Reviewed by Johnny McNair

Sony Pictures – 116 minutes – 2011 – Rated PG-13 – 1080p Widescreen 2.40:1 – DTS 5.1 Audio Mix – DVD Copy

There are quite a few movies about alien invasions coming out of Hollywood lately. Are they trying to tell us something? Or just cash in on a trend? And why is Los Angeles a prime target? First there was Skyline, which had extraterrestrials attacking the City of Angles, and barely a few months later a new crop of aliens from another world have put LA in their death target in Battle Los Angeles. It must suck to be in a city with a fault line that can collapse at any minute being hit with constant explosions, but California is tougher than it looks. Battle Los Angeles hits Blu-ray courtesy of Sony Pictures, and though it may sound like a B-Movie, this one is actually works better than most.

THE MOVIE

A barrage Meteors are speeding towards the Earth, but instead of a catastrophic collision, these space rocks are just disguises for alien vessels from an extraterrestrial army that has come to attack us. The invasion is happening all around the globe, but this story just focuses on the military unit trying to save Los Angeles from extinction. Sgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) is a broken soldier who has just recently seen the loss of his team from a previous mission and walks around with full of guild because he blames himself. The attack on the city gives him no time to grieve because he and a ragtag team must find a way to defend their ground and figure out a weak point to the alien structure.

The best way to sum this film up would be a cross between Black Hawk Down and an alien invasion film such as Independence Day. Directed by Jonathan Liebesman, whose previous films include Darkness Falls and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning, even though the film is loaded with clichés, it all falls together and works.

The main reason for this is the casting of Aaron Eckhart in the lead, which in my opionion is one of the best-underrated actors working, and the main standout in The Dark Knight. He knows how to pull off that every-man character so you can relate to him, and by the end of the film you’re cheering for him.

Besides Eckhart, the only major actor in the film is Michelle Rodriguez who is the go-to girl for tough military chicks. The supporting casts are your basic soldier characters that you get from every military movie, and of course there must always be a civilian along for the ride that sacrifices himself to save others and give them inspiration to continue the fight. We’ve seen the same scenarios in many other films, but when it’s like a Rocky movie, when the fight starts you know who’s going to win…but it’s still entertaining.

Battle: Los Angeles is not District 9, and it knows that, it just wants to be a popcorn movie, not deliver a message. The best thing about this film, and something I hate about other alien invasion films, is that there is no miracle solution that everyone on the planet figures out and kills off the extraterrestrials at the same time worldwide. Earthlings do not have the technology to win a major battle like this, and all they would be able to do is kill a few of the enemy forces to defend an area temporarily, but the fight will continue. Battle: Los Angeles is an entertaining sci-fi film that knows what it wants to be, a movie about us versus them.

VIDEO

This one is show off material offering a full 1080p image set in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio. Details are rock solid, from the dirt on the camouflage gear the soldiers wear, to the sweat dripping down the cleft in Aaron Eckhart’s chin. Colors are muted to give the film a grim look, but the actor’s skin tones remain natural without any saturation. The visual effects are well done, because unlike most sci-fi films their not shiny and glowing, making the enemy seem much more dangerous. This is a great looking Blu-ray.

AUDIO

With a speaker shattering Digital DTS-HD 5.1 audio mix, Battle: Los Angeles makes perfect use of your entertainment system. This film is all about the action, with explosions, crashing helicopters, gunfire, and alien crafts swooping over the terrain. You wouldn’t think this would be a heavy dialogue film, but there are plenty of words exchanged and it’s balanced well so it doesn’t get lost in the action. The sound design compliments the image quality, which will immerse you into the movie.

EXTRAS

This is one of those films that if you enjoy it you will want to see a ton of bonus material about the production, but unfortunately the selection is on the slim side. There’s no director’s audio commentary track, which would have been welcomes, but if you’re a PS3 owner there is one nice gift.

Command Control allows you to watch the film and a Picture-in-Picture track will play during certain scenes with behind the scenes clips of sequences.

Boot Camp is just what you would expect showing the actors preparing for their roles as soldiers.

The Freeway Battle is a five-minute piece detailing the work that went into this major action scene.

Aliens in L.A. goes into the computer generated creations that attack the planet.

Creating L.A. in LA shows how Louisiana doubled for the City of Angles.

Behind the Battle is a very short making of documentary with interviews from the cast and crew behind the film.

PS3 owners get a special perk because a demo for the upcoming game Resistance 3 is included. After seeing this film you will want to blow away some alien scum.

A standard DVD of the film is also in the box, but it would have been a better if a Digital Copy of the film were available instead.

BOTTOM LINE

Battle: Los Angeles is entertaining and delivers a turbulent and explosive adventure. The Blu-ray has excellent picture and sound quality, but if you’re a fan you may desire more bonus features, though the Resistance 3 demo is a nice perk. Hollywood has loved alien invasion movies since the 50’s, and Battle: Los Angeles fits the molding and is worth seeing.

SCORES (Out of 5):

The Movie: 3.5

Video: 4.5

Sound: 4.5

Extras: 3.0

Bottom Line: 4.0