NEWSFLASH: A cluster of meteors has suddenly appeared on our long distance detection system, and we believe they are headed directly towards Earth.
UPDATE: The meteors will impact along the coast of several major cities. Many areas are being evacuated. Please standby for updates.
THIS JUST IN: It has been determined that what we believed to have been meteors, were actually an alien invasion fleet! Many cities have fallen to the extraterrestrial forces. We cannot lose LA.
Make no mistake. The world is at war.
Battle: Los Angeles is now in theaters, and it is an invasion movie of epic proportions.
Beware of SPOILERS!
The story begins 24 hours prior to the invasion, focusing on military forces stationed at Camp Pendleton, led by US Marine Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart). It is quickly determined that the meteors that are falling to Earth have a metallic super-structure and that they were created by alien forces. The military is dispatched to help assist with the evacuation of LA, but are quickly outnumbered by a surprise attack by the invaders. Nantz and his crew are tasked with rescuing trapped survivors in the center of the city and are told that the attacking forces are limited to the ground. If the aliens weren’t enough of a challenge, the clock has been set and there will be an imminent bombing of LA by the Air Force in order to stop the ground forces of the invaders. Nantz’s team navigate the mayhem and make their way to a devastated police station where the survivors are hiding. They happen to come across an Air Force team, which includes Technicial Sergeant Elena Santos (Michelle Rodriquez), who was tasked with finding a weakness in the invader’s technology. The invaders have a few other surprises, as they take to the air and destroy many of the remaining military forces. Nantz’s team is confronted by one of the attacking ships and takes it on (Die Hard style), learning that these new ships are unmanned (or unaliened…you know what I mean) drones. Santos determines that there must be a central command station coordinating and controlling these ships and if they are able to locate and destroy it, they might be able to give our world a fighting chance!
Judging from the trailers, Battle: Los Angeles seemed to have a heavy Independence Day / District 9 feel, but in reality, this was a thrilling war movie closer to Black Hawk Down. Yes, there were aliens, but this was a gritty battle story focusing on military forces trying to achieve an objective and repel invaders. Aaron Eckhart was perfectly cast as Nantz, a character who had previous battle experience and was forced to live through the loss of his team. Now faced with leading a new group of Marines into battle, he must overcome the challenges of losing men along the way and save the remaining civilians. Michelle Rodriquez also did a standout performance and was able to overcome her typical mannerisms and responses and brought an intensity to this role that was very unexpected.
In addition to the fantastic acting by the cast, the imagery and cinematography in this movie were outstanding. While watching this film, it was easy to forget that these events were not occurring live before our eyes. The cityscape images of LA being destroyed had a strong impact, and helped to establish the impending doom brought on by the invaders from another world. You could tell that this was painstakingly planned to ensure that this was as believable as possible. The shaky-cam usage while following the Marines into battle allowed for a closer connection with the Marines as they fought back and traversed the damaged city, but not to a motion-sickness extreme (I’m looking at you, Cloverfield) . It was also refreshing that the creative team chose to avoid showing the typical LA landmarks and instead focused on the bigger picture battle that was at hand.
If you are looking for a fun action-thriller, Battle: Los Angeles is a must see!
ComicsOnline gives Battle: Los Angeles 5 out of 5 movies that deserve a sequel!
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