Roland Emmerich's latest disaster epic Moonfall looks set to repeat one of the silliest plot points from his poorly-received 2016 blockbuster Independence Day: Resurgence. The new trailer for the upcoming movie, which will drop in 2022, features the usual displays of wanton carnage that audiences have come to expect from the man who has made his name blowing things up onscreen. However, what makes Moonfall stand out is that it highlights Emmerich's willingness to retread old ground if it means tinkering with an idea that didn't work the first time around. Time will tell whether, in this case, this is a good thing.
Emmerich's new movie blends science-fiction epics like ID4 with some of his popular environmental thrillers such as The Day After Tomorrow and 2012. Starring X-Men's Halle Berry, Patrick Wilson and Michael Peña, the film follows the story of two astronauts and a conspiracy theorist who battle against a mysterious force that knocks the moon out of orbit and onto a collision course with earth. The disturbance spells untold destruction for the planet, potentially ending all life unless drastic action is taken. However, it quickly becomes clear that the unfolding horror is no natural disaster, and is instead caused by an extraterrestrial force.
From the film's trailer, it's clear that Moonfall will revisit one of the most derided plot points in Emmerich's Independence Day follow-up. Just as in Resurgence, it appears as though a key moment will feature a tiny crew of ill-equipped earthlings jetting off into space to battle a far better-equipped alien foe on their own terms. Unsurprisingly, this detail was derided as truly unbelievable in a film full of unbelievable things. However, if the Moonfall trailer is anything to go by, the director looks set to repeat this iconically silly ending setup.
Although the precise plot remains unclear, details from the Moonfall trailer suggest that there are some uncanny similarities with Emmerich's previous science fiction flick. In Independence Day: Resurgence, a group of surviving fighter pilots make the perplexing decision to fly into space and take on their alien opponents. Despite being outnumbered, ill-equipped and spectacularly outgunned, the humans are able to successfully defeat the alien invaders for a second time. While it's not clear whether the humans in Moonfall will manage to pull off a similarly unlikely mission, the fact that – as in Resurgence – the hopes of humanity seem to rest on the shoulders of about three people shows that Emmerich clearly believes that this is a valid narrative device.
Given the central plot point of the moon crashing into earth, it seems that Moonfall – like most of the best science fiction films – will require the audience to suspend their disbelief. The echoes between the trailer and Independence Day: Resurgence also suggest that Emmerich isn't afraid to rely on some questionable storytelling techniques. However, given that the new movie seems to mirror his previous work, it's also possible that he may have learned from his mistakes. It may seem to feature an eerily similar ending, but Moonfall may yet be more believable than its predecessor.
