The aliens are back – in force! It’s been 20 years since the first Independence Day graced the silver screen with director Roland Emmerich’s signature flair for large-scale disaster cinema, and mind-blowing (at the time) special effects.

In the time since the last movie, mankind made significant technological advances thanks to artefacts found in the wreckages of alien ships. This has paved the way for earth’s recovery, and the establishment of an international alliance known as the Earth Space Defence (ESD). With bases throughout the solar system, the world is wary and prepared for another alien attack.

When it comes to light that the aliens had sent out a distress signal, and another fleet of enemy UFOs is finally making its way to earth, the threat is larger and more terrifying than humanity could have imagined.

Jeff Goldblum and Bill Pullman return to reprise their roles from the first film, alongside newcomers Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher and Maika Monroe. In part the film serves as a passing of the torch for any future sequels in the franchise – and the new cast are effective at welcoming younger viewers along for the ride.

Independence Day: Resurgence strikes a slightly more sombre tone than the last movie. While there is levity and a few cracking jokes, the scale of the threat and the thematic weight of planetary extinction and generational responsibility lend the film gravitas amidst the spectacle.

All-American truck driver Jack Burton (Russell) heads to the airport with his Chinese-American pal Wang Chi (Dun) to pick up the latter’s fiancée, a green-eyed beauty coming in from China. Alas, they don’t count on her being kidnapped by an ancient disembodied sorcerer, Lo-Pan (Hong), who needs to sacrifice a green-eyed beauty in order to restore his physical body. Teaming up with a bus driver, Egg Shen (Victor Wong), who also happens to be a sorcerer’s apprentice and a street-smart young lawyer (Cattrell), the guys head into the depths of Chinatown in San Francisco to battle kung fu dudes and mystical mumbo jumbo to rescue the girl and save the day.

Big Trouble in Little China is like a pulpy comic come to life. Comically macho dialogue; played just right to work for both laughs and excitement; chaotic kung fu at the drop of a hat; and a perfectly paced story that absolutely works within the context of the film. But step back and look at it, and it would all seem bonkers.

Aside from being one of the greatest movies of all time (really), Big Trouble in Little China is particularly notable for being one of the first big movies saved by home video. Studio marketing folks couldn’t figure out how to sell the movie, leading to it tanking in cinemas, but word of mouth made it a hit on home video release (where it remains one of the most enduring catalogue titles to this day). Given that history, few folks have had the chance to see this one on the big screen, so catch it while you can.