Battle: Los Angeles Review

Battle: Los Angeles

Release Date: 17th March 2011 - Australia

Production Companies 

Columbia Pictures (presents)

Relativity Media (in association with)

Original Film

 
Distribution 

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 111 minutes

 

Budget: $70,000,000

Box Office Gross: $211,819,354 

(Worldwide)

Plot Summary

Witness the end of
civilisation unfold
as hostile alien invaders
attack the planet. As
people everywhere
watch the world's great
cities fall, Los Angeles
becomes the last stand
for mankind in a battle
no one expected. Now
it's up to a Marine staff
sergeant and his platoon
to draw a line in the sand
as they take on an enemy
unlike any they've
encountered, in this epic
sci-fi action film.

Cast

Aaron Eckhart - SSgt. Michael Nantz

Ramon Rodriguez - 2nd Lt. William Martinez

Will Rothhaar - Cpl. Jason Lockett

Jim Parrack - LCpl. Peter Kerns

Gina Anthony Pesi - Cpl. Nick Stavrou

Ne-Yo - Cpl. Kevin Harris

James Hiroyuki Liao - LCpl. Steven Mottola

Bridget Moynahan - Michele

Noel Fisher - Pfc. Shaun Lenihan

Adetokumboh M'Cormack - Corpsman Jibril Adukwu

Bryce Cass - Hector Rincon

Michael Peña - Joe Rincon

Michelle Rodriguez - TSgt. Elena Santos

Neil Brown, Jr. - LCpl. Richard Guerrero

Taylor Handley - LCpl. Corey Simmons

Joey King - Kirsten 

Lucas Till - Cpl. Scott Grayston 

Kenneth Brown, Jr. - Cpl. Richard Oswald

Jadin Gould - Amy

Joe Chrest - 1st Sgt. John Roy

Rus Blackwell - Lt. Col. K.N. Ritchie

Susie Abromeit - Amanda

Brandi Coleman - Cherise

Elizabeth L. Keener - Kathy Martinez

Jessica Heap - Jessy

Lena Clark - Chris

Crew

Director - Jonathan Liebesman

Writer - Chris Bertolini

Executive Producers - Jeffrey Chernov and
David Greenblatt

Producers - Neal H. Moritz and 

Ori Marmur

Casting Directors - Craig & Lisa Mae Fincannon 

and Debra Zane
Technical Advisor: Military - Tom Minder

Production Designer - Peter Wenham
Design Consultant - Mike Elizalde
Conceptual Creature Designer - Jordu Schell
Conceptual Designer - TyRuben Ellingson
Supervising Art Director - Thomas Valentine
Art Directors - Andrew Neskoromny and
Chris L. Spellman
Set Decorator - Bob Kensinger

Costume Designer - Sanja Milković Hays

Director of Photography - Lukas Ettlin
Stunt Coordinator - Joey Box
Special Effects Coordinator - Stan Parks

Visual Effects Supervisors - Everett Burrell,
Bill Kunin and Geoff D.E. Scott
Visual Effects Supervisor: Matte World Digital -
Craig Barron
Visual Effects Designers - Colin & Greg Strause
Visual Effects Producers - Kevin Elam and
Kendrick Wallace
Animation Supervisors - Jeremy F. Butler and
Raphael A. Pimentel
Miniature Effects Supervisor - Michael Joyce

Film Editor - Christian Wagner

Music - Brian Tyler

Review

Some interesting trivia is Jonathan Liebesman (director of 'BATTLE: LOS ANGELES') was originally in line to direct 'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'. For a time, this successful director was under the guidance of Michael Bay and scored a big hit in 2011 with the action-oriented sci-fi movie called 'BATTLE: LOS ANGELES'. It is much similar to other features before that dealt with humans fighting an extra-terrestrial invasion like 'War of the Worlds' and 'Independence Day'. The camerawork is intentionally shaky as a method to portray a world in chaos through the lens of a solider. While this shaky camerawork makes sense from this perspective, it is distracting and hard to watch. The choice of actors in this film were good but lacking star quality, the actors get the job done but do not portray their characters in such a way which is memorable or creative. I think more skillful experienced actors like Dwayne Johnson or Mark Wahlberg.

The story is predictable but too unoriginal and something we've seen time and time again in other movies. This is one of the film's major weaknesses. In saying that, it is a watchable movie and will appeal to people in the mood for a B-grade slice of action. 

Star rating: (6/10) Fair Movie

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