It’s August 12th, 2011 and the world is at war. What NASA suspects to be incoming meteors, turns out to be an invading alien race – a hostel one. The enemy ships assume positions near major cities across the globe and send their units in to take out everyone in sight. Their only hope for survival lies in the armed forces. The film focuses on a particular platoon fighting the invaders in Los Angeles. Fresh out of training, 2nd Lt. William Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) is appointed to lead a team of men at a moment’s notice. He’s joined by SSgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), a seasoned marine struggling to get past a mission gone wrong. The unit is assigned to rescue a group of civilians holed up in a police station in the middle of the mayhem. They've got three hours to complete the rescue and make it back to safety before an airstrike demolishes the area. Right off the bat, you’re reeled in by the action.
The first few minutes of the film give a comprehensive and compelling overview of the overwhelmingly hostile situation. From there, we cut to 24 hours before the attack. The platoon soldiers are going about their business; Cpl. Kevin Harris (Ne-Yo) is picking out flowers with his wife for their wedding, Cpl. Jason Lockett (Cory Hardrict) is visiting his brother’s grave and the whole gang enjoys some beer.
Regardless, the film keeps a nice pace as the action begins. The first street battle is quite compelling, particularly when Pfc. Shaun Lenihan (Noel Fisher), the youngest of the bunch, has a one-on-one with an invader. In fact, all of the fight scenes really maintain a great deal of energy and suspense, the problem is, there are just too many of them. Battle: Los Angeles is a war movie and nothing more. The platoon literally goes from one battle to the next from beginning to end. A man with a well-refined character, throughout the film Nantz switches between insightful male patriarch figure and heroic action-oriented leader; he is a stoic yet sensitive Marine. Unfortunately, he has a bad reputation for losing soldiers under his command and placing his own survival as the most important objective. Can Nantz win the support of his men and simultaneously win the battle against this unknown threat?
The enemy in Battle: Los Angeles is an unfamiliar force that appears both organic and robotic, rooted in a fresh science-fiction-based design. The mystery that surrounds its origin is left in the shadows, yet with nothing lost in the cinematic process.
The movie’s focus on the lone squadron of warriors as they struggle to rescue civilians, escape from West L.A., and defeat their newfound foes is captivating all the way to the end.
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