"Any Suggestion of Military SF Movie?" Topic

Last week I asked about suggestion of SF/Military SF novel on Kindle. After finishing 2 books from Starfist series, I would like to watch some military SF movie.

Any suggestion?

ALIENS – Probably one of the best.

SOLDIER – Has a strong novel feel to it, and Kurt Russel is great.

A few direct-to-video items in the 80s are worth watching for well-done combat scenes, but on the whole, not much outside of anime: the GHOST IN THE SHELL TV series has some flashback stories of Non-Nuclear World War Four and of course the action over the refugees, and that is pretty much what you are looking for :)

Pailsen Files Armored Trooper VOTOMS spin-off anime series is great.

If you assume it has nothing to do with the Robert Heinlin books, Starship Troopers – both live action movies & animated series, are pretty good – the animated series is better IMHO.

I second Aliens and Soldier.

Final Fantasy and Apple Seed look good as well.

Star Wars
Alien series
Soldier
Doom
Starship Troopers (not everyone gets the point though)
Resident Evil series
Battle Los Angeles
Predator
Reign of Fire
Terminator Salvation
Serenity

Apple Seed is good.

Don't watch Serenity unless you have seen Fire Fly. It's the end of that series story line.

Venus Wars, an earlier anime isn't too bad either.

Great movie

link

Hunter prey

I second Battle Los Angeles. It's probably the best military sci-fi out there and certainly the best in recent years. The story follows a marine squad and its sergeant as they go about trying to turn back the tide of an alien invasion. The visuals are great and the story is decent. The movie also does a pretty fair job of showing what combat troops are really like without getting over board/dramatic about it.

Aliens is really good but I don't know if I would call it military sci-fi. It does have elements of the genre and many of the characters are military, BUT it isn't a story about warfare set in the future. It doesn't really focus on telling a story about men (and women) dealing with warfare and surviving on a battlefield dominated by technology. It's an action picture that has elements of military sci-fi and horror in it. But it's still a great movie.

Some episodes of the new Battlestar Galactica are really good too. I don't really care for the show most of the time but some episodes are real gems. My favorite episode is "The Hand of God" which features a really neat story about having to launch a raid against a superior force. It has a strong military story line as the leaders of the Galactica try to come up with a workable plan to secure necessary fuel resources Lots of military vs. civilian conflict here too!

If you like mecha stuff then Gundam 08 MS Team is pretty good. It follows a small squad of mecha jocks as they battle Zeon forces in the far east. Lots of infantry, armor, and aerospace assets in the show too. Very gritty at times, but it suffers from anime story telling at times. Sorry, but the whole falling in love with the enemy thing is getting pretty old!

The Starship Troopers TV show is pretty good too. It is a little cheesy at times but it's actually a much better show than the movie. The characters are better and develop over the story arc. The combat sequences are pretty cool if a bit bloodless (for humans that is). And best yet it's free over at Crackle too.

But there really isn't a lot out there and most of what's there is rather bad. It's a genre that really is undeveloped and under appreciated.

Ah yes, if you are after sci-fi war (big battle) films as opposed to sci-fi films with military peoples in it you will indeed struggle..

Why not "War of the Worlds", the one from the 1950's with Gene Barry. Why, they even use the flying wing to drop the bomb.

"Space Above and Beyond" was a really nice military sicfi tv show. You should be able to pick it up the cd's cheap.

8)

Babylon 5

Predator 1 and 3

The first Riddick movie. (I forget the name)

If you don't mind a military that has a complete lack of military discipline then maybe Battlestar Gallactica, otherwise meh!

Not sure Pitch Black is military at all really.
It is a very good, most excellent film though.

Just found soldier for 2.00 at a used book store great film .
Votoms is cool appleseed has some good clips . Battle Los angeles was pretty good .

