![]() Beyond that, aside from a few obligatory references to someone's relative or background, none of the other characters see much development. This plays into several moments in the film, influencing other characters regarding the decisions he makes during the events of the story. The most development is given to Sergeant Nantz, who had just recently returned from a tour in Iraq where lives were lost and many assume he was to blame. On the other hand, Battle: Los Angeles is a bit weak on the character front. It is refreshing, at least from that perspective, to see a harder-edged, more realistic take on this material. Battle: Los Angeles keeps its focus exclusively on the soldiers in the thick of battle, presenting the action in a no-holds barred manner. This isn't about scientists trying to figure out what the aliens want, or politicians wringing their hands about the "big decisions" in the midst of an alien onslaught. While the technique is hardly unique, it does work to a degree in Battle: Los Angeles, bringing a different approach to a familiar plot. Much of the film is photographed with hand-held camera moves, the focus constantly whipping around, disorienting both the characters and the audience. ![]() Battle: Los Angeles is obviously influenced, visually, by movies such as Black Hawk Down and Saving Private Ryan in the staging of its action. ![]() They encounter heavy resistance, and must find a way back to their forward operating base while keeping the civilians under their protection, and themselves, alive. A squad of marines, led by Staff Sergeant Nantz (Aaron Eckhardt) is dispatched to attempt to retrieve possible civilian presence from a Santa Monica police station behind the front lines of the fighting. ![]() This alien force, operating with ground forces, begins to overrun the various cities they arrive at, and LA is no different. As mentioned above, Battle: Los Angeles' plot can be summed up rather succinctly: Aliens land on Earth throughout the globe, including near Los Angeles. This isn't revolutionary either, but Battle: Los Angeles does manage to squeeze some momentum out of its running length. The only somewhat unique aspect, at least for an alien invasion story, is its gritty "you are there" aspect, filmed in a hand-held, jerky, thick of the action style. ![]() In fact, it operates on the thinnest of plot and some very underdeveloped characters. Battle: Los Angeles doesn't bring anything new, plot wise, to this scenario. Recently, and upcoming, I can think of no less than 4 film and TV versions of this basic tale. The alien invasion film is certainly nothing original. ![]()
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