World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles: Movie Review

"World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles" (known as "Battle: Los Angeles" in some areas around the world) is the latest alien invasion flick to come out. Yes, not another invasion film right? But who knows? "World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles" actually looks like to be a serious take on the used-up theme. A gritty and realistic tone might just do it good. Well, the wait is finally over and we have our review up. Read on to find out if we think this is a go or a no go after the jump.

On August 11, 2011, mysterious objects crash into the Earth's oceans in several big cities. At first, these objects are thought to be meteorites but eventually, people discover that they look like spaceships with alien beings coming out of them. The U.S. Marines in Camp Pendleton are immediately mobilized to ensure that the seeming invasion by aliens be thwarted. The men of E Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, led by 2nd Lieutenant Martinez (Ramon Rodriguez) and by Staff Sergeant Nantz (Aaron Eckhart), are tasked to save trapped civilians in a police station at the Santa Monica area within 3 hours. After this 180 minute time frame, bombs will be dropped to completely obliterate the area in the hopes of stopping the alien invasion.

"World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles" is a two and a half hour thrill ride. In fact, if we only base it on the action segments, the film would surely get a must-see rating. The effects are great and everything feels gritty and realistic but all the good things stop there. At its core, the film lacks any depth or substance and it tries too hard to be something more than it could be. The proof can be seen in the film's first few minutes where in the characters are introduced with their life stories and dilemmas. Like, one character is expecting a child soon. After this introduction, nothing ever really happens to that side story except for a written letter. We never find out what happened to the man's pregnant wife during or after the invasion. It's this non-emotionality that destroys the whole experience. You never feel the implications of one's death in the film (and a lot of people will die but as to whom, that's a spoiler already). Add some cheesy lines and speeches and you get a film that tries too hard to be deep and emotional but utterly fails to make any impact. "World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles" does not add anything to the alien invasion theme nor does it excel from being an average-joe film.

Rating: 3 reels




Why you should watch it:
- gripping at times, the movie feels gritty and real-to-life
- the effects are top notch

Why you shouldn't watch it:
- the film tries to make audiences care for its characters but it fails
- a two and a half hour romp full of action but no substance
- forcibly cheesy lines and speeches don't make a good invasion movie