Dir: Roland Emmerich (12A, 130 mins)
Who would have thought this would even happen? Independence Day was a big budget cheese-fest back in 1996. 20 years later it’s getting a belated and a bit so-what of a sequel. The original re-started a cycle of big budget disaster movies where landmarks were destroyed, countless millions die and people cameo, they were a gleeful reminder of 1970s disaster films like The Poseidon Adventure, Earthquake and The Towering Inferno, but with a huge CGI budget. The White House was exploderised in Independence Day, now it’s London with Abu Dhabi falling on it or something. Yes, the aliens are back and they’ve had 20 years to prepare but hey, so have we, so that’s good. Bill Pullman returns to give more toe curling speeches, Jeff Goldblum is a sarcastic excellent highlight and Liam Hemsworth is given bland fighter pilot duties. The FX have been ramped up, there’s a female President in Sela Ward and Will Smith’s character has been killed off to be replaced by his son played by Jessie Usher. Maika Monroe from the excellent It Follows is Pullman’s daughter and various other original cast members cameo amidst the CGI debris. This will be utter nonsense and another cheese fest, but secretly enjoyable no doubt. Opens June 23
words KEIRON SELF