24 May 2012

Excellent Action Film

This review is from: Battle: Los Angeles (DVD) Although not a big fan of war movies, I enjoyed this one thoroughly. It is not only strong sci-fi fare, but the characters fighting them are all well defined and interesting. It bears re-watching to catch all the lines, wisecracks, and strategies employed by our beleaguered group of Marines, civilians, and one survivor of an Air Force team. It has been snarkily commented in another review that the film seems to be a Marine recruiting film, but I doubt that anyone would want to try to survive what is shown here. A very entertaining film all round.

23 May 2012

Battlefield of making this movie

This movie was done by a high school student who saw a whole bunch of old vietnam movies and tried to incorporate the feelings into a rip off of Independence Day. The effects and the into is pretty much the same and the whole premise parallels Independence day. The character developments are very sappy and poorly done. there is no feeling and the special effects make me feel like I'm watching a cartoon....

boris-40

22 May 2012

Over-Stressing - For Marines-Eyes-Only!

Watch this movie if you're a US-Marine and you believe that you kick-ass. Don't watch this movie if you're looking for an innovative plot.Watch this movie if you haven't watched Independence Day yet. Don'twatch this movie if you're looking for decent acting. Watch this movieif you like things blowing up.This movie just takes it too far. Of course it's got nice specialeffects. Yes, all of LA gets bombed away and there are big alien-shipscovering the sun.But c'mon...where is the plot? An old marine gets back into the gameand wipes away all his Iraq-Loser-History by saving all mankind. Ofcourse, his unit is against him in the beginning but because of hisheroic behavior he gets his "Captain oh Captain"-Moment and becomes thenicest guy around. Of course, there is absolutely no marine leftbehind...if you die, you take as many aliens with you as possible. Andof course, they find ONE way to destroy ONE of the big ships and thisis the master-plan to destroy'em all. Just because there was ONEMarine-unit who had the balls to stand against all this. It made me mad. There should have been an add, up on front: Sponsoredby the US-Marines, the greatest band alive.I mean, sure the Marines are great and we are all happy to have youguys. But we should not over-stress it. But this is of course the senseof this over-budget movie. Recruitment, I say.

Cadako

21 May 2012

Exactly what I wanted it to be!

The movie was great! Some scenes were drawn out for story purposeswhich were highly unnecessary but it didn't take from the movie much.The action was intense from the get go. They make it seem like you'rein the battle for real with them. Bullets flying over head, explosionin every direction from an enemy that blows through our infantry likenothing. One thing that I think A LOT of people didn't like was howhectic a lot of the scenes were. People...this is a WAR movie and agritty one at that. Not some over-watch crap. You're in the streetswith them hiding behind cover. The aliens are very unique from anyothers I've seen...half organism - half machine with their armor andweapons literally attached to their body AKA the ultimate soldier. Ifyou're reading this and have a general appreciation for allmovies...SEE THIS. Let yourself become involved. Don't be like everyoneelse and judge movies like you know how to make one!

Mihai Tutu

19 May 2012

It wasnt about the aliens, it was about the marines...

I'm a big fan about the invasion type movies and this one was OK in myopinion just because it centered around the army doing something andless on the aliens. Besides other movies where someone is a genius andrealizes the weak spot of the aliens, here we have pockets of marinesscattered around Los Angeles, trying to find survivors.The movie isn't about an apocalypse, it's about seeing real people doreal stuff: orders given just like in the marine core, soldiers scaredto death... hell, everything in the movie is about the reaction ofpeople.It's true the movie doesn't deliver what it promised and it is a linearaction, predictable most of the time, but I enjoyed seeing AaronEckhart get inside his characters mind. The CGI is lame here and there,but again, it is about people reactions.The only reason I give a such high mark to this movie is that theactors really play well throughout all the movie and they deserve thecredits for not making a full disaster out of this movie.

19 May 2012

A Hellve Alot Better Than Skyline!!!

This review is from: Battle: Los Angeles (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo) (Blu-ray) After watching Skyline-the ending of that movie made me feel like "WTH" more like "W T F??!!" I seen this movie "Battle LA" and life is good again! Good Stuff!! Alot of Bang for the Buck!

Jordan Hoffman

16 May 2012

Battle: Los Angeles has really intense action scenes. And that's it.

MYeah_Gorlomi

16 May 2012

Weakly written, and over loud. Get a grip on yourself, movie!

