MOVIE OF THE WEEK (3/11/11): BATTLE: LOS ANGELES
Credit: Richard Cartwright. © 2011 Columbia Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, Michael Peña and Bryce Cass
WRITER: Chris Bertolini
DIRECTOR: Jonathan Liebesman
WEB SITE: BattleLa.com
THE PLOT: Set in August 2011 (wait - that's not that far from off from now!), BATTLE: LOS ANGELES begins with an invasion -literally. As news reports come in from around the world, it becomes quickly apparent that what was originally thought to be a meteor shower occurring off the coasts of several countries is something much more sinister.
Flashing back 24 hours before the invasion begins, we are taken to Camp Pendleton, which is where staff sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) has recently filed his paperwork to retire. Nantz is ready to leave behind Marine life for good after 20 years of service ... Especially since he's still battling his demons after a mission in the Middle East left just about everyone under his command dead.
That all changes, however, when everyone at Camp Pendleton gets called into battle when the meteors reveal their true nature: Invading aliens bent on colonizing the earth for its resources ... And eradicating all human life in the process.
Now falling under the command of recently appointed Second Lieutenant William Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez), Nantz finds himself teamed with a unit including Corpsman Jibril Adukwu (Adetokumboh M'Cormack), a native of Africa who dreams to one day be a doctor, Kevin Harris (R&B star Ne-Yo) and New Jersey native Nick Stavrou (Gino Anthony Pesi) among others. Originally assigned to go rescue civilians holed up in a nearby police station, Nantz and Martinez quickly realize their mission is going to be much more challenging than they ever imagined.
For this battle might not only be to save Los Angeles, but possibly the world ...
THE TAKE: If this were the 90s and Battle: Los Angeles had bigger stars in its cast, I predict it would do very well at the box office. Not say Independence Day-level money, but most likely better-than-it's-going-to-do-this-weekend money. And that's a shame, really - for despite being a film set up on a very well-worn premise (aliens invade earth; humans resist), it is presented in a way that is much more realistic-yet-enjoyable way than many films in its genre have been in recent memory.
Here's the goods in a short attention span nutshell: If you like movies were the acting and storytelling is more important than just seeing a lot of stuff blowing up, you should - should - likely enjoy Battle: Los Angeles. (Hey, if nothing else, it's far better than the already forgotten Skyline!) Eckhart does a very, very good job of not becoming a cartoon-like action hero by giving his character a depth usually not seen in these type of flicks, which helps makes his character's backstory feel more organic and not created for the sake of needing a character backstory.
Likewise, the supporting cast is pretty solid; I came ready to hate on Ne-Yo for being another musician turned actor and guess what? He played his role probably a lot better than Taye Diggs or Anthony Mackie probably would have. (Seriously Mr. Macke ... What was up with the childlike quality of your performance in The Adjustment Bureau?!) These are characters that you will actually care about as opposed to being expendable drones in the movie for the sake of increasing a potential body count. Even when the "been-there, done-that" moments arise, the supporting cast is able to make them "Well, I might as well watch it again" moments - and that is as great a compliment I can pay them.
Also helping the film is a plot that does a pretty decent job at answering the natural questions you would have in regards to the aliens' motivation, the humans' battle plans and why the films flows the way it does with a serious of logical movements and plot twists that don't come off all M. Night Shyamalan-ny.
PARTING SHOT: A film that avoids feeling clichéd as its subject matter is most of the time, Battle: Los Angeles may not be an American hero of a film, but it certainly deserves a commendation for breathing new life into a well-worn concept.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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