Sandy Kenyon reviews 'Independence Day: Resurgence'

NEW YORK (WABC) -- It was 20 years ago that Will Smith and his crew defeated aliens in the summer blockbuster "Independence Day." Now, one of the most successful movies of all time is attempting a second round. But will it live up to the classic?

The studio releasing "Independence Day: Resurgence" was so ashamed of the film that they did not show the movie to critics until it was already in theaters. If you were someone who thrilled about the original, you will be disappointed with its sequel.

"Independence Day" would have been worth a "resurgence" if the script had been equal to the improvements in special effects, with computer-generated imagery much more impressive now than two decades ago.

The CGI looks great in 3-D, but the writing is so lame that five writers were foolish enough to take credit for it.

The return of the aliens provoke more laugh-out-loud moments than in most comedies, yet the movie takes itself so seriously that Madame President is funny enough to amuse you.

Will Smith, glimpsed only briefly in the movie, was smart to avoid the sequel to one of his biggest blockbusters. Jessie Usher, who plays his son, suffers by comparison, but he and Liam Hemsworth both look the part.

Jeff Goldblum is back to investigate the alien invasion (again), as is the former president played by Bill Pullman. He is also there to investigate, and his appearance reminds us how much time has passed since the original hit.

The stakes are high and the pay-off big enough, but there's a lot of junk food for thought before the fun finale. This "Independence Day" is mercifully shorter than the original.

The action is fun enough, but there just isn't enough of it. Too many characters mean you don't care enough about any of them, and the talking never stops. You will miss Will Smith, and you will have to decide if it's worth the high cost of a movie ticket for 15 to 20 minutes of cool stuff.