The film follows a platoon of soldiers (Which includes a cast the likesof Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez and Ramon Rodriguez) who arecalled into action when a fleet of hostile alien mother ships land inEarth's major cities. The platoon makes their way through the city ofLos Angeles to rescue any trapped civilians, and to destroy this deadlynew enemy. This is just me trying to make sense of what really is anopening 25 minutes of weak characterizations, followed by basicexplosion porn.The first problem with the film is the screenplay. It has the exactkind of premise with the promise of visual spectacle, exciting actionscenes, and cast of army characters that I'd normally expect MichaelBay to direct, and at least make fun, but the movie just gets so dull,so fast. The story is clichéd, the characters are not well written, andthe dialogue is seriously hammy. 25 minutes into the film, I don't careabout what's going on. Over an hour into the movie, and I STILL don'tcare.The cast is a serious disappointment, but it's not all their fault.With such an ensemble that would usually be full of great talent, itjust becomes so frustrating that they're secondary to the actionsequences. Still, one can't help but be impressed by the visualeffects, or the sound design, but it does tend to feel like it'sbludgeoning you. Over time, every sound in the film just morphed intoone. Also, the camera is often WAY too shaky for it's own good. It alsotended to make me feel like I was just watching someone else playing afirst-person shooter video game.Maybe it could have worked if they had pulled back a little bit, butBattle: Los Angeles is several flaws, and a hundred BOOMS! too many.I give it *1/2 out of ****

merceroid

14 May 2012

Good Visual Effects,same old plotCharacters

I wasn't expecting Shakespeare,but honestly just watch district 9 againits far better in all categories. We have the just out of militaryschool captain,the old experienced retired,but brought back intoservice for the last time commander who has to take orders from thenewbie.....again watch aliens Cameron does it better. This movie wasn'tshot in LA ...and it looks like it wasn't anyone familiar with the citywill see it,a lack of wide establishing shots apart from very wide FXgives the game away.Independence day did annihilated LA far better thanthis effort.SPOILER:the only cool shot was aliens emerging from the ocean,but that was seenfrom TV perspective..so even that lost its impact. Save your money onthis one.

Brett McCracken

14 May 2012

It's not a good sign when, at the end of an alien invasion movie, you're disappointed that the aliens have not emerged victorious.

Dsbandkmr

13 May 2012

Bad

I know I have seen a film worse than this, but I just can't think atthis moment. I am writing this as the film is on. The lines used in thefilm actually made me feel unwell. Marines don't cry! Seriously don'twatch this. Some of the shots are fairly impressive. You are waitingfor something original to happen........ It doesn't. This is probablythe most cliché film I have ever seen Too many of the cast play thesame roles they always play, in every film. The plot is obvious, Aliensland in LA, the marines are called in. To start with the aliens seeminvincible but thanks to one small unit their weak spot is found andexploited. Basically they save the world from annihilation.

dwentzel83

13 May 2012

Ignore the Haters. This movie is great!

I was expecting something along the lines of 2012, Day After Tomorrow,and other cheesy sci-fi movies that are all visual effects and nosubstance. I came out of the theater surprised that this was actuallyan awesome war film. Usually I side with film critics on films, but I believe a majority ofthem got it wrong. It not only had great visuals, but I felt close tothe soldiers and airmen that fought in the film. Granted, I am anairmen myself so that might explain the emotional connection with thecharacters in the film.My one complaint about the film is probably the dialogue. The lines arepretty cookie cutter at times, but the military terminology appeared tome to be spot on.If you like movies such as Blackhawk Down and War of the Worlds, you'lllove this movie. I hope they make sequels to either advance thestoryline of the war or show a different perspective from another citylike New York.

caroeb

12 May 2012

Very satisfying, and actually memorable!

I saw this on DVD, if that matters to you. Let me add that I value mytime and my money! This starts as a formula movie, but it managed tohold my attention through a few brief but not-really-necessarywife-and-kids and such back stories (because most of the relatedcharacters are lost-along-the-way), and it managed to hold my attentionthroughout the initial action, during which I had to try to getacclimatized to the "feel" of the film. Finally, whereas some otherreviewers feel that the movie is too long and starts to drag, the lasthour kept me glued to my seat. (I didn't notice the "shaky camera work"or any of the related deficiencies that other reviewers have defined).Because this is a "sci-fi," I should mention that the human,on-the-ground action is much more important in this movie than theadequate, if not particularly memorable, alien effects. We're directedto be grounded with the humans, very effectively. Humankind is undersudden, well-coordinated attack; no time to philosophize about it.There are civilian and military bodies lying on the ground in front ofus, and there's no time for any funerals. Our situation is Urgent.Aaron Eckhart grabbed my attention from Scene One through The End. Whois this guy?? Remind me to look for more of his movies! With a minimumof dialog, and facial expressions and body language, he establishes asympathetic and respectable character from the get-go. This is athoughtful man who isn't exactly sure about what he has done or aboutwhat he should do next (from the beginning of the movie to the end),but he knows that he has to make decisions. I've found that Life is sooften like that. Thoughtfully, the screenwriter(s) provide a scene inwhich he expresses This Exact Thought (more-or-less) to anothercharacter! Because of A.E.'s nuanced acting, that was Definitely NotNecessary!Another actor who earned my respect in this movie is Ramon Rodriguez,who conveys a less enjoyable, but earnest and sympathetic,Leader-in-training-in-an-actual-"situation."Michael Peña and Bridget Moynahan successfully convey two civilians whofatalistically welcome whatever protection their military saviors canoffer (i.e.,these civilians will take orders), while indicating, wherenecessary, that they are willing to try to make a contribution to thesurvival of the team. The inclusion of these two civilians (and acouple of kids) into the military action adds interest.Yes, this movie does remind one of Blackhawk Down, with the close-inaction and the close camera work, but with a lot less characterdevelopment, overall. Only eventually, after many characters are lost,do we begin to recognize the surviving members of the military team asindividuals. Just in time! for a satisfying conclusion.

