Believe it or not, an alien invasion is one of the topics that I haven’t written about. Yet. XCOM 2 is about to change that. Sure, I mentioned aliens in my post-apocalyptic movies post, and in the How to survive post as well. But the alien invasion as a theme was not a solo theme. It was part of plenty of other types of post-apocalyptic and survivalist movies.
But that is about to change since XCOM 2 is on my agenda here at IndieGala. Furthermore, XCOM 2 is part of our summer sale as well.
XCOM 2: Alien invasion in movies and on TV
Alien invasion as a theme is not just present in movies. Honestly, some great TV shows portray such hypothetical events, and they’re also worth mentioning. War Of The Worlds is a classic, and there’s a great recent adaptation that premiered last year. But if the movie version is up to your alley, then Steven Spielberg’s version is the one you should pick. It’s also a good choice for all H.G. Wells fans. And speaking of great TV shows, I must mention V here. Both the 80’s version and the 2009 remake are excellent and worth giving a shot. And last but not least, Falling Skies and Colony are worth mentioning.
But for the sake of clarity, I’ll be focusing solely on movies and movies alone. However, before I jump to the movie portion of this post, I’d like to mention a word or two about the game.
XCOM 2: What’s the game all about?
Developed by Firaxis Games and published by 2K, XCOM 2 is a turn-based tactics video game. Much like the title suggests, XCOM 2 is the sequel to 2012’s reboot of the series XCOM: Enemy Unknown. However, XCOM 2 takes place 20 years after the events of Enemy Unknown. The military organization called XCOM is trying to fight off an alien invasion centered on Earth. But XCOM has lost the war and both the organization and Earth as we know it, are in shambles. XCOM is now a resistance force against the occupation.
Not to mention, there’s both heavily established totalitarian regime and military dictatorship, which makes living on Earth that much difficult. So, the XCOM forces must find a way to ignite a global resistance, and eliminate the alien threat once and for all. A fun fact about the game is movie inspiration that is visible throughout the XCOM 2.
The artists drew inspiration from great sci-fi movies like Elysium and Oblivion when they were creating the game’s aesthetic. And you can clearly see that aesthetic. But, back to the topic at hand. What movies should be added on this list?
XCOM 2: Hostile and peaceful alien invasion
While most movies that portray alien invasion, a hostile alien invasion is portrayed in most of the movies that we know of. Starship Troopers (although a great satire, is a movie about alien invasion). In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned A Quiet Place as well. However, some movies show a peaceful part of the process. Movies like Arrival, for instance.
Edge Of Tomorrow
It has alien invasion, time loops, excellent action scenes and Tom Cruise to glue everything together. All joking aside, this is a fantastic movie. Personally, I remember that I wasn’t too optimistic before I walked into the movie theater. But I do remember being pleasantly surprised afterward. It was fantastic! I loved the progression of Cruise’s character, and I loved the constant repetition in the time loop scenes. They weren’t boring or redundant at all. Not to mention the supporting cast led by Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton was on point as well. If you haven’t seen it before, I urge you to watch it.
Mars Attacks!
I just had to include it. It’s one of my favorite childhood movies, and one of my favorite Tim Burton movies. Not to mention it’s funny, bizarre and it has an incredible cast. I mean how good is Jack Nicholson here? And in a dual role no less. Moreover, I feel the movie’s lukewarm reception was unjust back in the mid-’90s. However, I’m happy to find out that after all this time Mars Attacks got the recognition it deserves and is regularly included in the best movie polls. It’s from an era when Tim Burton had a lot more creativity and was fearless when making his movies. I miss that Tim Burton era, to be honest
Independence Day
No, I’m not including the abomination that is Independence Day 2. I’m solely sticking to the OG 90’s movie. The SF-epic, the Roland Emmerich directed extravaganza that is Independence Day. This is a movie in which the humanity led by Randy Quaid and Will Smith fights back at the impending alien invasion. It’s hilarious, not to mention silly and of course, entertaining to watch. It’s still one of my childhood guilty pleasures that I continue to indulge well into adulthood, and possibly the perfect summer blockbuster.
The World’s End
Can you do a successful comedy about alien invasion? And not only that, a comedy that’s set mostly in a pub? Yes, and both Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg proved that it can be done. I love The World’s End. It has charm, it has fantastic comedic performances, and that good old Edgar Wright’s kookiness. And if you’re looking for another reason to watch this movie, I’ll give you several instead. First and foremost, it has an incredible cast (well aside from Simon Pegg). Martin Freeman is in it too, and so are Nick Frost, Rosamund Pike and Paddy Constantine. Next, there’s the incredible soundtrack, but could you really expect anything less than extraordinary from an Edgar Wright movie? No, I don’t think so either. I highly recommend this movie.
Oblivion
Why not end this post with the movie that was part of the inspiration for the XCOM 2 game? Oblivion. Yes, I know I already mentioned a Tom Cruise movie before, but it doesn’t hurt to mention another one? It’s a totally different movie from Edge Of Tomorrow, but it does have an alien invasion as a common theme. Set in 2077, Earth’s population is relocated to Titan after a devastating alien invasion. But the remnants from that invasion are scavengers (or the remaining aliens) are still present. And once more pose a threat to Cruise’s character and for the entire humanity too. I like Oblivion. It’s a much-underrated movie, but I feel that it deserves to be mentioned here.
Your picks:
What are some of your picks? Which movies should also belong here? Tell us in the comment section. We’d love to know.
