisms could be leveled about the science of taking the energy from the earth's core, so we have to ignore the science and just enjoy the ride. I was more annoyed about the bad science and stupid characters in Prometheus as that was a prequel to a more serious film, while this was a sequel to another silly (if entertaining) movie.

 

[Khuratokh]

And what were those foreign powers doing? Apparently sod all. No they are lost without Uncle Sam's guidance. That said I love the original.

 

[kaufmannp]

It was an okay movie. Pretty much matched up with my expectations after reading the IGN review. I'm all for matinee fare, particularly of the science fiction variety. John Carter is probably one of my favorite movies. What this movie was missing for me as a viewer was sufficient suspension of belief so that I could have fun with the story. There were moments, certainly; but overall this movie was not as much fun as a Friday afternoon matinee should have been.

And that last scene where the one character says "Two words: Interstellar Travel." This after that character just lost a close friend. That is where it went off the rails for me. At least in the first one Russell's kid got a pep talk about how proud he should be of his father.

If I were good at math I'd say a 2.5 out of 5.

As I'm terrible at math, I'll simply say "meh".

 

[J Riff]

Totally predictable. Totally ridiculous heroic actions and tragic deaths. An excuse for big alien ships and yet another Alien-like Queen, which can only be defeated by massive firepower and lucky coincidence. The Earth military wins, again! -and destroys the bad monsters. The Queen dies and a thousand ships crash, who could afford that? Imagine how hard real ETS would laugh at this stuff.

 

[BAYLOR]

Saw it , It had some good parts but it was not a very good film. It was a very disappointing film.

 

[2DaveWixon]

For cheesy I would say a bit predictable, some clichéd characters, a bit too much trying to make the audience patriotic by waving flags around, a bit silly. Corny might be another word to call it. It doesn't necessarily mean the movie(s) are bad but you can't take them seriously.

Thank you for the definition. It would not have occurred to me that you were saying something along the line of "corny." (I interpret "cheesy" as meaning something done on the cheap -- that is, bad script, bad production values, unknown actors...much like the old term "B movie..."

That said, I would not have characterized ID2 as "cheesy," but it is "corny."

"Corny," IMHO, is not necessarily bad.

However, ID2 was both corny and, well, pedestrian -- not really "bad," but not exciting (to me).

 

[2DaveWixon]

And what were those foreign powers doing? Apparently sod all. No they are lost without Uncle Sam's guidance. That said I love the original.

I thought the implication (talking of the first ID, here...) was that those foreign powers had done just what the Americans did, at first: sent their air forces out to attack the aliens and seen them blown out of the sky -- which was why the remnants of those foreign air forces were hiding out by the time we saw them.

 

[clovis-man]

I would not have characterized ID2 as "cheesy," but it is "corny."

"Corny," IMHO, is not necessarily bad.

However, ID2 was both corny and, well, pedestrian -- not really "bad," but not exciting (to me).

I definitely thought it was somewhere on the plus side of the corny scale. But then so was the original. And I enjoyed them both. Granted, the script writers for the latest episode seemed to be drawing heavily from their (supposed) copies of Witty Remarks For Every Occasion. And my willing suspension of disbelief was stretched pretty far. Obligatory speech by Bill Pullman, check; Goofy antics by Brent Spiner, check; Jeff Goldblum finds a way to save the world, check. The rest of the story actually moves along pretty well. The alien effects were convincing for the most part. Bill Pullman actually shaved for his final mission; Liam Hemsworth didn't. But it was a worthy summer popcorn effort anyway.

BTW, it opened in my fair city a week and a half ago. At today's matinee, we were part of a crowd of five. I'm afraid the studio will suffer.

 

[Null_Zone]

And what were those foreign powers doing? Apparently sod all. No they are lost without Uncle Sam's guidance. That said I love the original.

I liked the British pilots sat around in the desert relieved at the news that the americans had a plan and that they'd be allowed to join in.

There was quite a bit of laughter in the cinema at that.