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Battle: Los Angeles (2011)
Battle: Los Angeles

A 2011 movie directed by Jonathan Liebesman.

< read all 13 reviews

Oh yes, there are far worse out there although this aint bad.

  • Feb 11, 2013
Rating:
+3
The planet is being bombarded by small meteors that are landing outside the beach coasts in the water. Military intelligence learns that the meteors are actually slowing down before impact. Minutes later various cities are being attacked with Los Angeles apparently taking the worst of it. A Marine unit is sent into Los Angeles to battle and rescue any civilians found on the scene. But what exactly are they up against?-summary

Battle: Los Angeles directed by Jonathan Liebesman was a movie that I actually made some type of effort to see in theaters during its 2011 release. I heard about the cliches, the aping of other movies, and I really didn't care about these complaints, since I have always been a fan of both war and alien invasion movies. For the most part, I did enjoy the movie because there were plenty of things Liebesman did very well, and I enjoyed it a little bit more on my recent rewatch.

The plot follows SSGT Michael Nantz played by Aaron Eckhart, and Lt. William Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) as they take their platoon deep into enemy territory in battle torn Los Angeles. From there, they come into heavy resistance from an unknown, yet alien enemy that pours on some casualties; what soon begins is a fight for survival as they try and leave the battle area before a certain amount of time elapses.

I have a very soft spot for military movies because I spent more than 5 years of my life serving. Yes, I do search for some cool action, in which I did hope to find here, but I keep a sharp eye for certain details in military themed movies. I want to see the selfless service, duty to country, and sense of brotherhood that captures all it means to be a soldier or a Marine. I want to see people from many different backgrounds and races coming together to form one unit, one blood, and this is exactly what I got with this film. The characters were developed well enough to at least let the audience know that these were people with real lives, problems, and families to go back to. Liebesman did a fine enough job in this area.

I also feel he did an excellent job building up the threat and atmosphere. The first several minutes before you actually see the enemy is done very well, and the sense of confusion being attacked by an unknown threat felt real. I am aware that since this is an alien invasion movie, that it may seem as if I'm reaching for its good qualities, because in some folks eyes, these movies are seen as nothing more than mindless entertainment. Still, I commend the direction of this film because it did break from the usual formula in some way. My complaint to a certain degree is that it did abandon one genre cliche for other genre cliches, that did come off kind of cheesy and were even predictable. In any case, I can't say I completely disliked the script or direction.

While the set pieces have its moments of coolness and even a gritty atmosphere; I can't say that the action scenes truly roped me in. I'll point out one moment was very well written and tense, but I didn't care for all of the action since I wanted more gore. This is an alien invasion film after all, and it really wouldn't have hurt to give us action fans some really Starship Trooper-ish blood soaked moments: red, green, blue, or chocolate, it really wouldn't have mattered to me. I felt the gun-toting payoff was kind of weak, yo.

The aliens designs and equipment felt otherworldly, so props to that part. Eckert delivered a fine performance as the reluctant leader who suffered his share of losses, and the rest of the cast were OK at best. This is also one of the rare moments that the usual tomboy on the scene Michelle Rodriguez didn't make me cringe.

Battle: Los Angeles has its problems, with being too predictable and sporting its fair share of by the numbers play put on blast, yet on the flipside it does plenty of things right. I lightly recommend this movie to action fans, just don't come into this expecting extremely over the top action like in Starship Troopers. The movie has a 116 minute run time.

Pros:
-Developed characters, uses its atmosphere well

Cons:
-Predictable, it does feel formulaic, action scenes kind of lacking

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February 12
Man people around here were hating on this film when it came out and then when I watched I did not see what they were talking about. It isn't a perfect movie but I thought it was a good one, great review man.
February 12
I read some of those reviews. And some of the people who ripped it for lack of originality praise complete garbage only because it is original. There's a reason why you, Woopak, Rabid, Stormy, and a very small batch on epinions are the only people whose reviews I read.
 
February 12
nice observations. I enjoyed this movie despite its weaknesses in storytelling. I guess the one other thing that roped me in was the way the set designs really felt like a warzone. The action had its good moments but a little uneven. Nice write up, man.
February 12
Thanks, there were a few stand out moments in the set designs, like that part when they took the humvees during what appeared to be a very vicious battle with the aliens.

It felt like the story could have been so much more. This movie could have made a better TV series.
 