I just watch Iron Sky on Netflix Stupid fun movie (space Nazis on the moon)has some game play ideas and some funny moments (lead girl is cute too). there was also the space battle movie with Freddie Prinez Jr base on a game (kind of submarines in space.

Wasn't there someone on the movie board recently despairing over the lost time spent watching Iron Sky?

Tgunner commented: "I second Battle Los Angeles. It's probably the best military sci-fi out there and certainly the best in recent years"

Yes very true – personal favourite moment when the aliens with the support weapon robot have to stop and reload the thing under fire from the Marines.

Of course I missed Babylon 5 because that is more political than military action for the most part – then again, that isn't a bad thing. You could include later seasons of DS9 for the same thing. . . .

there was also the space battle movie with Freddie Prinez Jr base on a game (kind of submarines in space.

That was Wing Commander. Great game, terrible movie.

That was Wing Commander. Great game, terrible movie.

Awww man you made me remember it!

Some episodes of UFO and Space: 1999 might also work for you--as might STII: Wrath of Khan.

Second (third, fourth, etc) the recommendations for Battle LA, Starship Troopers (especially the CGI series), some episodes of Space: Above and Beyond and B5.

Rob

Blue Gender is an anime about soldiers fighting giant bugs. It is very good if you like that sort of thing.

Them! Cold War US Army vs Giant Ants

Earth vs the Flying Saucers Cold War US Army vs Flying Saucers

War of the Worlds 1954 Cold War US Army vs Martians

Beginning of the End Cold War US Army vs Giant Grasshopers

The Deadly Mantis Cold War US Army vs Preying Mantis

Also as mentioned Roughnecks, Battle Los Angeles, and perhaps Cloverfield

Orginal Godzilla, King of the Monsters Japanese Cold War Army vs Giant Lizard

Mike Bunkermeister Creek
Bunker Talk blog

Concur on all the recommendations made so far.

I haven't seen Battle of Los Angeles yet, and I somehow overlooked Reign of Fire.

Gotta love the UFO program trailer!

youtu.be/GNEy9FpI3Ek

Ted

Make sure you watch Battle L.A. with a language option you don't speak: the dialog is terrible.

Avatar has military aspects – Aliens rocks & second Starship Troopers

I can't recommend Battle Los Angeles for the same reason I hated The Hurt Locker – as a veteran I judge military movies largely by how believably the actors protray the look, attitude and bearing of soldiers – in these movies the troops didn't act like troops – it is OK if you are just looking for dudes in camo running around shooting at stuff

you like Aliens and Starship Troopers but Diss Battle: Los Angeles for lack of realism? lol

as a veteran I judge military movies largely by how believably the actors protray the look, attitude and bearing of soldiers

Fair enough, but do you not think Battle LA was a sci-fi film rather than an attempt to portray life in the real world military?
I would say films like Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Jar Head etc were more about what being a real soldier is about as they tried to portray everyday events that these soldiers encountered.
Battle LA was about aliens trying to destroy all life on Earth, I don't think it was trying to be a realistic portrayal of military life..

As for Hurt Locker, I was not a big fan either, as for me the main character was a bit of a tool and I could not have cared what happened to him.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Just watch Battle Los Angeles. It's a pretty good military SF movie. Don't know why the low rating on IMDB?
imdb.com/title/tt1217613
IMHO at least 7.5

Bunkermiester nailed it!

@ Only Warlock & Angel Barracks

- while Battle LA is Science Fiction the setting is today/very near future

- the characters are supposed to be representatives of our current/very near future military

- as such I felt taken out of the 'world' of the movie by the lack of believability to me of the portrayal of 'realistic' soldiers

- just like I felt taken out the the 'world' of the Hurt Locker by the lack of believability to me of the portrayal of 'realistic' soldiers

Oddly enough I feel both Aliens and Starship Troopers portrayed soldiers in a more believable manner even given the other quirks and foibles of their particular 'worlds' & situations

Only my opinion – not worth anymore than any other opinion