Roland Emmerich's movies are known for being visual spectacles in the disaster and sci-fi genres, and while some have been big box office hits, he has never been the most critically ired filmmaker. He has worked alongside some big Hollywood stars, such as Will Smith, Kurt Russell, and Jake Gyllenhaal. He has also explored the end of the world through various points of view, from natural disasters to alien invasions. While many of his films have been critically panned, Emmerich’s filmography has earned over $3 billion worldwide, making him one of the highest-grossing directors of all time.

Along with directing, Emmerich typically also contributes to film projects as a writer and producer, giving him greater control over the end results. This has also allowed him to focus on the large-scale spectacles he is best known for, especially within the disaster genre, potentially including Independence Day 3. This has earned the director the title of “master of disaster” within the industry. However, there have also been instances in which Emmerich has attempted to show off his skills in different and unexpected types of movies with mixed results.

10,000 BC (2008)

Early Humans Fight For Survival

While Roland Emmerich has had a number of hit movies looking at the fall of humanity in the modern era, his worst film to date looked at the beginnings of humanity. The prehistoric era epic stars Steven Strait as a woolly mammoth hunter who inadvertently becomes the leader of his tribe and discovers an advanced civilization using slaves and trained mammoths to build the pyramids.

Although 10,000 BC was a modest success at the box office, it was critically panned for a complete disregard for historical accuracy, not to mention basic logic and coherent storytelling. Earning a measly 10% on Rotten Tomatoes, it is among the worst-reviewed movies of Emmerich's career. The special effects couldn't save this movie as the human characters were seen as flat and uninteresting. It is his least inspired movie and feels devoid of anything special or worth recommending.

Moonfall (2022)

The Earth Is In Danger When The Moon Falls Out Of Orbit

Following a series of less popular movies that took him away from the genre he was known for, Roland Emmerich returned to the disaster genre in the CGI-heavy Moonfall. The film stars Patrick Wilson and Halle Berry as two former astronauts who attempt to save the world when Earth's moon suddenly leaves its orbit, threatening the stability of the planet.

Moonfall's box office failure, one of the lowest-grossing movies of his career, suggested even audiences were tired of this kind of movie.

Those hoping this would be a return to popcorn movie form for Emmerich were left disappointed with a release that lacks the fun of his other disaster movies. After a prologue sequence that shamelessly borrows from the impressive opening to Gravity, Moonfall continues a derivative mash-up of better films, some of which were made by Emmerich himself.

While the critical failure of the movie was not something new for the filmmaker, Moonfall's box office failure, one of the lowest-grossing movies of his career, suggested even audiences were tired of this kind of movie.

Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Humanity Faces The Return Of The Vengeful Aliens

Despite the success of some of his movies, Roland Emmerich finally made his first sequel with Independence Day: Resurgence. Taking place 20 years after the original, Independence Day: Resurgence takes a look at the way Earth has changed due to the alien invasion, with nations collaborating on a global defense program and using the alien technology to better their own lives.

However, their advancements are put to the test when the aliens return looking for revenge. Everything is bigger in Independence Day: Resurgence, but Emmerich loses sight of what made the first film work by getting lost in the CGI-heavy action sequences.

It lacks the heart and fun of the first installment, only delivering mayhem and forced comedic relief. The new characters are lackluster and most of the returning cast from the original are underused, with only Jeff Goldblum adding some life to the sequel. Independence Day: Resurgence also has only one of the laziest sequel bait endings of all time, which is tough because Independence Day 3 is unlikely to happen.

Stonewall (2015)

A Coming-Of-Age Story Set Around The Pivotal Gay Rights Moment

For years, Emmerich discussed the possibility of making a more personal film, but his decision to tackle the 1969 Stonewall riots was quickly met with skepticism from those familiar with his body of work. Although Stonewall is primarily a coming-of-age narrative for protagonist Danny Winters (Jeremy Irvine), a gay teenager from Indiana who travels to New York after being shunned by his family, the narrative culminates in a climactic portrayal of the riots that kicked off the gay liberation movement in New York City.

Good intentions were not enough to save the film from being panned by critics and protested by civil rights groups offended by the director’s choice to whitewash the historical events. It marks the lowest Stonewall inspired discussions regarding historical accuracy and the obligation of filmmakers like Emmerich.

Moon 44 (1990)

A Futuristic Cop Investigates A Moon Mining Colony

Despite only being released theatrically in , Emmerich made Moon 44 in English with hopes that it would provide new opportunities in filmmaking. This low-budget sci-fi action film has a nonsensical and overstuffed storyline involving an undercover cop, convicts being used as cheap labor to mine resources from a moon, and an android threat.

