This is the reason I don’t listen to most critics (even myself…). For the better part of the year, all I ever heard about “Battle: Los Angeles:” was how terrible a movie it was. I didn’t make it to the theatre myself, but every time I saw the trailer it made me want to see it for myself. I did some internet research and found there was another movie called “Battle for Los Angeles” (currently available on Netflix) that was released direct to video; surely this was the bad movie everyone was talking about. So I got comfortable on the couch, popped in this version of “Battle: Los Angeles” and found that reviewers were indeed talking about this one. The only problem was, they were wrong. I very much enjoyed “Battle: Los Angeles”, in some cases for all the reasons they were saying they didn’t. It was an intense look at an impossible situation, pitting the brave men of our armed forces against an enemy with incomprehensible capabilities.

“Battle: Los Angeles” starts off with a quiet opening and introduces us to Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) on the day of his retirement. Only his retirement is short-lived because of a suspicious meteor shower that quickly turns into an all out alien invasion. Through television reports we see that the aliens are laying waste all over the world, though the film focuses only on the greater Los Angeles area. Nantz is immediately thrown back into active duty and ships out with his unit to face this new enemy.

I’ve talked to other critics who felt the film did nothing for them, but I’d have to chalk that up to them being heartless, soulless idiots. “Battle: Los Angeles” may have pit our Armed Forces against an unrealistic foe, but their sheer determination, their fear, their sacrifice are mirrors of what our real soldiers face in the heat of battle. We see little only fleeting glimpses of the enemy most of the time, but I’d venture to guess that is what our men see when engaged. The film is shot partially documentary style with a handheld camera, and this takes viewers right into the heart of the horror these men face. And the enemy is brutal, murderous and very, very hard to kill.

The recent Bluray release offers up a tremendous transfer, which is very clean and clear. Even with the shaky cam mode, you can catch all the details and little nuances of the sets and costumes. The colors are very drab, but this is done on purpose to bring you down to the street level of war. The sound is very well mixed, allowing for a clear distinction of the dialogue most of the time, while immersing you into the landscape that our heroes are traversing.
In terms of special features, the Bluray edition has quite a few. “Behind the Battle” is a bit of a promo piece, full of interviews. Not a lot of meat here, but it still offers a decent amount of background info. “Directing the Battle” allows director Jonathan Liebesman an opportunity to talk about how he got the job as well as show us a little peek at the demo he created prior to the film’s shoot. “Aliens in L.A.” is a longer look at the special effects used to create the aliens and their ships. This is a very well put together behind the scenes featurette.
“Preparing for Battle” is an interview piece that focuses on what the actors went through to prepare for the film, while “”Boot Camp” allows for a closer look at a day spent training with real Marines. “Creating L.A. in LA” shows the effort taken to create a ‘California’ look in Louisiana. And “The Freeway Battle” delivers a behind the scenes look at one of the big special effects battles of the film. Finally, you have a theatrical trailer.
“Battle: Los Angeles” was definitely not given the credit it was due. I found it to be intense, entertaining and praying I never seen an invasion this brutal.

Directed by: Jonathan Liebesman
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Bridget Moynahan, Michelle Rodriguez
Studio: Sony
Release Date: 6/14/2011
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language)
http://www.sonypictures.com

We'll give Battle Los Angeles (Bluray) a B+.