The World’s End: Five of the best alien invasion films

This week sees the release of the eagerly-anticipated The World’s End, the final installment in the Cornetto Trilogy (along with Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz), a series of films straight out of the brain heads of director Edgar Wright and comedy best buds Simon Pegg and Nick Frost.

To celebrate the film's release, JOE takes a look at some of the best alien invasion films of recent years that Hollywood has to offer. Honourable mention goes to E.T. but that wee cross-dressing alien invaded a housing estate more than Earth itself really. AVENGERS ASSEMBLE The legend that is Joss Whedon absolutely nailed his addition to the superhero genre when he released Avengers Assemble last year, one of the best films of 2012. You want to invade Earth aliens, yeah? Well, you didn't count on Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Black Widow, ahmm, Hawkeye and The Hulk being on hand to beat the alien crap out of you. Puny aliens. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CSaPXh7_o8   INDEPENDENCE DAY Roland Emmerich came up with the premise for Independence Day (1996) after realising that aliens in most invasion films travelled extensively through space, only to remain hidden when they arrive at Earth. His solution? Have big-ass ships hover over all of the major cities of the world and then do really cool stuff like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z3qu-sCei3U Fear not though humans, Will 'Summer Blockbuster God' Smith was on hand to welcome the nasty aliens to the the planet in his own very special way: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfPWpEKhgfk   DISTRICT 9 Speaking of big-ass ships hovering over major cities, Neill Blomkamp's 2009 indie film blew audiences away as an alien ship comes to a standstill over Johannesburg in South Africa. On board are 'prawns,' amazing looking, malnourished aliens who are then subjected to social segregation and xenophobia in what is an allegorical tale of life in Apartheid South Africa. First-time actor Sharlto Copley is perfect as Wikus van der Merwe, a local Government operative who gradually starts mutating into a Prawn after being exposed to a mysterious alien fluid. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54A7W6eEBnw And then this starts to happen. Nightmare. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1TNL7KlEI8g   CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND Steven Spielberg's follow-up film to Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind was another perfect film from the man who was destined to go on and become one of the greatest director's of all time. Richard Dreyfuss is Roy Neary, an Indiana electrical lineman who has a close encounter with a UFO (of the third kind obviously) and, as a result, his life is changed in ways he couldn't even imagine. Here's the beautiful extra terrestrial landing scene featuring John Williams' iconic alien musical theme: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Kgzn3tDQU   MEN IN BLACK They invaded Earth years ago! They've been here all along! That's the brilliant premise for Men in Black (1997), starring that man Will Smith again and Tommy Lee Jones as Agents J and K, "Earth's best, last and only defence against the scum of the universe." The less said about the terrible sequels the better. Now everybody just bounce with me, and let me see you just slide with me... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRuHk6Drj2U