We’re entering an era of long-delayed “sequels,” with Independence Day: Resurgence (a follow up to 1996’s Independence Day) arriving in theaters hot on the heels of Finding Dory (a sequel to 2003’s Finding Nemo).

While Finding Dory premiered to good, if not great reviews, Independence Day: Resurgence is having a rough time with critics — here’s what the reviews have to say:

‘Resurgence’ Gives Blockbuster Fans Exactly What They Want And Expect

Independence Day: Resurgence” delivers swiftly and generously when it comes to the goods most viewers will have come for – the time-honored joys of blowing stuff up, in set pieces that escalate dizzyingly in size and context. “Independence Day: Resurgence” delivers swiftly and generously when it comes to the goods most viewers will have come for – the time-honored joys of blowing stuff up, in set pieces that escalate dizzyingly in size and context.

[The Hollywood Reporter]

Independence Day: Resurgence is packed so full of cheese, explosions and too-convenient plot-twists it could sink a ship; yet it all adds up to a fun, old-fashioned disaster pic

[IGN]

Ticks all the right boxes in terms of character, spectacle and alien ass-kicking action.

[WOW 24/7]

But, Sadly, The Film Has Little Else To Offer

The “so bad it’s good” factor occasionally kicks in. But even with those ascents from base camp to high camp, this noisy, assaultive, stunt-oriented film leaves us clawing for the oxygen of human and dramatic interest.

[Financial Times]

The Writing Isn’t Very Good

A reboot quite without the first film’s audacity and fun. The plot’s potentially interesting dependence on the idea that there are aliens who are allies as well as enemies is lost in a tiresomely written muddle – an all-but-plotless melee of boring digital carnage.

[The Guardian]

And It Banks On Us Remembering A Lot Of The Original

Whether our collective memory of “Independence Day” is quite as treasured and detailed as “Resurgence” imagines it to be is another question. Its rather scattered screenplay — written by five hands, where the 1996 film managed with two — forges a dense network of callbacks to established events and characters, in certain cases via next-generation newbies.

[Variety]

Frankly, It’s Just All Over The Place

The plotlines and characters are too numerous and disorganised; the action feels diffuse, and we can never be certain what is happening in which part of the world, or how Group A got to Location D so speedily when they seemed to be many hundreds of miles away and all the intervening roads were destroyed in an alien attack.

[New Statesman]

It’s all too much too fast, and the cumulative effect is like watching a two-hour trailer – more dizzying than thrilling.

[Timeout]

But While There’s No Will Smith (!), Jeff Goldblum Does His Best To Hold Things Down

Goldblum, more than anyone here, is essential. While the VFX tornado swirls around us, he brings things (if you’ll excuse the phrase) down to earth, allowing us to revel in the sheer giddy movieness of it all, and thereby forgive the majority of its shortcomings.

What The Reviews Are Saying About “Independence Day: Resurgence”