Long before he slapped the shit out of Chris Rock, Will Smith slapped the shit out of an alien in the 1996 classic Independence Day. After knocking out the extraterrestrial with merely his fist, Smith then sits down, lights up a cigar, and says, “Now that’s what I call a close encounter.” In short: when this movie first came out, it was pretty much the coolest thing I’d ever seen. Mind you, I was in elementary school. But I still think it’s cool today. For those who don’t know: the plot involves an invasion of Earth by legions of alien spacecraft. Mayhem, terror, and lots of explosions ensue.
Unfortunately, the film’s director, Roland Emmerich, tried the same trick again 20 years later with the 2016 Independence Day: Resurgence, the likes of which really, really sucked. Will Smith wisely ducked out of this one, though other original cast members like Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman stuck around. All the fun and vigor of the original is gone. The visuals are cool, but, overall, the film is somehow a giant downer. And boring. Boo!