From battles in Los Angeles and Chicago to children struggling against otherworldly threats, 2011 was an unforgettable year for fighting enemies from beyond the stars. Keep reading for our top five favorite alien invasion flicks of the year!
5. "Battle Los Angeles"
Though not exactly one of my favorite movies of the year, even I can't deny the awesome imagery of the initial waves of invasion in "Battle Los Angeles." The ground-level action puts you in the grimy trenches of an alien assault on what would normally be a sunny day in California. If you can forgive a thin plot, the visual assault you'll weather in "Battle LA" is worth the rental fee.
4. "Paul"
Most aliens arrive on Earth with death-rays in their hands and universal domination in their hearts. Paul, on the other hand, goes about his business with a joint in his mouth and Doritos in his belly. Considering how these invasions normally go, "Paul" was refreshingly light on take-me-to-your-leader danger and heavy on toke-with-me-and-your-leader humor.
3. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Fast forward to the final hour of Michael Bay's latest "Transformers" movie, and you'll find yourself knee-deep in the most balls-out crazy action flick of the year. When Shockwave and the Decepticons descend upon downtown Chicago, absolute madness ensues. Autobots are literally dragged out onto the streets and executed. Optimus Prime shoots his enemies in the face at pointblank range. He rips heads off. He rips heads off! Yeah, it's pretty awesome.
2. "Super 8"
It's not so much the arrival of a mysterious extraterrestrial that puts "Super 8" on this list; it's the kids hovering around the central mystery. Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths and Ryan Lee are fantastic in their big-screen breakout roles, and let's not overlook the moving performance delivered by future Oscar winner Elle Fanning. Combined with a powerful nostalgia kick of pure Spielbergia, J.J. Abrams' sci-fi throwback flick remains one of 2011's best pop culture efforts.
1. "Attack the Block"
From phenomenal creature design to a wonderfully unique setting for a sci-fi film, Joe Cornish's directorial debut has everything you could possibly ask for from a hard R-rated action comedy. Sporting the "Goonies" elements "Super 8" tackles so well sprinkled with "Alien"-inspired action and scares for good measure, "Attack the Block" isn't just the greatest alien invasion movie of 2011 – it's one of the best movies of the year, period. Believe!
Tell us which 2011 alien invasion movie was your favorite in the comments section and on Twitter!
Tags attack the block, battle los angeles, Best of 2011, paul, Super 8, transformers dark of the moon
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'Transformers' And More: 2011's Top 5 Alien Invasion Movies
Posted 12/5/11 10:47 am EST by Josh Wigler in Commentary
From battles in Los Angeles and Chicago to children struggling against otherworldly threats, 2011 was an unforgettable year for fighting enemies from beyond the stars. Keep reading for our top five favorite alien invasion flicks of the year!
5. "Battle Los Angeles"
Though not exactly one of my favorite movies of the year, even I can't deny the awesome imagery of the initial waves of invasion in "Battle Los Angeles." The ground-level action puts you in the grimy trenches of an alien assault on what would normally be a sunny day in California. If you can forgive a thin plot, the visual assault you'll weather in "Battle LA" is worth the rental fee.
4. "Paul"
Most aliens arrive on Earth with death-rays in their hands and universal domination in their hearts. Paul, on the other hand, goes about his business with a joint in his mouth and Doritos in his belly. Considering how these invasions normally go, "Paul" was refreshingly light on take-me-to-your-leader danger and heavy on toke-with-me-and-your-leader humor.
3. "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Fast forward to the final hour of Michael Bay's latest "Transformers" movie, and you'll find yourself knee-deep in the most balls-out crazy action flick of the year. When Shockwave and the Decepticons descend upon downtown Chicago, absolute madness ensues. Autobots are literally dragged out onto the streets and executed. Optimus Prime shoots his enemies in the face at pointblank range. He rips heads off. He rips heads off! Yeah, it's pretty awesome.
2. "Super 8"
It's not so much the arrival of a mysterious extraterrestrial that puts "Super 8" on this list; it's the kids hovering around the central mystery. Joel Courtney, Riley Griffiths and Ryan Lee are fantastic in their big-screen breakout roles, and let's not overlook the moving performance delivered by future Oscar winner Elle Fanning. Combined with a powerful nostalgia kick of pure Spielbergia, J.J. Abrams' sci-fi throwback flick remains one of 2011's best pop culture efforts.
1. "Attack the Block"
From phenomenal creature design to a wonderfully unique setting for a sci-fi film, Joe Cornish's directorial debut has everything you could possibly ask for from a hard R-rated action comedy. Sporting the "Goonies" elements "Super 8" tackles so well sprinkled with "Alien"-inspired action and scares for good measure, "Attack the Block" isn't just the greatest alien invasion movie of 2011 – it's one of the best movies of the year, period. Believe!
Tell us which 2011 alien invasion movie was your favorite in the comments section and on Twitter!
Tags attack the block, battle los angeles, Best of 2011, paul, Super 8, transformers dark of the moon
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