Bridget Moynahan

You're already privy to everything you need to know about Battle: Los Angeles. It has aliens. It has explosions. It has Aaron Eckhart using his most gruff voice to lead a platoon to protect Los Angeles against said aliens and said explosions. All that can be gleaned from the trailer, and unfortunately, the full experience doesn't go much deeper than the preview, leaving us a film with a lot of bark and no bite.

Set in the not-so-distant future of August 2011, the film takes us to — wait for it — Los Angeles, where Marine staff sergeant Michael Nantz (Eckhart) is ready to be discharged after 20 years of service and a recent stint in Iraq that cost him the lives of a few of his men, not to mention the respect from the rest of his platoon. But Michael is forced to change his plans and rise to the occasion when major cities around the globe fall under alien attack, and LA is next on the hit parade.

To find out why the movie falls flat, just read more

Hasn't Hollywood reached its saturation point with alien disaster flicks? Apparently not, because next year will bring Battle: Los Angeles. Set in 2011, the film follows a series of events as extraterrestrials raid Earth, and one country after another succumbs to their attacks. Aaron Eckhart stars as a Marine staff sergeant trying to protect LA — the only city still standing. Bridget Moynahan also appears (apparently as the movie's damsel in distress), along with Michelle Rodriguez, who will be doing her signature tough-chick shtick.

The film sounds like typical blockbuster material, but the trailer bombards the senses (in a good way). They've packed in an insane amount of special effects, the music's incredibly eerie (and surprisingly moving), and we get just a peek at the alien life forms without giving too much away. I'm convinced, how about you? The movie lands on March 11, 2011, but watch the preview when you read more

From Felicity to Mr. Big's ex-wife, you're sure to recognize some familiar faces popping up in new places on the Fall TV lineup. A few of our favorite Friends are returning in January, while Captain Kirk, Lost-ies, and more are already back on the small screen. Check out the case files on these favorites!

I'm totally changing gears here with the Fall TV pilots, and switching from my assessment of Hellcats to something heavier: CBS's new drama, Blue Bloods.

What it's about: The Reagans have served the NYPD for multiple generations: grandfather Henry (Len Cariou) was the chief of police, his son Frank (Tom Selleck) is currently in the job, and Frank's children Danny (Donnie Wahlberg) and Erin (Bridget Moynahan) also maintain law and order (as a detective and an assistant D.A., respectively). Now, the youngest of the household, Jamie (Will Estes), is being welcomed into the fold, having just graduated from the police academy. The family members butt heads, but ultimately try to help each other out when it comes to solving a hard-to-crack case.

Where it works: The show has the same writing team as The Sopranos, so what more do you need? I don't care much about the actual episode-to-episode police cases — that's why you have every other procedural drama on television — but the family relationships here really hit a nice chord. The pilot sets up who each Reagan is (without giving away too much), and a surprise twist with a police conspiracy should keep viewers invested beyond just the first few weeks.

Where it doesn't: A couple of the characters feel clichéd, specifically Danny, who is the hot-tempered cop that's not afraid to take drastic measures for justice. He has a sweeter, family-man side to help round him out, but I still feel like we've seen this over-the-top type before.

Am I hooked? Definitely. I enjoy seeing the family interact (not to mention, Estes is nice to look at), and the pilot sets up enough suspense that I'm already dying to see the second episode.

To see a promo and more photos, just read more