Movie Review: Battle: Los Angeles

Wow. I did not expect this movie to rule so hard. There were so many strikes against this film (no major actors/stars, been there done that alien invasion plot) I don't even remember why I chose to see this flick on a lark....but man am I glad I did!

So here's the brief synopsis:
Aliens invade Earth hell bent on usurping our natural resources. A bunch of Marines in Los Angeles fight them. Shit goes boom.

So yeah, the plot isn't the film's greatest selling point. If your jonesing for some originality in your sci-fi flicks, you might be better off watching District 9 again. While Battle LA isn't reinventing the wheel in terms of science fiction, it delivers on almost every other front. Honestly, I don't even feel comfortable calling this a sci-fi movie. You barely see the aliens and their CGI looks kinda crappy anyways. No, Battle LA is more of a straight up military/war film. The fight scenes are gripping, frantic and thanks to Jonathan Liebesman's direction, jarringly realistic. Sure, the characters are just walking cliches waiting to either shoot or get shot themselves, but damn if it all doesn't work so well! The script's dialogue is pretty lackluster, but the cast does the best with what they're given.

Two Face = Captain America!

Major kudos to Aaron Eckhart. Dude gives a stellar performance as Staff Sergeant Nantz, the heart, soul and all around badass of Battle LA. While watching this film I wanted to fax/email Marvel Comics and demand they halt the release of their upcoming Captain America movie and reshoot the damn thing with Eckhart as the lead. Michelle Rodriguez changes things up a bit, putting a softer spin on her usual "tough chick who kicks ass" role. She plays an Air Force techie who joins up with our beloved Marines during the ensuing carnage of battle. Rodriguez's presence in the film is just another example of usually hokey cliches that Battle LA not only embraces, but executes damn well. Hell, Rodriguez IS a cliche at this point, and the audience loved her for it! I'm not kidding, as soon as she appeared onscreen , cheers, applause and the occasional howl erupted inside the theater.

girl power

Battle LA is more akin to Black Hawk Down than War of The Worlds. More Saving Private Ryan than Independence Day. In fact, imagine Saving Private Ryan's chaotic Normandy invasion and final Ramelle bridge scenes, but an entire movie like that! You gotta replace the Nazis with Aliens though and you get the picture. I highly recommend this flick to any action movie junkie. Anyone who played with G.I. Joes as a kid or still enjoys some Call of Duty today should eat this movie up.