BBC Focus Magazine

[Dark One]

I cannot recommend this film enough. Epic doesn't even cover it. This is The Hurt Locker of sci-fi films. Finally an alien invasion flick that was, dare i say it, realistic. Everyone on the forum should go out and watch this.

Ok I'm done

[Shadowwolf]

Well I would say that the premise of our alien friends crossing the gulf and then engaging in a stand up fight to be shall we say, a tad stretched. Extensive orbital bombardment would be the least I would expect before boots on ground especially if as it appears to be, they're not that terribly advanced in ground warfare.

Anyhoo that said I've seen the trailers and it does look good if a wee allowance or two is made.

[Dark One]

You're right Mr Wolf, apart from the fact they can cross interstellar space, their technology isn't too far removed from our own. I suppose that's why we have a chance against them in the film. The premise is that they are after our water as a fuel source. I have to say, the message that I took away from the film was that these aliens are pretty much exactly what we'll be like in a few hundred or a thousand years. They're vaguely humanoid, but are massively mechanically augmented. We already invade other countries for their resources, I don't think we'd have a problem invading another planet for thiers. So there's an interesting ambiguity in the film towards the aliens. They're the ones doing the invading, but apart from the differences in technology and physiology, we're pretty much the same as them. Take what we want and to hell with the consequences.

[Shadowwolf]

Once the pretties are in place and it's well paced I can overlook much

[M Paul Lloyd]

I haven't seen it or any trailers as yet but I'm left wondering if these fictional Aliens have not been written into the script as using 'low tech' equipment to give us a chance, as a bear hunter might use a bow and arrow instead of a rifle?

Engage Y beam Ensign Nukk.

Y beam engaged Sir, target utterly destroyed.

My, that was............ fun.?

[Dark One]

This is purely guesswork but I think they're meant to be from the 'next star over', so they haven't travelled too far to get to us and their technology isn't that swish. They use projectile weapons and missles, so quite similar to us. The biggest advantage they have over us is their bio-mechanical nature, which means in the film they are pretty much impossible to kill. I got the distinct feeling that the invasion of our planet is their first interstellar 'rodeo'. They don't seem to be from some vast stellar empire, they're more like pirates who picked up our radio/tv transmissions, saw all the water and thought, 'we're having that'

[Shadowwolf]

Alpha Centauri?

Might be plausibleish if they had some means of traveling near light speed they could get here relatively quickly and not necessarily be toting directed energy weapons and all manner of fancy gizmos. Should still be able to indulge in some liberal orbit to surface fire to take apart all C 'n' C and major resistance before dropping in.

[Dark One]

Hard to argue with that Mr Wolf. Its what I'd do

[Shadowwolf]

Ahhh but so often what we would do is never what they do in movie land. The last battle in Avatar was inept in plan and execution on both sides.

[M Paul Lloyd]

The last battle in Avatar was inept in plan and execution on both sides.

In my experience battles are generally badly planned, poorly executed and with little or no allowance made for changes in prevailing circumstances.

Having said that I would suggest that military personnel (in general) are so used to everything being in a state of utter chaos anyway that a battleground seems relatively normal.

Its shopping precincts that I find daunting.

[Shadowwolf]

Its shopping precincts that I find daunting.

You either lack a plan or are accompanying the other half

In my experience battles are generally badly planned, poorly executed and with little or no allowance made for changes in prevailing circumstances.

There is truth there but Avatar had both sides committing monumental errors that should have spelt defeat only for the humies incompetence exceeded that of the giant smurfs.

[M Paul Lloyd]

I must have nodded off during that bit.

[Jamie]

I sort watched this the other week. Better than 'Skyline', but still a bit gung-ho.

Now, 'Hobo With A Shotgun' - that's and awesome film. If you like that splatter-gore type thing.

[Shadowwolf]

There's a voice that keeps on calling me
Down the road, that's where I'll always be.

With a shotgun apparently...

[Dark One]

Wow...what gem have I missed here? To lovefilm!

[The Beige Avenger]

As a PSA, do not bother watching this movie if you are expecting anything other than a clichéd US Marine "UUUUURAAAA" kind of movie.

Utter dross.

Aliens are hardly in it, no story, no characters, CG was mediocre, acting was mediocre. 2 stars.

[Shadowwolf]

It looked like it might be worth a look from the trailers, I don't mind me an unlikely ruckus of Them versus Us - or more accurately, US - once its got the requisite pretties. Is it really awful? Oh, and to gauge ones answer, what was the Avengers take on ID4?

[The Beige Avenger]

Independence Day was certainly a lot better than this pile but there are too many instances of rubbishness in ID4 (that pilot, the president, the dialogue) to make it into the "good" category but the story was reasonably cool and the CGI was ace.

Seriously, BLA (what a fitting abbreviation) can be surmised by running camera men doing shaky camera work (which I'm sure was deliberate), shouting and shooting.

I spent the whole movie thinking that Thomas Jane was looking a bit rough... turns out it was Aaron Eckhart.

[Shadowwolf]

So noted, though I may catch it on DVD.

...can be surmised by running camera men doing shaky camera work...

It's the 'In' thing these days, that's how it looks on the news so to add the gritty realism they do the same. We shall be truly sunk when they start doing it with cell phone footage like we see, badly pixelated and catching, fuzzy out of focus and wildly slewing about so everything streaks and we mostly see the ground.

[Dark One]

Oh come on, ID4 was at the cheese counter for the entire film. At least Battle LA tried to be gritty and realistic. Just look at the difference in endings. A small squad of soldiers taking out an enemy command centre with a guided missle, making presumeably little impact on the wider war...or a nerd and a pilot flying a UFO up to the alien world-ship and implanting a computer virus into totally alien computers that i imagine wouldnt even notice it, then escaping a massive nuclear explosion and coming back to Earth, smoking cigars, where everyone claps themselves on the back having destroyed a vastly more advanced species. Do me a favour

Independance Day was far worse in terms of American jigoism. Just listen to that speech the president gives to the pilots. I'd never heard an entire cinema groan before that.

The one thing I will give ID4; the aliens were far better designed.

Also, who is Thomas Jane...