The movie borrows from a lot of other more original and successful sci-fi movies and it highlights the issue Emmerich would have with many of his future movies in that the human characters are thinly created archetypes.

Despite its flaws, it did lead to Emmerich being hired as the replacement director for Universal Soldier. The film takes itself too seriously to be much fun, but it is a look at how Emmerich can deliver exciting moments, even with a much smaller budget than his later movies. Most impressively, it features some solid action sequences involving space helicopters.

Godzilla (1998)

The Iconic Monster Arrives In New York City

There have been several Godzilla movies that came before Roland Emmerich's take, but the "master of disaster" seemed like a solid choice to remake the iconic monster. 1998's Godzilla brings an American perspective to the franchise as it focuses on a ragtag group of heroes who attempt to come up with a way to stop the rampaging beast when it suddenly arrives in New York City.

While there are some fun moments and hints of a better movie, Godzilla just doesn't feel like a Godzilla movie. Toho hated the 1998 Godzilla movie so much that they decided to make Godzilla 2000 as a result, spawning the Millennium series. While Emmerich’s film is not faithful to the legacy of the Japanese monster -- even the design for the title creature for the 1998 film was drastically altered, making Godzilla appear as little more than a giant lizard.

Ghost Chase (1987)

An Amateur Director Makes A Movie With Some Supernatural Help

Released as Hollywood-Monster in before being retitled for American audiences, Ghost Chase is a campy horror-comedy that pays homage to the B-films from past decades. When teenager and aspiring director Fred (Tim McDaniel) discovers his leading actor Warren (Jason Lively) is the beneficiary of an old clock containing the spirit of his grandfather’s butler, the pair use the supernatural occurrence to complete their unfinished horror movie.

Despite taking place in Hollywood, Ghost Chase was only released on video in the United States. There is nothing inherently wrong with the film, which comes off as a cheap knock-off of The Goonies, but the narrative lacks focus and becomes increasingly silly with an explosive climax and unbelievable resolution. As with many Emmerich movies, there is not enough personality or originality to be found to make it stand out.

Making (1985)

A Young Boy Attempts To Communicate With His Deceased Father

Another German theatrical release, Making is Roland Emmerich's take on a horror movie, leaning into its Poltergeist influences rather strongly. Originally titled Joey, the film follows a young boy (Joshua Morell) who believes he can speak with his deceased father through a toy telephone. At the same time, the child is terrorized by a possessed ventriloquist dummy and develops telekinetic abilities.

Making is far from a masterpiece, but the campy elements and the shameless use of icons from successful Hollywood franchises such as Star Wars, make this supernatural family film that successfully captures the fun of similar 1980s movies with a spooky element. It is a blast to see Emmerich operating in the horror genre and he continues to prove he is an effective director when it comes to set pieces, if not characters and story.

2012 (2009)

Character Brace For The End Of The World

Roland Emmerich truly embraced his mantle as the "master of disaster" in 2012, a film that seems determined to feature more global destruction than any other disaster movie around. 2012 features an all-star cast, including John Cusack, Thandiwe Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson, among others, in the story of various characters dealing with the predicted end of the world and the secret mission to save some of humanity.

The story and the characters simply feel like vessels to allow Emmerich to get to the next scene of destruction. The movie was heavily criticized for its scientific inaccuracies regarding some of the global disasters, but with the tone and spectacle of the film, it is clear that Emmerich is not concerned with such things. It can be enjoyed as a bit of mindless entertainment with Emmerich feeling like he is in on the joke as he destroys as many famous landmarks as possible.

Midway (2019)

The Pivotal Battle Of World War II

Despite his tendency to alter events to better suit the narrative, Emmerich showed a surprising dedication to historical accuracy in making Midway. The war film is based on the true story of the Battle of Midway in the Pacific Theater, told from the American perspective but with an effort to depict the Japanese side of the conflict as well.

Once again, Emmerich brings together a massive cast, some of whom are playing real-life characters, including Woody Harrelson, Dennis Quaid, Patrick Wilson, and Ed Skrein in the lead role as a heroic pilot.

Though historical accuracy and a balanced narrative are an improvement from other Emmerich releases, Midway lacks engaging dialogue and well-developed characters and was easily overshadowed by the release of 1917 later that year. Even the scenes of spectacle and destruction are diminished by the fact that the film was made independently with a relatively low budget.