World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles

The alien invasion film is certainly nothing original. Recently, and upcoming, I can think of no less than 4 film and TV versions of this basic tale. Battle: Los Angeles doesn't bring anything new, plot wise, to this scenario. In fact, it operates on the thinnest of plot and some very underdeveloped characters. The only somewhat unique aspect, at least for an alien invasion story, is its gritty "you are there" aspect, filmed in a hand-held, jerky, thick of the action style. This isn't revolutionary either, but Battle: Los Angeles does manage to squeeze some momentum out of its running length.

As mentioned above, Battle: Los Angeles' plot can be summed up rather succinctly: Aliens land on Earth throughout the globe, including near Los Angeles. This alien force, operating with ground forces, begins to overrun the various cities they arrive at, and LA is no different. A squad of marines, led by Staff Sergeant Nantz (Aaron Eckhardt) is dispatched to attempt to retrieve possible civilian presence from a Santa Monica police station behind the front lines of the fighting. They encounter heavy resistance, and must find a way back to their forward operating base while keeping the civilians under their protection, and themselves, alive.

Battle: Los Angeles is obviously influenced, visually, by movies such as Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan in the staging of its action. Much of the film is photographed with hand-held camera moves, the focus constantly whipping around, disorienting both the characters and the audience. While the technique is hardly unique, it does work to a degree in Battle: Los Angeles, bringing a different approach to a familiar plot. This isn't about scientists trying to figure out what the aliens want, or politicians wringing their hands about the "big decisions" in the midst of an alien onslaught. Battle: Los Angeles keeps its focus exclusively on the soldiers in the thick of battle, presenting the action in a no-holds barred manner. It is refreshing, at least from that perspective, to see a harder-edged, more realistic take on this material.

On the other hand, Battle: Los Angeles is a bit weak on the character front. The most development is given to Sergeant Nantz, who had just recently returned from a tour in Iraq where lives were lost and many assume he was to blame. This plays into several moments in the film, influencing other characters regarding the decisions he makes during the events of the story. Beyond that, aside from a few obligatory references to someone's relative or background, none of the other characters see much development. Physically, they are different enough to stand out from one another, but they are all mostly blank slates. There isn't complete detachment from the audience, several moments have some resonance emotionally, but not as much as if the filmmakers had taken some time to flesh the people out a bit more.

Battle: Los Angeles also suffers from being a bit overlong, and it's relentless, action oriented approach means that a lot of similar scenes play out over and over again: Marines trapped in combat, things don't look good, a character makes a choice or sacrifice, they manage to subdue their attackers, and then the film moves to the next scene in this same format. There is also little or no development of the alien menace. Snippets of television coverage featuring scientific experts fills in a little of the backstory to them, but it is mostly incidental. However, Battle: Los Angeles is not created in that style, it is about the action going on with the marines in the thick of it, and stays in that mode.

Aaron Eckhardt proves again his ability to sell a character, and he imbues Sergeant Nantz with a vigor and a degree of weariness that you buy into. Most of the other actors do a decent job of making us believe in these people as Marines in the thick of combat. A few recognizable names take roles, including Michele Rodriguez as an Air Force tech who joins up with the Marines and Bridget Moynihan as a civilian they are trying to protect, but neither has much to work with in regards to their characters other than to look tough or scared, respectively.

Battle: Los Angeles is certainly no masterpiece. It doesn't deviate much from the alien invasion template in regards to the broad strokes of its plot, and the style it was filmed in has been pioneered by other films. That being said, the film is engaging enough, and applies its style to a source material in a way that at least gives a different perspective on a familiar narrative framework. That doesn't make for a tremendous film, but not one that is completely in need of avoidance by the filmgoing public.

Everyone described this film as BLACK HAWK DOWN meets ALIENS and who am I to contradict public opinion . One thing I didn't notice in the reviews was similarity to the John Wyndham novel The Kraken Wakes . Meteors land in the ocean and very quickly alien incursions attack the coastline . One criticism of Wyndham's criminally underrated novel is that if an alien race was this advanced then there's no reason for them to be hostile down to evolutionary psychology . In simplistic terms a civilization alien or otherwise would have to evolve beyond petty tribalsitic squabbles and pool their resources in to conquering physics and mastering interstellar travel . In other words an advanced civilization should in theory be a non aggressive race not bent on conquest

This is speculation of course because there's no evidence that there's life on any other planet and the novels of John Wyndham are quickly forgotten as the laser bolts fly and the aliens emerge from the sea . This is a pity because I was expecting a bit more mystery and suspense allowing the story to breath before the aliens were revealed . It's still not really a great loss at this point because I was still very impressed by the epic scope and spectacle as the marines fly to Camp Pendleton via helicopter dodging airbursts caused by the aliens . As the action then takes place as a ground war in the ruins of LA I was reminded to a certain extent of BLACK HAWK DOWN . The problem after the initial fighting however is that the scale and scope stops and started reminding me of any Michael Bay film you care to mention

Goodbye epic scope and scale we had when the marines were airborne and hello to close up and elliptic editing done via shaky cam . One can understand director Jonathan Liebesman trying to do a sci-fi blockbuster in a realist style but we've seen too many films with " blink and you'll miss it " type editing and you'd think with the utter contempt that many movie fans hold Michael Bay in you'd think most directors would avoid this style rather than constantly embrace it , but no they still continue as if it's part of their job remit . Would I cynical in thinking in this case it's too disguise the fact that the aliens aren't all convincing if you look at them longer than a nanosecond ? Hmm CGI and blink and you'll miss it editing . You spend tens of millions of dollars on a movie and you don't bother hiring an editor or a screenwriter . Remind me why Hollywood producers live in big mansions with a swimming pool while there's so many people with potential living in poverty ?

