Written By: Dan Geer

The alien invasion genre is one that has existed for decades, making it seem tired and worn out to many by now. While we may have enjoyed movies like The War of the Worlds and Independence Day in the past, it is really difficult to bring anything new to the table with each and every new movie in the genre, with District 9 probably being the least formulaic one we’ve had in a long time.

So where does that leave us with director Jonathan Liebesman‘s Battle: Los Angeles? To be honest, as far as the alien invasion aspect of it goes, not a whole lot except for maybe tons of gritty, butt-kicking action sequences and special effects that explode with realism. The movie starts off right away with the invasion, taking as little time as is necessary to set up the characters and making sure that we get right into the action. Nothing wrong with that, really, since that is the main reason people will be drawn to go see the film initially. It is truly a two-hour, jaw-dropping, mind-numbing display of visual chaos that completely entertains.

But where the film really excels is not in the visual spectacle (although it is impressive), but rather its heart. Make no mistake; unlike The War of the Worlds, Independence Day and even District 9 – this is a military-focused war film at its core with a true war hero at its heart.

While the story has the invasion spread worldwide, it centers on a platoon of Marines in L.A. sent in to rescue civilians from a police station before the military levels the mostly evacuated area with bombs in order to try and defeat the alien menace there. At the heart of the group is Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz (superbly played by Aaron Eckhart), a soldier disheartened by the loss of his men on a recent mission he lead in Afghanistan who decides it is time to retire after 20 years of service. While his request is honored, he gets called in for one last mission in which he is placed under the leadership of the much younger, less experienced Lieutenant William Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) to help the platoon complete their mission.

This is just one of many instances in the film where Nantz really proves that he not only has heart, but that he truly is a soldier through and through. Obviously, being essentially demoted from leadership creates a sticky situation between he and his new leader. To put it bluntly, it’s insulting. But Nantz carries himself like any soldier should and simply gives his support and carries out any orders given by Martinez, whether he agrees or not. For someone who has suffered defeat and gained a poor reputation because of it, he really shows that being a soldier here is not about him, but rather the task at hand. It is circumstances like this one that make us want to follow our hero through to the end with each and every hardship he faces – whether it’d be fighting hostile aliens, coping with dying civilians or dealing with fellow Marines that despise him.

It is Nantz’s sense of integrity that helps him eventually gain the support of his fellow men, which is really where the movie shines. It plays out more like a condensed version of Band of Brothers, but with soldiers facing a new, unknown enemy in which they haven’t a clue as to how to stop it. Sure, while they seem to figure out how to defeat the aliens quite quickly – with the method being the same one it always ends up being in alien invasion flicks – it doesn’t really matter that much at this point, since we are already totally invested in these characters and really only care about their survival. The film makes them believable enough as soldiers and as human beings that one does not question their tactics, their heart or their keen sense of learning the vulnerabilities of an unknown, highly intelligent enemy. They are simply a bunch of meat and potatoes men (and one woman – TSgt Elena Santos, played by Michelle Rodriguez) we can relate to, fighting for our loved ones, our resources and, as always, our freedom.

This is the reason that not much time is invested in the politics of the situation or why the aliens are attacking us. This is war, with soldiers simply taking a stand, fighting from the perspective of not knowing anything except what they are fighting for. We  as an audience shouldn’t be paying attention to anything else either. The movie simply brings us along for the ride, making us feel like the Marines would in a situation like this; frightened, unsure of themselves in the face of the unknown, but nevertheless here to finish a job – no matter the cost (which makes for one heck of an adrenaline rush). By the end of the film, you will feel like a Marine yourself and will want to finish the mission with them.

Science fiction and war movie buffs alike will love this movie. While not so original for the genre as a whole like District 9 was, it more than makes up for it in its approach. What would the military do in the face of a completely unknown force? How would they see this? This film is like taking a camera into the heart of that battle to find out. What we discover is a group of dedicated, heartfelt heroes that make us feel the true depth of a familiar Marine slogan that Staff Sergeant Nantz might say: “Retreat? Hell, We just got here!“

Rating:  (out of four)