STORY: There has been no conflict on earth for the past 20 years after the aliens last attempted to invade our planet and destroy mankind. The humans have now adopted the alien inspired technology to beef up their defence in space and on earth. However, a bunch of experts soon discover that another alien attack on a bigger scale is on its way. Can humans fight back once again?

REVIEW: A quintessential Roland Emmerich film, this disaster epic is a sequel to smash hit Independence Day (1996), that follows its predecessor’s template diligently.

While the basic plot stays similar to the previous film, this time around the alien Queen gets into picture making the enemies seem invincible. Those who survived the earlier attack must rise to the occasion again. Thus enter the original cast members – U.S. President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman), satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) and eccentric scientist Dr Brackish Okun (Brent Spiner).

Also leading the resistance are the younger generation of brave pilots like lieutenant Jeff Morrison (Liam Hemsworth), who are stationed on moon base. Liam and a few others are new addition to the franchise and do a decent job.

In times when superheroes have been ruling the roost, Emmerich’s old-school storytelling, buzzing with characters exuding bravado is engrossing no matter how cheesy.

Call it a conscious effort, the characters display patriotic enthusiasm and cocky heroism that manage to manipulate your mind. You smirk when they spout silly one-liners like, ‘Let’s kick some serious alien ass’ or ‘Lets make them pay’.

The special effects used for destruction scenes are spectacular and enhance the visual experience. 3D viewing is avoidable as the perpetual dark hues on screen strain the eyes. The film also drags towards the end.

Nonetheless, if you enjoy formulaic chaos and are fine with cliched celebration of human resilience, this one’s quite engaging. We wish there was at least one iconic scene though. The stuff that Marvel offers you in abundance.