In Battle: Los Angeles aliens arrive and land in the oceans just off the shores of major cities all over the Earth. No “Take me too your leader.” No, “We come in peace.” Instead they act like a bunch of Wisconsin teacher’s union members and start to get mean and nasty. They march ashore and immediately start to seriously kick some fanny. The plot line is a lot like Independence Day and Mars Attacks without the frills.
The story doesn’t really center on the worldwide conflict which we know is raging, based on the news reports. It centers on a small platoon of Marines led by Staff Sergeant Aaron Eckhart who has put in his 20 years and wants to retire.
Battle: Los Angeles is a film about a small group of men fighting a desperate battle against an overwhelming force and coping with ugly aliens who act like they have been holding it in for a 20 gazillion light year trip across the galaxy when all the restrooms aboard their ships went out at the beginning of the trip. They are after our water. AE and his Marines have a message for them and it’s “You can’t have it, you alien scum.”
This movie is a tightly focused combat film which features lots of heroic acts, violent death and inspirational speeches. It is a top notch film at doing a job of showing men in combat all with a strong sense of “Semper Fi.” Without being presumptuous, I would bet this film would easily make R. Lee Ermey’s (Gunnery Sergeant Hartman in the 1987 film Full Metal Jacket and host of TV’s Mail Call and Lock and Load) Top 2 all time list of Marine war movies. Aaron Eckhart is terrific as the veteran leader with the steely-jaw-look and dedication to duty.
The special effects are effective and scary. These aliens are a bunch of mean mama mias. If push comes to shove it’s these Marines I want in my corner.
The film was shot mostly in Louisiana, not Los Angeles. They still call it Battle: Los Angeles not Battle: Louisiana. And what a battle it turns out to be.
Rated 3.5 out of 4.0 “Take that you alien scum.” “Semper Fi.”
