"Extra-terrestrial."
"You mean, like, from space?"
"No. From Canada."
Battle: Los Angeles is quite simply a very entertaining popcorn action/war/alien-invasion movie, with its mid-range budget all up on the screen, a screenplay that seldom pauses for breath and a number of very effective action beats. Inevitably, the shadows of Aliens and Independence Day (amongst others) loom large, but by placing the viewpoint firmly from the soldiers on the ground, coupled with the incessantly moving camera and frequent tight close-ups, the viewer is put right in the thick of the action which is often intense and immediate. To no surprise, the military stereotypes are all lined up at the start, and they mostly utter cliches and dialogue-with-extra-cheese, but occasional smartly-written lines punch through. Clever casting of the excellent Aaron Eckhart as lead gives the film a rock-solid foundation throughout, as the supporting actors do positive work without ever being able to break out from their basic narrative functions. Brian Tyler provides a wonderful melancholy score, although a couple of battle scenes could have pulled back on the choirs-and-kitchen-sink bombastic approach. The violence and intensity definitely pushes the boundaries of the 12A certificate at times, but this is what the film is all about; for in-depth Platoon-style character study, look elsewhere, but for big, loud Friday-night action, Battle: Los Angeles definitely delivers.
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