This is a the type of film like WORLD WAR Z that constantly gets pumped out by Hollywood where there's a germ of a good idea in there somewhere that blossoms in to a big headache inducing mess that makes for a great trailer but doesn't have any substance to sustain it for two hours . Obviously any idiot can be a Hollywood producer but it takes someone of relative intelligence to analyse if they want to spend money watching films like this at the cinema just because the trailer looked good . I'm glad I didn't spend money on a cinema ticket to watch this

A wartime fiilm in which a two-fisted sergeant and his handful of loyal men are humanity's last hope, as numerous cities around the globe crash down one by one due to an alien invasion. This spectacular motion picture, inspired by H. G. Wells' novel, was professionally directed by Jonathan Liebesman but without much originality. Over the years there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world. But now what until then had been simple sightings become a terrible reality when the earth is attacked by unknown forces. While the world witnesses how great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last bastion of humanity in a battle that no one expected. On August 12, 2011, a number of apparent meteors land in the world's oceans, near 20 major coastal cities. The objects prove to be spacecraft containing hostile extraterrestrials. San Diego and San Francisco are already lost, and LA has the last military force on the west coast. As Los Angeles (LA) is being evacuated, Marines from Camp Pendleton arrive, including United States Marine Corps Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), an Iraq War veteran. Nantz, who was to begin his retirement, is assigned to 1st Platoon, Echo Company, of the 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines. The platoon, flown by chopper to the forward operating base at Santa Monica Airport, is being led by a new 2nd Lt. Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez). They are sent on a mission to rescue some civilians who are trapped at the police station within alien territory. They must fight an alien invasion and invading machines war. No matter how much armaments are utilized facing them, the lethal aliens and flying aircrafts are invincible and impassive . Neither army , tanks , air force or bombs arrange to vanquish the imperturbable and unalterable invasion alien . Later on, TSgt. Elena Santos (Michelle Rodriguez joins the brave group to tell the killer aliens. It's not war. It's survival.

Lots of action in a Sci-fi film in which the military of the earth have to face a much more powerful army, that of some aliens who a long time ago began to prepare for the invasion. It's a fabulous story , and well paced , about a deadly alien attack and a sergeant and his subordinate soldiers have to save unfortunate people at whatever cost .The film concerns the survival of human specie, the fundamental theme results to be the humanity confrontation and the main enemy: an alien invasion at an exceptional world happening. The destroyed urbanizations, with the citizens going away and the aliens themselves, are stunnningly brought to life and created in state-of-art special effects, delivering eerie highlights. The yarn is developed in the ordinary world, out of Pentagon and White House. It's loosely based on the H. G. Wells notorious novel that remains as landmark in the sci-fi history , but has been changed the location of original novel from London, 1890, to Los Angeles in year 2011. The best thing about the film is the impressive action scenes, with overwhelming combats, made using steadycam and camera above the man, in the wake of 'Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan', in fact from this film most of the images of shootings in the war genre are made in that style. Well starred by Aaron Eckart as the tough Marine sergeant who lead his team, he will have to define the limits against an enemy like never before. Eckart is appropriately accompanied by a good cast with plenty of familiar faces , such as: Ramón Rodríguez, Micahel Peña, Will Rothhaar, Bridget Moynahan, Joey King, Ne-Yo, Jim Parrack and special appearance from Michelle Rodriguez.

It packs an adecuate and atmospheric cinematography by Lukas Ettlin. As well as a rousing and suspenseful musical score by Brian Tyler. Competently directed by South African fimmaker Jonathan Liebesman, who until then had focused more on the horror genre. Jonathan is a good filmmaker , a fine craftsman who thanks to his first horror film ¨Darkness Falls¨ was hired by powerful producer Michael Bay to direct : ¨The Texas chainsaw massacre : the beginning¨. Liebesman has directed a few of blockbusters and successful TV series, such as : t¨Teenage mutant ninja turtles¨, ¨Wrath of Titanes¨ , ¨The killing room¨, ¨The Shannara Chronicles¨, and ¨Halo¨. Rating ¨Battle Los Angeles¨: 6/10, decent and acceptable warfare movie.

Forget what critic (others) says. This movie is enjoyable. Battle LA is one of the finest alien invasion movie. This movie is a third person view of a group of US marines getting their way out of the city invaded by Aliens. Battle LA is a modern combat war experience, no drama no bullshit. It sticks to the reality. Thats where audience lost the point, they expected another pop corn movie like Independence day/2012. But I do agree the movie lacks in some parts which prevents it becoming a great movie.

Visual and sound effects was awesome but camera work would have been better. Sometimes the camera annoys you, sometimes it gives you a first person experience.

On the whole its a close to reality and enjoyable ride. If you like war movies and serious visual & sound experience on big screen, this is the best thing right now.

This is movie I've never seen before. Watched it today on Netflix. It is great movie with emotional moments and fantastic action. Negative reviews are just rude and making you skip a good action movie.