Movie Review: Battle: Los Angeles

Absolutely intense! Who knew? I seriously expected something lame - or at best, sub par - but it actually turned out way better than I thought it would be. Gritty. Dramatic. Intense. I felt exhausted when the whole thing was over. Haha.

Let me first talk about the obvious: the technical aspect of the film was outstanding. The visual effects were extremely well done. The aliens did look menacing and their weaponry looked and sounded very intimidating. The action was non-stop, the tension was razor sharp and the explosions were incredibly realistic. And despite the shaky (literally) start, the wobbly camera effects were used modestly and seemingly very controlled.

I also thought that the direction was surprisingly good. The battles were well paced that it still somehow managed to give ample down time in between for the character to have, at least, some semblance of depth. Surprisingly, there was enough character building - sure, not a great deal, but enough - to make me care what happens to some of the characters. Yes, I felt connected to the them even when some didn't last on-screen for very long.

Which brings me to the performances. I thought every single one of them portrayed their roles really well. Aaron Eckhart, in particular, was just unbelievably convincing. I wasn't entirely a fan of his, but he earned my respect in this film. Michelle Rodriguez just played, yet again, another version of herself in this movie, but that's already me nitpicking.

Now, story-wise, it wasn't overly complicated. In fact, it was too typical that it became predictable and full of cliches. But, I have to say, that didn't matter in the slightest way. I mean, it's called Battle: Los Angeles for crying out loud. I don't usually watch films under this genre and expect anything profound. If it was called Life and Death, then I'd understand if some people were left disappointed with the lack of character development and plot twists. But clearly, this movie was meant to entertain, so dissecting it with the same microscope that one uses to judge say, The King's Speech, is just dumb.

Overall, Battle: Los Angeles was a surprisingly well made film. No, it wasn't an intellectual masterpiece by any means, but it's one fine piece of entertainment. Just enjoy it for what it is!

RATING: 8/10