His name might not ring a bell for some casual film fans, but his films sure will. Roland Emmerich is a German filmmaker who was inspired to become a director after seeing Star Wars: A New Hope as a child, and who has gone on to make quite a few blockbusters. He followed his childhood dreams and ended up being the mastermind behind several iconic action films.
However, over his decades of work, Roland Emmerich has had some misses along with his hits. For every successful blockbuster that made millions at the box office, he has also made several duds that disappointed audiences.
Independence Day: Resurgence (2016) – 5.2
The idea of a sequel to Independence Day is far from a bad one. In fact, the movie boasts a promising concept where humans have used alien tech to advance themselves by centuries. Unfortunately, that and the film’s overall gorgeous design are all that work in its favor.
Independence Day: Resurgence is a brainless sci-fi film that relies too much on nostalgia without providing something new. Jeff Goldblum is really the only actor who tries his best. Meanwhile, Bill Pullman looks miserable in every scene; and the plot either rehashes the first movie or other alien invasion films. A massive waste of potential.
Godzilla (1998) – 5.4
One of the most infamous reboots of all time, the first American-made Godzilla movie couldn’t even get the titular character right. Godzilla himself looks more like a mutated T-Rex from Jurassic Park than the King of the Monsters fans love.
Combine that with dated CGI, obnoxious characters, and plenty of Jurassic Park rehashing; the result is another waste of potential that was so despised that it would be mocked by Toho in their Godzilla movies.
2012 (2009) – 5.8
Remember when everyone was so concerned about 2012 being the end of the world? Well, that shows how dated the film’s concept is from the start. So, the end of the world happens with giant earthquakes, floods, and volcano eruptions happening.
Unfortunately, much like Independence Day: Resurgence, 2012 doesn’t provide anything other than some impressive CGI work. The cast featuring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Danny Glover give it their all, but the script just makes all the characters hollow. It’s also a movie that goes a bit too far with defying physics.
Universal Soldier (1992) – 6.1
Starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren, Universal Soldier is the film that put Roland Emmerich on the map. The story of super-soldiers battling each other due to one of them regaining their free will was a fun action romp.
Far from flawless, Universal Soldier manages to balance on the fine line between ridiculous and engaging. The characters are memorable, the actors giving their all, and the film has plenty of popcorn action scenes to enjoy.
White House Down (2013) – 6.4
In 2013, there were two movies where the White House is taken over by terrorists, the other being Antoine Fuqua’s Olympus Has Fallen starring Gerard Butler. Meanwhile, White House Down was its competition, starring Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx.
Essentially, it’s a Die Hard knockoff but in the White House. It sets out to be a silly action film and it succeeds; the characters are mediocre, the action is over the top, and it does absolutely nothing new. It’s perfect for a night where someone just wants to have fun with a movie for a couple of hours.
The Day After Tomorrow (2004) – 6.4
Imagine 2012 but instead of the Earth falling apart, it freezes due to climate change; that is The Day After Tomorrow. The biggest difference is that this one has much better characters, with Dennis Quaid and Jake Gyllenhaal providing great performances.
Unfortunately, it still features absurd physics and logic, with characters somehow outrunning the freezing process like it’s a perfect line between warm and cold. It’s a silly disaster movie with impressive visuals.
Midway (2019) – 6.7
After Independence Day: Resurgence, Emmerich returned to war epics akin to what he did with The Patriot. Midway is about the clash between American and Japanese forces during World War II, at the titular location. Though it did not blow everyone’s minds, it was a surprising war film with a lot of effort.
The visuals, as always with Emmerich, were top tier, the cast was massive with a lot of talent, and the action was some of his best. Midway ended up being one of Roland Emmerich’s least successful at the box office but it has room to become a cult gem.
Independence Day (1996) – 7.0
While Universal Soldier got Emmerich started, Independence Day is what made him famous. Independence Day is a cheesy sci-fi war film about aliens invading while humans defend Earth as much as possible. It’s not Citizen Kane, but it didn’t really need to be.
The action is still fun, the characters are quirky and memorable, the aliens are iconic, and it knows exactly what it is. That’s why it became such a successful blockbuster that many rewatch every fourth of July, even if the way the aliens are taken down makes little to no sense.
Stargate (1994) – 7.1
Spawning a plethora of spin-off shows, Stargate is a sci-fi adventure film that is silly but fun, much like Independence Day. Dedicated actors make the characters stand out, the film is absolutely gorgeous to look at, and it has concepts that are executed very well.
The two leads of Kurt Russell and James Spader really enhance the film, their charisma carrying most of it. For the time, it was a relatively unique premise that makes for a still enjoyable action flick.
The Patriot (2000) – 7.2
This story of a veteran soldier who joins the American Revolution after his son is murdered by a British officer. The odd thing about The Patriot is that it does not feel like a Roland Emmerich film, but perhaps that’s why it is his best. Rather than bombastic characters and popcorn action, The Patriot is a dark and brutal story.
Mel Gibson gives one of his best performances as Benjamin Martin, with Heath Ledger shining as his son. Jason Isaacs plays a despicably evil villain that makes the viewer root for Martin’s revenge. On top of it all, the war action is visceral, with shocking amounts of realistic gore. So, with solid characters, plenty of heartbreak, impactful violence, and a beautiful recreation of the Revolutionary War, it’s no wonder it is Emmerich’s best.
