QUEZON City, Philippines (July 4) – I watched the first Independence Day film in the cinema back when I was twelve years old (do the math). As a child, I’m already a fan of science fiction, a trait that I did not manage to outgrow, and Independence Day was like a special treat for me – inspiring my imagination for extraterrestrial life and the possibility of inter-galactic civilization.
As the years passed, and having seen many other sci-fi films, Independence Day was relegated at the back of my mind. And that’s why it was both a great and nice surprise when it was announced that a sequel was made.
The efforts of the movie team in gathering much of the old cast is very much appreciated. It gives the film an air of history and authenticity. After all this is Earth, twenty years after a thwarted alien invasion that claimed billion of lives.
And now I give you a chance to leave because the succeeding paragraphs will be full of spoilers.
Twenty years after the first film is a long time and the movie’s producers have the twin challenge of making sure that those who’ve watched the first film and liked it would also like the sequel while also making the film lovable to new viewers who haven’t seen the first film.
I must say, the movie team really rose to the challenge. And their success may not be total but again they have my applause for the effort and chutzpah.
As a self-confessed sci-fi geek, I must say that like the world built by the filmmakers. And it is only logical that after facing and surviving a world-spanning catastrophe – that the global community will unite and cooperate to ensure that it will never happen again. In the movie, we have a planet Earth that is united and without war. It is sad to contemplate that it takes an extraterrestrial threat to create a peaceful planet.
Still, the progress shown in the film’s universe is uplifting. It shows that humans took a step forward, electing a woman president, establishing bases in the solar system, generally being nice to each other and the aliens came back to wipe it all out.
Of course, as humanity in the real world have proven, in the face of adversity, our nobility always shines and while the old generation – the ones who first faced the extraterrestrial menace once again played their part – it is also the time for the new generation to take up the challenge to ensure the survival of humanity.
If I continue, I may end up story-telling the whole film, so I’ll end my review here. Here’s to hoping that the sequel does not take another twenty years.
(written by Jay Paul Carlos, additional research by Vince Alvin Villarin)