Is it aliens? Marines? Something else? There’s no telling, in this sci-fi action movie. At first glance, it seems to be a standard, “Aliens are invading, let’s kill ‘em all” type of movie. But there might be a little more than meets the eye.
Let’s review Battle Los Angeles and see if it’s something you want to watch…or is just another reason not to go to the movies.
As the Movie Begins…
The aliens arrive in ships that at first appear to be meteorites, that end up splashing down in various spots around the globe, including Los Angeles. The aliens are hostile, naturally, and they want what we have (the Earth).
Enter the military, who are sent to exterminate the aliens and take back the city. Marine Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (played by Aaron Eckhart) was about ready to retire when he was sent into action, and has a whole new platoon to worry about. Not to mention dealing with the Platoon Commander, Second Lieutenant William Martinez (played by Ramon Rodriguez).
The platoon’s mission is to rescue come civilians who are holed up in an LAPD police station. OK, that’s bad enough, but they’ve been given a three-hour window of time to get the people out. Why three hours? That’s because the Air Force plans to bomb the whole area to kingdom come!
The Rescue Starts
After the Marines commandeer a bus to go in and rescue the people, they learn some important pieces of information about their opponents. One, the aliens have a soft spot on their torsos, which can be taken advantage of. Next, those alien aircraft are really just drones, so destroying the craft doesn’t mean destroying the aliens themselves.
However, it does seem to mean that there is some kind of command center, and if the military can locate it, they can take out a large number of the aliens.
The Plot Continues
Staff Sergeant Nantz ends up in command of the platoon when Second Lieutenant Martinez sacrifices himself to save some of the civilians and kill some bad guys. Nantz and his team think they found the command center, and call in an air strike. Too late! Their own command center was taken out by the aliens before they could issue the bombing orders.
It does not look good for Nantz and his platoon, the civilians, Los Angeles or even the earth! But wait, are there heroes present? You betcha; the Marines don’t have their reputation for nothing!
Should You See the Movie?
Critics and Audiences had different reactions to Battle Los Angeles. The critics? Well, they trashed the movie, saying it was like a hundred other sci-fi alien attack movies. Audiences were a little kinder, but it’s safe to say this film won’t be a movie classic. If you’re really into sci-fi alien attack films, then you probably will enjoy Battle Los Angeles. If you’re not, then you may want to pass on this movie.