As spectacular as you’d hope from a sequel to the 1996 planet-toaster, and as amusingly cheesy. You’ll enjoy yourself enough that you won’t even miss Will Smith.
It might be very by the numbers, but the sequel's big scale silliness is hard not to enjoy.
How much is too much? Only worth it for Goldblum’s delivery and a couple of gags – one involving the White House, another a dog – that play on the original.
Not even Jeff Goldblum and Charlotte Gainsbourg stationed on a militarised moon can save us from the joyless tedium of this mind-crushing movie.
It entertains, often relentlessly, yet rains rubble on audience engagement.
The tone is bizarrely upbeat throughout, as if an alien invasion is really just an extension of a 4th of July party - an excuse for letting off fireworks and making as much noise as possible.
It is undoubtedly corny, exceptionally cheesy and very American in its gung-ho simplicity but as escapist entertainment on an epic scale it is a guilty pleasure.
Roland Emmerich’s alien invasion reboot has landed with more cliches than you can throw Shanghai at.
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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