Ok, here's the bottom line on this movie ... Take elements of "Independence Day", "Cloverfield", and "The Sands of Iwo Jima" and add in some fantastic special effects and you've got "Battle: Los Angeles".
That sounds like a bad start to a review. It is not. This is actually a very good, well-paced action film. Let's be real. The number of films hitting the big screen that can be defined as 100% original are few and far between anymore. If you are looking for original, well thought out stories, Hollywood is not the place to turn. You need to be checking out indie festivals that don't get hyped on Entertainment Tonight for that.
"Battle: Los Angeles" opens up in the thick of the action, automatically inserting the audience into a first person perspective. If you did not like the hand held camera work of "Cloverfield" - this is not the film for you. If you enjoy the way a director will pull you into the film with this technique, proceed. A'la "Independence Day" we learn quickly that an advanced alien intelligence has surrounded the Earth and is commencing an attack that can only mean one thing - the extermination of humanity. Whereas ID4 goes off and gives up different perspectives of the event through multiple plotlines starring nothing but A-list actors, this movie starts and finishes with how this event is effecting the lives of one small group of people. This is a much more effective story-telling style because the audience is not being spoon fed information. You are learning what is going on just as the characters are finding out.
In this case, the small group is a USMC platoon - reluctantly led by Aaron Eckhart and reluctantly followed by a young group of Marines. As the story progresses, we learn the source of the conflict between the rookies and the veteran is more than just old versus new. It is a plotline straight out of the John Wayne classic, "The Sands of Iwo Jima".
The other redeeming quality is that the story we are following is its own chapter in this much larger event. The alien invasion and all the ensuing destruction of national landmarks is all backdrop to the story these characters are experiencing. They have a simple mission. With all this chaos and carnage surrounding them, this one Marine platoon is charged with the duty of going behind enemy lines and rescuing an unknown amount of civilians that are trapped inside a Santa Monica police station. They have three hours to succeed or they all perish as the Air Force is set to level Los Angeles in the hopes of stopping the advance of the alien attack. That is the story we follow and they do not deviate.
I have mentioned repeatedly how this film borrows, and at times blatantly steals, from three other films. At one point in this film, Eckhart's character almost goes verbatim to Robert Loggia's great line in ID4, "Get on the wire, tell them how to bring those sons of bitches down." Normally this is an immediate turnoff to a film.
It is, however, one of the greatest strengths of "Battle: Los Angeles". This is because these ideas and conventions from other films are used so effectively in telling this story you don't mind the fact that the filmmakers are doing it. I went into seeing this film expecting the basic big explosions, super F/X, feel-good American Summertime action yarn. I got what I came for.
The unexpected surprise is that this film is so much more than that. The story is well-defined. Aaron Eckhart's performance as the gruff, veteran Marine is top drawer. This is one of those performances where you quickly forget you are watching Aaron Eckhart and instead become emotionally attached to his character, Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz. The performances from the rest of the cast are well-delivered as well. This leads me to the only drawback of the film. By NOT using a cast of A-list actors, you are left with only knowing or recognizing them by the characters they portray and in this case, the supporting characters could have been developed more effectively as to bring the same level of attachment to them as well. As it stands, you're rooting for Nantz and worried he's going to be get blown up at any given moment. Your suspense level is raised if you feel this same attachment to the rest of these guys - but we don't get the chance.
Overall, this is a great movie to see on the big screen and the storyline and character study will keep it relevant and interesting by the time most people see it at home on DVD.
*** 3 out of 4 Stars
John M. Dunlap
The Hollywood Outsiders
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