Independence Day: Resurgence
for sequences of sci-fi action and destruction, and for some language.
Reviewed by: Bob Subjenski
CONTRIBUTOR
| Moral Rating: | Average |
| Moviemaking Quality: |
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| Primary Audience: | Adults Teens |
| Genre: | Sci-Fi War Action Adventure Sequel 3D IMAX |
| Length: | 2 hr. 3 min. |
| Year of Release: | 2016 |
| USA Release: |
June 24, 2016 (wide—3,900+ theaters) DVD: October 18, 2016 |
FEAR, Anxiety and Worry—What does the Bible say? Answer
courage / bravery / self-sacrifice to save others
dealing with death
What does the Bible say about intelligent life on other planets? Answer
Are we alone in the universe? Answer
Does Scripture refer to life in space? Answer
questions and answers about the origin of life
| Featuring |
Liam Hemsworth … Jake Morrison, a U.S. pilot serving in ESD Maika Monroe … Patricia Whitmore, the former First Daughter and Jake’s girlfriend Joey King … Sam Jeff Goldblum … David Levinson Charlotte Gainsbourg … Dr. Catherine Marceaux, a scientist at ESD and David’s associate Judd Hirsch … Julius Levinson, David’s father William Fichtner … Joshua Adams, a U.S. General serving in ESD Bill Pullman … Thomas J. Whitmore, the 42nd President Sela Ward … President Elizabeth Lanford, the 45th President of the U.S. Brent Spiner … Dr. Brakish Okun Angelababy (a Chinese superstar) … Rain Lao, a Chinese pilot and lieutenant in ESD Jessie T. Usher (Jessie Usher) … Dylan Dubrow-Hiller, the stepson of the now-deceased war hero Steven Hiller, and a pilot and captain in ESD Vivica A. Fox … Jasmine Dubrow-Hiller, the widow of the late war hero Steven Hiller, and a former exotic dancer Ryan Cartwright … Officer Ryan Collins Mckenna Grace … Daisy See all » |
| Director | Roland Emmerich — “Independence Day” (1996), “The Day After Tomorrow” (2004), “Godzilla” (1998) |
| Producer |
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation Dean Devlin Roland Emmerich Ute Emmerich See all » |
| Distributor |
 20th Century Studios, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Studios, a division of The Walt Disney Company |
“We had twenty years to prepare. So did they.”
Prequel: “Independence Day” (1996)
“Independence Day: Resurgence,” the long awaited sequel to the popular fan favorite original film from 1996 has just about everything one could hope for. Exciting CGI effects, thrills, spills and enough non-stop action to keep most movie viewers totally entertained. About the only thing missing from the film is, unfortunately, Will Smith.
The movie quickly updates us on what has happened since the end of the first film and the twenty years that have followed. Utilizing technology obtained from the alien ships left behind after the first failed invasion, the world has developed what it feels will be an adequate planet wide defense system against any future invasion. We are also introduced to several new characters who will play an important role in the movie, such as Jake Morrison (Liam Hemsworth), Along with adult versions of Dylan Hiller (Jessie T. Usher) and Patricia Whitmore (Maika Monroe). A very nice surprise is the number of returning characters from the first film, such as David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), President Whitmore (Bill Pullman), Julius Levinson (Judd Hirsch), Jasmine Hiller (Vivica A. Fox) and Dr. Brakish Okun (Brent Spiner).
After a distress call sent by the original invasion force from the first film right, before its defeat, is finally answered by the alien home planet, and the Earth’s defense system proves to be no match against the invaders advanced weaponry, the world once again finds itself under the threat of total annihilation, unless another miracle occurs, like in the first film. There is also the mystery surrounding an orb-like object of unknown origins, which may or may not hold the key to Earth’s survival.
Content of concern
There is a brief scene depicting alcohol use, but it’s fortunately not glamorized or drawn out. There are quite a lot of scenes of destruction and mayhem, chaos and terror, as expected in a movie of this nature. There are a minimal number of curse words, mainly in the second half of the movie, but I’m happy to report there are no f-words in the entire film which is commendable. I counted 4 s**t, d**m (4), a*s (4), h*ll (12), bi*ch (1), and S.O.B. (2). There is one brief scene of vulgar acts done by one of the characters with his hand and a bodily function.
There is no mention of God in the entire movie, except for a couple of instances where the Lord’s name is used either as a curse word or as an exclamation of frustration—“Oh my g*d” (3), “Jesus” (1), “Jesus Christ” (2), “Christ Almighty” (1), “Holy Christ” (1).
There is zero nudity in the movie, only a couple of extremely mild sexual innuendoes and virtually no characters shown with bloody wounds.
Positive Lessons
Several characters make the ultimate sacrifice in order to save others. This is a great opportunity to explain John 15:13.
“There is no greater love than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”!
“God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement.” (Romans 3:25)
It’s established early in the film that the world united after the first invasion, eliminating all wars. This can be used to explore the truth of Psalm 133:1.
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!”
After the first invasion, the world attempts to defend itself against a second one by being better prepared. This can open a discussion of 1 Peter 5:8 — “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour!”
While I found it regrettable that the filmmakers removed God from this movie, other than as a curse word or exclamation of frustration, He can still be found in the sacrificial actions of others. I found this movie highly entertaining, however, due to the many scenes of destruction and violent actions, I would think twice before letting anyone under 13 see it.
Violence: Heavy to Extreme / Profanity: Moderate / Sex/Nudity: Moderate
See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.
But there are some unfortunate incidences of cursing, using our Lord’s Name. I saw an underlying theme of “let’s all unify as one world to defeat our foe,” and that just makes me think “One World Government” and that got on my nerves. However, setting that aside, I enjoyed just about every minute of this film. Got my money’s worth for sure. If you liked the first “Independence Day,” you will LOVE this one !
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 5
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½
It was a pleasant way to spend a couple hours especially since we don’t go to the movies often. That being said, be prepared for a propaganda piece. The president is female. There’s a gay couple. Jeff Goldblum arrives on the scene in a U.N. Vehicle at a time when many people have reported seeing large numbers of that same vehicle on American soil. There’s the obligatory speech about people from everywhere pulling together to solve the world’s problems, and the president’s daughter is a fighter pilot. It was unfortunate, but none of this surprised us. That’s Hollywood.
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 2
Secondly, an earlier commenter rightly noted the barely discernible implied gay relationship between the mad scientist and his close associate. The implication of a relationship that is closer than “just friends” is there, but the film’s writers could deny that an intimate relationship is explicit. Somehow, I don’t think they would deny it—rather they would wonder why anyone would have a problem with a same-sex intimate relationship if it was made explicit.See all »
Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 3
Moral rating: Average / Moviemaking quality: 4
PLEASE share your observations and insights to be posted here.
My Ratings: Moral rating: Better than Average / Moviemaking quality: 4½