Battle: Los Angeles [Blu-ray]

Chris Bertolini

Overview

A Marine platoon fights to prevent the city of Los Angeles from being overtaken by a race of highly advanced alien invaders in this epic sci-fi action thriller from director Jonathan Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning) and producer Neal H. Moritz (I Am Legend, Fast & Furious). After decades of speculation about life on other planets, the people of Earth discover that extraterrestrials really do exist when destruction rains down from the stars on cities all across the globe. When the alien warships descend upon Los Angeles, however, the ferocious invaders discover that humankind won't go down without a fight as a gruff Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his fearless troop of jarheads point their weapons skyward and make one last stand for the entire human race.

Product Details

Release Date:	06/14/2011
UPC:	0043396376885
Original Release:	2011
Rating:	PG-13
Source:	Sony Pictures
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:56:00
Sales rank:	6,038

Special Features

Behind the Battle; Aliens in L.A.; Preparing For Battle; Creating L.A. in LA; ; Directing the Battle; Boot Camp; The Freeway Battle; ; Command Control - Command Your Viewing Experience by Watching Picture-in-Picture, Storyboard Comparisons, Battle Points

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Bridget Moynahan	Michele
Will Rothhaar	Cpl. Lee Imlay
Michelle Rodriguez	TSgt. Elena Santos,Actor
Adetokumboh M'Cormack	Corpsman Jibril Adukwu
Cory Hardrict	Cpl. Jason Lockett
Gino Anthony Pesi	Cpl. Nick Stavrou
Ne-Yo	Cpl. Kevin Harris
James Hiroyuki Liao	LCpl. Steven Mottola
Bryce Cass	Hector Rincon
Neil Brown Jr.	LCpl. Richard Guerrero,Cpl. Richard Oswald
Taylor Handley	LCpl. Corey Simmons
Joey King	Kirsten
Lucas Till	Cpl. Scott Grayston
Jadin Gould	Amy
E. Roger Mitchell	Company Captain E.,Actor
Rus Blackwell	Lt. Col. K.N. Ritchie
Susie Abromeit	Amanda
Brandi Coleman	Cherise
Beth Keener	Kathy Martinez,Kathy Martinez
Jessica Heap	Jessy
David Jensen	Psychiatrist
Stacey Turner	Reporter on TV
Tom Hillmann	Reporter on TV
Lena Clark	Chris
Jamie Norwood	Flower Shop Employee
Todd Cochran	Command Hangar Marine
Nzinga Blake	Adukwu's Sister
Taryn Southern	Reporter on Beach
James D. Dever	Sgt. Major
Lynette Zumo	Actor
Marlon Young	Actor
Michael Wozniak	Actor
Peyton Whitcomb	Actor
David Speed	Actor
Lawanda Smith	Actor
Vanessa Ross	Actor
Philippe Radelet	Actor
Jim Palmer	Actor
Gustavo I. Ortiz	Actor
Courtney Munch	Actor
Michelle Pierce	Actor
Chris Lena Clark	Reporter on TV
Neil Brown	Actor,Actor

Technical Credits

Chris Bertolini

Chris Bertolini	Director,Screenwriter,Screenwriter
Aaron Eckhart	Director
Michelle Rodriguez	Director
Ne-Yo	Director
Michael Peña	Director
Ori Marmur	Producer
Samuel Dickerman	Producer
David Greenblatt	Producer,Executive Producer
Lisa Rodgers	Producer
Jeffrey Chernov	Producer,Executive Producer
Paul N.J. Ottosson	Sound Effects
Ryan Farris	Sound Effects
David Forshee	Sound Effects
Sandy Gendler	Sound Effects
David Giammarco	Sound Effects
Jamie Hardt	Sound Effects
Paul Ledford	Sound Mixer

Editorial Reviews

So front-loaded with clichés that it initially feels as if it might buckle under the weight of its own derivativeness, Battle: Los Angeles eventually finds its footing during an explosive bridge battle around the midway mark, and subsequently muscles through with the efficiency of a battle-hardened Marine. After decades of speculation about life on other planets, the people of Earth discover that they are not alone in the universe when destruction rains down from the stars on 12 major cities all across the globe. Our new overlords have arrived, and they won't rest until the entire human race has been exterminated. When the alien warships begin laying waste to Los Angeles, however, the ferocious invaders discover that humankind won't go down without a fight as gruff Marine Staff Sergeant Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) and his fearless troop of jarheads vow to hold their ground and make one last stand for humanity. But how do you defeat an enemy when you don't have the first clue about their biology, or their technology? As the countdown to a massive bombing campaign along the Santa Monica shoreline begins, Nantz and his battalion race to rescue a group of citizens trapped in a nearby police station. Along the way, they're joined by Tech Sergeant Elena Santos (Michelle Rodriguez) and a ragtag group of desperate soldiers. Upon reaching the station, the group succeeds in locating the survivors, who include devoted father Joe (Michael Peña) and his young son, Hector (Bryce Cass). Just as the desperate group is about to make their escape, however, they realize they are surrounded on all sides. Getting out won't be easy, but to stay means certain death. Now, if they can just manage to make a clean getaway, they may still have a chance to take out the invader's command control center, and unite with all of humankind to save the only home they've ever known. It's just another war for oil in Battle: Los Angeles, a film so chaotic and incoherent that it nearly self-destructs before miraculously gaining enough momentum halfway through to offer a bombastic take on humankind's fight against a technologically advanced -- yet not impervious -- race of malevolent alien invaders. Presented in a handheld style that gives the impression of a wartime documentary, this unorthodox take on the traditional combat film feels as if screenwriter Christopher Bertolini simply dusted off an old script in which Nazis invaded a major American city and replaced Hitler's henchmen with bio-mechanical Martians. From the retiring, battle-scarred military veteran drawn reluctantly back into battle, to the virginal rookie, to the shell-shocked combat vet, to the brave grunt just fighting for citizenship, Bertolini's screenplay is so saturated in wartime stereotypes that it feels like it might just sink until characterization mercifully takes a back seat to action. Even then, it's difficult to feel as if we're actually witnessing anything new, though by that point the combination of rapid-fire editing and an over-emotive score at least succeeds in stimulating us enough to create the illusion of excitement. Later, when the purpose of the invasion is finally revealed in a throwaway line, it quickly becomes apparent how uninterested Bertolini is in flexing any creative muscle. Likewise, the generic creature design feels just about as uninspired as the storytelling, though the special-effects team does manage the impressive feat of making the alien technology seem at once highly advanced and vulnerable to attack. Performances are standard-issue grunt all around, with the exception of capable lead Eckhart, who provides the film's only discernible human emotion with a pair of heartfelt speeches that could have had genuine impact if only the earnest dialogue didn't waft with banality. Those speeches, combined with all of the other combat movie clichés found in Battle: Los Angeles, reveal the film to be little more than a traditional war film disguised as an alien invasion flick, tailor-made for a generation of kids raised on first-person shooters and jitter-inducing energy drinks.