12 May 2012

THE WAR OVER WATER

First off, I want to say that I didn't find this movie to be all that bad, but at the same time it still wasn't very remarkable and certainly has quite a few glaring flaws in it.[SPOILERS!]PROBLEMS WITH THE STORY:So here's the setting: In the movie it is well-known that the whole WORLD is under attack from these aliens and drones, yet our military, in spite of the fact that we are at an obvious technological disadvantage, decide to wait THREE HOURS to launch a bombing run on an area that in three-hours time may no longer be of any tactical importance? I think any general would bomb sooner and look for survivors later--especially when the fate of the whole PLANET is at risk.At the end of the movie, we win by shooting one wimpy missile at a "Command Center" which causes all the flying drones to INSTANTLY fall out of the sky. If Hollywood knew anything about drones they'd know that they don't just fall out the sky like rocks when the "command center" gets taken out.LONG, LOUD AND TEDIOUS:Those three words sum up my feelings about this movie rather well. Now the movie is only about two hours long, but the pacing makes it feel longer than it is. I remember that towards the beginning there was a huge chunk where it was nothing but loud battle-sounds and pure action. When there is finally a break in the action, not only do you recognize this visually, but you can almost hear your ears give a sigh of relief after such an assault--one that starts back up again a little bit later.As for the shaky-cam, it makes it extremely frustrating trying to SEE what is going on. Most notably towards the action-packed beginning of the movie. Have fun watching a red triangle cross-hair bounce all over the place and getting blurry glimpses of drones that look like scrap-yards and aliens that look like escargot.SAVING GRACES:On the positive side, I found the main character to be really interesting and felt that he did an excellent job acting his part. There are also a few gems of dialogue: One happens after a girl gets slimed in the face by a dead alien. Another good one is towards the very end and has to do with breakfast.OVERALL: Metacritic currently has this movie rated at 36 out of 100. I don't think I'd go that low. Something closer to 50 out of 100 is what I would rate it--assuming you see it in theater and only see it once. When this movie comes out on DVD I certainly have no plans on buying it, but for your typical alien invasion action movie, it's not too bad.

Iyernhyde

10 May 2012

Totally worth seeing, but dont expect perfection

Going into Battle: LA, I didn't expect an Oscar contender withastounding acting and a fully developed story. I walked into thetheater wanting to have a fun time at the movies and that is exactlywhat is delivered with Battle: LA.Critics bash this movie, claiming that its erratic camera and overallchaotic aura left viewers feeling dumbed down and insulted. I for onestrongly disagree with this popular opinion about the film. Though themovie is mainly action-oriented, a field that it bring home, AaronEckhart's serious acting chops help give the movie an emotional purposeand convey its theme of leadership and brotherhood. Eckhart drives themovie acting-wise, supplying a reason to pay attention to the quietscenes. As for the camera work, many critics cannot seem to understandthat the shaky-cam technique is used in order to portray the brutalityand chaos of war. I felt like I was right there with the Marines asthey fought off the foreign invaders and felt their surprise as thealiens first appeared. Speaking of the aliens, they have a unique stylethat I cannot say I've seen in a movie before. Half machine, halforganism, these creatures are rarely seen fully, leading to anintriguing mystery surrounding them. The special effects are gorgeous,painting a realistic picture of what an alien invasion might look andfeel like.Of course, the movie does have its flaws. Other than Eckhart, noperformances stood out and some cheesy dialogue is thrown left andright. The only person who I really cared about was Eckhart's characterof Sgt. Nantz and no one else. And though the camera does make you feellike you are really there, it does add some confusion and doesn't givethe viewer a sense of direction at times.Overall, I recommend going to see Battle: LA if you are looking for agood time at the movies. Don't expect perfect acting and I guaranteethis one will be worth it.

