The debut of Battle: Los Angeles assaulted this weekend’s box office, raking in $36 million. The movie, starring Aaron Eckhart and Michelle Rodriguez, focuses on a team of Marines fighting to complete their mission amidst an alien invasion. Although initially marketed as a science fiction film, Battle plays out like a silver screen version of Call of Duty. Check out the review below for our full recap…
Battle: Los Angeles is really only a science fiction film in premise only. Using the familiar set-up of past alien invasion movies (Independence Day), director Johnathan Liebesman crafts a war movie accomplishing two main goals to conquer its box office competition. It stirs the excitement of Call of the Duty videogamers and simultaneously delivers a two-hour Marine recruitment ad. Battle: Los Angeles sets out to entertain action junkies and little less. For those people searching for emotional character development or sharp dialogue, they should see The King’s Speech.
Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight, Rabbit Hole) portrays Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz, a combat veteran from Afghanistan. His character’s journey provides the only substantial character arc in the entire movie, and it is built from the war movie cliche of the dishonored warrior restored to a heroic path (ex. Nicolas Cage in Windtalkers). Eckart delivers the intense, Everyman performance deserving of more lead roles for his resume. Initially tasked with training young Marines, Nantz is quickly thrown into the leadership role of commanding an inexperienced squad and escorting a group of civilizans to safety. Among the cast of indie movie and TV actors, only Michelle Rodriguez registers strongly with her performance. Her appearance midway through the movie adds some enthusiasm and she easily outshines her male counterparts. Tom Brady’s baby mama and indie actor Michael Pena bring little to their roles as scared civilians, often asked to deliver terrible dialogue.
The CGI work is fairly well done as the aliens blend effectively into the Santa Monica backdrop. When the movie turns to action scenes, it delivers with a bang, immersing the audience in a frenetic war environment reminiscent of Black Hawk Down. Although the signature Paul Greengrass shaky cam effect can be annoying at first, it appropriately conveys the sense of chaotic confusion initially experienced by the Marines. Once they begin to understand their enemy and let their combat instincts take over, the jerky camera style settles. Unfortunately, whenever the action slows down long enough for the characters to interact, the movie faulters with occasionally laughable dialogue and cardboard characterizations. One scene where Eckhart’s character consoles a child, then delivers a rousing speech is incredibly cliched.
In conclusion, Liebesman pulls things together for an intense freeway scene and a climactic finale in the second half of the film. Although the Marines dispatch the alien ship with a little bit too much ease a la Independence Day, it brings the movie to a satisfying conclusion. Battle: Los Angeles is nearly crippled by weak dialogue. However, it delivers an appetizer of popcorn escapism for action fans anxiously awaiting the arrival of summer.
Overall Score: 6/10
