2011 hasn't left an enticing first impression for films, both released and upcoming. With a record broken for most sequels, combined with re-releases (Conan the Barbarian) and spin-offs (Puss in Boots), finding something original in cinemas seems to be one more challenge to face for the year. That said, even though Battle: Los Angeles might not have direct relations to previous films, it doesn't avoid being dissimilar. The good news, however, is that it at least functions enough to be enjoyable.
We get a fairly brisk introduction to some of the cast before being thrust into the fight at-hand within the film. Down time is in short supply as the conflict with an invading (or as is referred to within the film, "colonizing") extraterrestrial force reigns over the runtime. Battle: Los Angeles stays in relation to its name as it takes place entirely within the city, but these Californians aren't the only people facing a new threat. A number of other areas throughout the globe deal with the same issue, though we never see anything on their end beyond brief TV broadcasts. As a result, the film takes on a feeling of being a smaller part of a potentially bigger conflict.
Since the vast majority of Battle: Los Angeles is action, the standards it's held to aren't terribly demanding. And thankfully, we're treated to some good scenes, namely the final fight just before the end which, though not epic or revolutionary by any stretch, does feel nicely built up towards. Other stretches, primarily the first few, don't hold up quite so well; suffering from the all-too-familiar Michael Bay-esque directing style of quick cuts without showing much, if anything. Fortunately, by the time the antagonists have been revealed full-well, things are seen in a far more cohesive manner.
When looking at how the film stands up on a more fundamental and less action-oriented level, the cracks begin to quickly show. Probably the easiest issue to pinpoint is that everything here is incredibly derivative of other films (and even videogames). Independence Day, District 9, Terminator, Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, Modern Warfare, Resistance, Battlefield; the list of friends goes on. Another shame to find is that little-to-nothing is revealed about the invaders themselves. Most of the supporting characters also come and go without much development to find. Needless to say, this isn't much of a thinker's film, especially since most of what occurs on-screen is predictable.
Battle: Los Angeles is an easy film to figure out. If you like what you saw in the trailer(s) and are fine with getting 2 hours of that, then you should be content with what's present. But a detailed story and question-answering with regards to who, what and why are MIA, unfortunately. This is a shame since the film does show potential and even gives hints at being something more elaborate, but they're never delved into. Everything here is fundamental or, if you prefer, shallow. As an action film primarily judged on the on-screen conflicts, it suffices and holds up better than most of its typically-average precursors. Thus, junkies of the said genre will likely get what they're looking for while everyone else is better off waiting until the (good) summer releases.
