Thursday, March 17, 2011

Battle: Los Angeles

General Review

It's really difficult to do a "new" alien movie nowadays.  With the advance of special effects, so much has been possible, but it seems to have mostly been done.  This movie, in which aliens invade the earth for its resources (this time it is our water that they want), is a pretty cookie cutter incarnation of the Alien Invasion genre.  Stranded in the middle of the battlegrounds, a platoon with a war-weary Staff Seargent (Aaron Eckhart, who does a good job at being tough, but accessible) must fight their way out, only to realize that they are the only ones who can stop the encroaching menace.  Oh, and yes, they also have a small bands of civilians which they must get to safety.  Same old, same old, really.

That being said, I did enjoy the movie.  Sometimes the classics are the classics for a reason.  They work.  The aliens were fun and interesting, the sound effects creepy and heart-jarring, and the different personalities of the Marines shone through pretty well. The camera work was that shaky "I'm running right along with them" work, which I can live without, but it didn't resort to that style to an absurd degree.  I'm also always a sucker for Michelle Rodriquez.  Anytime that woman is given a gun and told to kick some butt, I'm happy.    It was 2 hours of lots of running, jumping. shooting, explosions, and a nice, simple plot line that didn't get in the way of said running, jumping, shooting, and explosions. 

I also enjoyed the fact that this is a movie that highlights the honor and dedication with which the soldiers in the Armed Forces serve.  The platoon had its internal struggles, but there was a good underlying strength that shone through the little bit of drama tossed in to make them more human.

All in all, I had a good 2 hours, and I don't want my money or my time back.  Standard plot, solid, if not amazing, acting, some good special effects....I'm happy!

3 out of 5 stars
***

FOR THE MOMS:
(some small spoilers, so be prepared)

The language in this movie is VERY light for a military based movie. However, it IS a military movie. There are several Sh** words, and a few G-D's, and a single F bomb used during a pep talk before heading into the final battle.  Not bad when it's 2 hours of Marines!

There are a lot of very loud portions in which the noises made are very creepy and unnerving, and vision is highly obscured.  These portions are pretty intense, and may not be suitable for your kiddos.  There are a lot of dead bodies lying around, but surprisingly little gore, aside from one sight of a badly burned woman's body.  The main characters are oin constant danger, and the aliens will be pretty darn scary looking to a young one. 

There is a scene in which (spoiler, but not too bad of one) the platoon captures a barely-living alien, and tries to figure out with certainty where to strike it in order to kill it. There is a lot of stabbing, and "look, there's an organ, try that one" to it, and some alien innnards are shown, as well as the basic savagery of ultimate survival. 

Topics of discussion:

You may want to discuss the difference between torture and trying to define a route to your own survival with your kids.

You may also like to talk about the Armed Forces' views on "Leave no man behind" and how that kind of focus takes a different kind of bravery.

The boys will like this movie because...well, heck.  Lots of explosions, aliens, giant spaceships making noises like a moose and an elephant both being stepped on at the same time, grenades, missiles, and loads of action.  This is definitely a boy's movie!

The girls may like the fact that not only is Michelle Rodriguez present, but she is capable, and accepted by the Marine platoon which she ends up joining forces with.  One of the female civilians, also, is a very strong character who shows bravery and tenacity in a difficult situation.   

1 comment:

  1. I have to agree with you. I really enjoyed the movie. Aaron Eckhart seems to be in things that I like (along with Dennis Quaid). I think I would give it 3 1/2 stars. Fast pace and shows people sacrificing for others.

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