YouTube channel Cinema Sins recently released a video titled "Everything Wrong with Independence Day: Resurgence," in which they identified 158 mistakes/ bad story-telling from the film. The video is snarky as heck but sadly, accurate. If you haven't heard already, the movie was a complete disaster, and disappointed fans who loved the original movie (like me).And if that isn't enough, I would like to add one more "mistake"/ fault, and that is the film attempts to be diverse by including an over-abundance of new characters that are of different races, genders, and sexuality. On the surface, they are a welcome change, especially since even the pantheon of terrific Marvel comic movies aren't anywhere as diverse as this one cast in Independence Day 2 (ID2). Except that it couldn't have been more obvious that the diversity was merely to pander to the audience. And I'm not talking about the fact that a Chinese actress had to be included in the new squad to appeal to the money bags in China--although that too.
No, I'm talking about the fact that at the end of the day, despite trying to be "inclusive" and "diverse," the movie recycled the same trite Hollywood message, which is that only white men have the skills and leadership necessary to save the world. Let me give you 2 examples from this film alone that illustrate this point.
Also, I'm going to spoil the film for the you, but don't feel bad because it's not worth watching.
Example 1) Guess who leads the new squad of baby heroes? Liam Hemsworth, who is fine in the film, but it is his white, male character, Jake Morrison, who is at the forefront of taking down of the alien ships and Queen Bee. Sure, his sidekicks are a black man, a nerdy white men, the above-mentioned Chinese woman, and his white girlfriend-- "So diverse!" screams the film makers-- but really, they do everything because Jake tells them to do so. It is Jake who has the brains and bravado to stop the aliens.
Example 2: I was happy to learn that Sela Ward will play the president of the United States. Hooray, a female president, even if only on the big screen. But her character makes a mistake in dealing with an alien object and she dies. Okay, fine, I can accept that, except guess who takes over as the new president?
100 points for you if you said "another white man." So clever. This new president, combined with Liam Hemworth's muscles, saved the world again!
Bonus example: Want to guess which character planted the final bomb that blew up the alien ship? You guessed it--another white man. President Thomas Whitmore to be exact, which is supposed to be sad, but the film makers did such injustice to his character in the movie, I think Bill Pullman was relieved he wouldn't need to appear in any more sequels.
You know the film makers are pandering when they include such a diverse cast but barely do anything to either get the audience invested in these characters, or show how their race/ ethnicity/ gender/ sexuality enhances the movie. The partnering of Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith in the original worked so well because these two contrasting characters complemented each other (who knew?!), and were thus able to destroy the first alien ship. In this movie, the revolving door of characters made it difficult for any two characters to form partnerships that the audience cared about. Even Liam Hemworth's on-screen romance felt boring and predictable.
By all means keep the Captain Americas, Iron Men, Batmen and Supermen white, heterosexual males. That's how they were in the comics, so let them remain so. I'm also not against letting white males take the lead in superhero/ disaster films. But I honestly do not think it is that difficult to create new co-lead characters that are not white males, and that can work alongside (not under) the white male lead to save the world. Or even have more diverse supporting characters that actually do something meaningful. It would have just been as easy to put a white man as the first president who died, and then have Sela Ward's character step in as the next president who sets the plans in motion for the final attack. Now that would have been poetic since the aliens were also led by a female! Alien Queen versus Female President of U.S.A. = a scene that I would have loved to watch instead of the stupid ones we saw in the film.
If you want a good film that demonstrates how films benefit from having a diverse cast, watch Arrival. I just watched it 2 weeks ago, which is why it's the first example that came to my mind (I'm sure there are plenty of other great examples). I can't recommend this particular film enough though. Not only is the acting, plot, story-telling and cinematography EXCELLENT, central to the film is the relationship between a mother and her daughter, a dynamic that cannot be replicated even with a father. This is how you become more diverse: have a kick-butt female lead (with solid male supporting characters), and an in-depth exploration of a specific type of female-maternal relationship that is rarely flashed out on screen. Go watch it!And please skip Independence Day: Resurgence. So not worth watching, even on Netflix!
