Battle: Los Angeles

Taking us a few months into the future – August 12, 2011 to be exact – what is first believed to be meteorites crashing into the coast of Los Angeles, is revealed to be a spacecraft of unknown origins.

Alien takeover is imminent.

Well, such is the case in Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning director, Jonathan Liebesman’s latest sci-fi/action film, Battle: Los Angeles. I use the term “sci-fi” loosely. Yes, this is a movie about aliens, but it plays out more like an emotion-conjuring war flick.

The U.S. Marine Corp. and mankind are perhaps facing their biggest threat yet; extraterrestrials with superior equipment and know known form of communication.

Second Lt. Martinez’s (Ramón Rodríguez) platoon is now preparing to do battle with the alien forces with all the ammunition they have at their immediate disposal. Each of the soldiers have their respective stories and backgrounds: the guy getting married, the guy expecting a child, the Nigerian doctor far from home. And lest I forget, the classic tough-talking chick played by whom else, but Michelle Rodriguez.

On the brink of retirement, after 20 years of service, Staff Sgt. Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), is assigned help the platoon. This isn’t without much controversy; due to the last troop he led suffering many casualties; the results rumored to be his fault. One of the fatalities, is the brother of Cpl. Jason Lockett (Cory Hardrict), who’s now a member of Nantz’s new platoon. The platoon bands together initially, despite the apprehension.  

On first contact, these E.T.'s have no plans to befriend humans--see their armor and heavy artillery mended to their appendages. It’s soon learned that they are ravaging Earth to suck it dry of all water sources--said to be their fuel and means of sustainability (no wonder they're so gushy and full of gunk under those layers of alien epidermis). That's the extent of the information given about the invaders. 

As far as the battle: grenade throwing, bomb dropping, machine-gunning (if that is a word)--it’s all there for action enthusiasts. Too bad you can’t tell who shot what at times. The editing could’ve been more precise.

Nonetheless, the war scenes are thrilling and nerve-racking. But as the film progresses–the aliens wipeout the coast , including military bases and a rescue chopper carrying wounded soldiers--the bravery and resiliency of the remaining humans overshadows the mission to destroy.

There's nothing really original about Battle. A bulk of the characters’ dialogue is uninspired and seems cut and pasted from a “rah-rah” macho command lines handbook. Only thing missing is the patented, “The few, the proud...” you know the rest, slogan.

You can sympathize with what’s left of the platoon and the remaining civilians, if you can overlook the bad dialogue. This film is like a hybrid of Independence Day and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. It's not awe-inspiring but worthy of viewing, just for the action and sake of what the troops endure in battle, earning it 2.5 out of 4 stars.