1
More Battle: Los Angeles reviews
review by . March 13, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
Don't Just Win The Battle, WIN The War....HURRAH!!!
Let’s get one thing straight: alien invasion movies are a dime-a-dozen these days, they’re the easiest way to make a quick buck. So if you’re going into “Battle: Los Angeles” with the usual expectations, you would be both right and wrong. This film by director Jonathan Liebesmann (Darkness Falls) is indeed a movie with extraterrestrials in it, but at heart, it is a war-military film that has the "staplings" of past war movies. I would say that it does try …
review by . March 29, 2011
posted in Forbidden Planet - Sci-Fi Books & Films!
It Ain't
Alien invasion films are a dime a dozen.  They've been around forever it seems.  From classics like the original War of the Worlds to mildly enjoyable films like Signs and a multitude of clunkers that include Tom Cruise's shot at War of the Worlds, there is an endless supply of "let's take over humanity" flicks.  When I heard that Battle:  Los Angeles was coming to the big screen, I was torn.      Why?  Because previews of the film …
review by . June 26, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
* out of ****     Every year, dozens of mediocre action movies release. Given that I believe those dozens of action films to be mediocre, I am seldom impressed by the genre. With that being said, those films are decent; mediocre, if you may. Meanwhile, Jonathan Liebesman's "Battle: Las Angeles" is just plain bad.    Why do people get paid to make movies like this one? They entertain a certain audience, sure. I get that. We all need to make money. But please...is …
review by . March 13, 2011
posted in User Reviews | PS3Blog.net | Blog & Community
Was kind of bored to be honest. Never hard any wow moments. Some of the machines/weapons they use are pretty cool though. Some parts of it style wise reminded me of Killzone a little bit too.    Should have waited to see this at the dollar movie .. ah well.
review by . March 24, 2011
posted in Picktainment
Battle: Los Angeles is only a mediocre addition to the alien invasion genre.    Poor L.A., always getting beaten up either by weather anomalies (Day After Tomorrow), giant meteors (Deep Impact), the Mayan doomsday calendar (2012) – and yes, many alien invasions staking their claim on the City of Angels. Maybe L.A. is always a target in disaster films because, well, this is where films are made, so there's an affinity. Now count Battle: Los Angeles as one of them.    You …
review by . March 12, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
District 9 eaten and then crapped out as Battle Los Angeles
BATTLE LOS ANGELES   Written by Christopher Bertolini   Directed by Jonathan Liebesman   Starring Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan and Michael Pena       Announcer: One thing is clear; the world is at war.       Director Jonathan Liebesman, the man who brought us DARKNESS FALLS and a TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE prequel, is about to make contact with his latest film, BATTLE LOS ANGELES.  He drops his …
review by . March 11, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
Battle: Los Angles Delivers
War movies depicting a group of soldiers against overwhelming odds are nothing new. For generations, moviegoers have been treated to cinematic recreations as well as new scenarios of fighting units in combat. Usually these films follow a typical formula that includes the tough and gritty commanding officer, the naïve new soldier, the one with a woman and children waiting at home, and one who has difficulties with combat. In the new movie Battle: Los Angeles a new twist is given to the formulaic …
review by . March 11, 2011
posted in Picktainment
There is something about invasion films that always seem to bring in scores of movie go-ers, regardless of the quality of the film.. Over the last few years we have had a few great alien invasion films like District 9 and even Cloverfield, if the handheld cinematography did not cause motion sickness; but we have also has some really bad invasion films, such as Skyline, which gave the appearance that it would be good though in reality, it had NO point). Two weeks ago I Am Number Four came out, and …
review by . March 12, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
Star Rating:         Battle: Los Angeles is shot and edited in much the same way as a realistic war movie – quick cuts, shaky handheld cameras, moments of action so blurred that it’s next to impossible to tell who’s doing what to whom – and it aims to be emotionally draining as we watch scene after scene of death and destruction. It’s a visceral experience, one in which we’re made to feel immersed and vulnerable. These techniques …
review by . April 02, 2011
posted in Movie Hype
      As soon as I saw the trailer for this film I became so excited. I thought this could be a really good mash-up between District 9 and Black Hawk Down. Well, my anticipation grew and my deception is simply huge. I don't even know what to think about this mess. What was the purpose of this movie? What did I just saw? Why the hell almost every time a movie like this comes out the trailer makes me loose my patience and become crazy about the project and after I see it I …
see all Battle: Los Angeles reviews (13)
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About this movie

Wiki

  • Opens March 11, 2011
  • A Marine platoon faces off against an alien invasion in Los Angeles.
  • Cast: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodríguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, Michael Peña
  • Director: Jonathan Liebesman
  • Genres: Sci-Fi ActionAlien FilmScience Fiction
  • Poster art for "Battle: Los Angeles."
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