Dan M

09 May 2012

Best SFaction since District 9

I would say this was a combination of Independence Day with Cloverfiledand Hurt Locker. Aliens are OK, not too much on that part, I see peoplecomplaining that aliens are not seen too close. I beg to differ, a vetgoes through his internal organs and the Sgt. finds the kill spot. Ihad zero expectations going into this movie, after the hugedisappointment with Skyline, I was even reluctant to go see this one. Iwas surprised to find a good solid movie, no big names but good acting.Overall a nice Action/SF movie, at par with Independence Day andDistrict 9. Loved the action, explosions, CGI, real fighting, welldone, very real, you feel like in the opening act of WW3. I gave it a10 as I find it unfair at 6.8, this is upper 7 by far.

Chase McCants

09 May 2012

Great trailer, horrible film...

I love my share of summer popcorn blockbusters...I really do. I mean,half of the time, I go more for the special effects and explosions morethan character development and acting. But hey, if the film adds thosetwo in, you get amazing films like the new Star Trek and Cloverfield.But that's not what you get with Battle: Los Angeles. You don't evenget a summer blockbuster. Instead you get a ridiculous plot, staleacting, and not even a really interesting war film.I understand what the director wanted to do. He wanted to make a filmof what it would really be like if aliens were to invade earth using amore military warfare theme than science fiction. The aliens put alltheir technology into traveling light years to get to earth and no somuch their weapons. When they arrive, they are firing ballistic weaponsmuch like the humans are. they don't have some advanced defense systemeither. They just seem to human to have gotten here in the first place.And then you have our guys, a group of military folks, who spend a goodamount of the movie vaguely revealing their story line, but never tothe point where you actually care about them. Expecting dad here,mourning brother there, but no one that is beyond the caricature. Thisgroup spends a good majority of the film trying to get to a group ofcivilians and get them to safety...and that's about it. Sure, thescenery changes a bit and you get to see the scope of the damage, butafter a while, burning cities and dead bodies get old. And becausethere is no vested interest in the characters themselves, it's reallywaiting around for everyone to die or for the humans to find some wayto best this "advanced" race of species.Battle: Los Angeles benefits from a truly amazing trailer. Kind of likethe teaser for Skyline. Great trailer, horrible film.

Matt Soergel

08 May 2012

It's a decent night out, provided you know what you're in for.

barrelstop

07 May 2012

This review may contain compliments

Ronnie Hinojos and Ben Joynes - I'm with you!I approached this film with reluctance, with IMDb ratings ranging from1 to 10.I have been so disappointed by US war/science fiction battle films inthe last ten years, that I started watching Battle LA expecting tofast-forward, tune out, or turn off before the end.Instead, I found a film that for once didn't fall into the cliché of anelite crack squad of soldiers suddenly falling apart, forgetting alltheir training, disobeying orders, and rushing head-first at the enemyonly to be cut down for their stupidity.Sure, there was some dissent from the soldiers,and some mindlessscreaming at the enemy, but the men were brought back under control,and followed commands as you would expect (or hope) of highly trainedsoldiers.I thought the special effects were excellent (what more could youdetractors possibly want?).The acting was first class and the emotional tone just right. Yes, itis Blackhawk Down with aliens, but it sure entertained me for twohours.This is not a movie to dissect and complain about the scienceinaccuracies. Like 99% of SciFi movies, the science is just wrong. But if you are willing to suspend disbelief, just sit back end enjoythe best film of its genre in years!

pugulis

07 May 2012

Really good battle movie

I've read several of the reviews about this movie and I think allot ofthe people watching it kind of missed the point. If your looking for acharacter driven movie with a deep story line, you won't find it here.What you will find is a hard hitting action movie. Probably one of themost realistic battle movies you'll see. The scenes are intense, and Ifirst saw it on a small non HD TV. When watching on a big screen withfull stereo, this movie just blows you away. The lack of steady camerasand the constant movement just gets you involved in the action evenmore. Yes, the characters are clichés. But again, that only helps themovie. They didn't need to show you an hour of background on eachsoldier. You've seen them all a hundred times, so you know exactly whatto expect from them, and you get it. Truth is, there is nothingsurprising in this movie. No twists and turns, no complicatedrelationships. Again, you've seen it all before. There are a few minorproblems in the plot. The most glaring is how at one point the alienscan't be killed, and then all of a sudden they're dropping like flies.But in the begging of the movie they kind of explained this by tellingyou what good marksman were in this platoon. If you're not payingattention, you'll miss it. So if you want to feel like your in themiddle of a battle with real Marines against aliens, this is a greatmovie. If you're looking for a deep movie that makes you think and hasa moral at the end and some other hidden meanings, look elsewhere.