The Film
It is hard not to judge an alien invasion film by what has landed before. Each new arrival seems to build on the past stories. H.G. Wells original concept with his novel War of the Worlds was actually a response to European imperialism, providing a narrative that could help show what it is like to be the invaded party. This theme was revisited in movies following World War II with the various "monsters from space" who invaded America - but in those cases the invaders weren't so much colonial powers as much as meant to be the Soviet Union during the "red scare." More recently this invasion mania has seen a resurgence, and the latest film to capture the invaded spirit is Battle: Los Angeles, and again the theme seems to be our colonization or subjugation.
Unlike Independence Day, which offered both macro and micro views of an invasion of aliens, this time around the story is just centered on the U.S. Marine Corps grunts on the ground. Aaron Eckhart plays a hardened jarhead, back from an overseas deployment and ready to sign the papers and join civilian life. However, when a few meteors splash down off the coast of Los Angeles he's called back for one mission - and what a mission it is. Soon the "aliens" attack, and other than a few newscast type sequences to fill in plot details, little of the alien's intention is revealed. This is a story about soldiers who don't ask why, theirs is to do and die. In the end however, for a film that mixes war drama with alien invasion flick, the story is a slow trudge rather than a blitzkrieg. The key plot is about a mission to retrieve civilians and get them to safety, with the requisite setbacks and ever diminishing cast of characters. May this be the last alien battlefield for a while.
The Picture
Louisiana doubles as Los Angeles thanks to the magic of blue screen, while CGI provides the film's invasion forces. The viewer is none the wiser that so much of the film is just visual trickery, and the Blu-ray's 2.40:1 presentation makes seeing believing. Of course it helps that the battlefield is mostly concrete, which blends in nicely with the USMC's digital camouflage fatigues. This makes the red of fire and explosions pop all the more. While it's a muddled story that doesn't really go anywhere, Battle: Los Angeles at least looks good getting there.
The Sound
Of course this one is going to be loud, bombastic and intense on the audio front. The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack thunders with the sounds of helicopters, gunplay, C4 and even other-worldly weapons and vehicles. The dialog is clear, and early sequences before the main engagement offer just enough subtle ambient sounds, adding to the tension. However, once the bullets start flying and the bombs start falling this film seldom lets up and while it sounds good by the end this is one of those action films that could make the viewer/listener appreciate the reprieve of silence.
The Extras
The Blu-ray is locked and loaded with a full salvo of bonus features. These include featurettes "Behind the Battle," "Aliens in LA," "Preparing for Battle" and "Creating L.A. in LA." Additional extras include a "Command Control," which lets players control the viewing experience with picture-in-picture to the storyboards. This would be a nifty experience if the film were at least a bit more interesting. Sony also opted to go with the invasion theme and included a playable demo of the PlayStation 3 game Resistance 3 -- proving that resistance to marketing tie-ins is... in a word, futile.
Final Thoughts
This movie is a lot like battle plans -- it is all the same as those that have come before and it has the best intentions. The problem with Battle: Los Angeles is that it does feel like a replay of other movies. From the war film genre is has the green young officer, the battle hardened Sergeant that the men don't know if they can trust, the various soldiers with reasons to live, and of course the young kids who are caught in the cross fire. On the science fiction front it is a CGI heavy film that tries to make a fantasy a reality. The pacing is so slow that by the end you might have your own case of cinematic combat fatigue.
Product Details
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