BATTLE: LA -- Review

There is something about invasion films that always seem to bring in scores of movie go-ers, regardless of the quality of the film.. Over the last few years we have had a few great alien invasion films like District 9 and even Cloverfield, if the handheld cinematography did not cause motion sickness; but we have also has some really bad invasion films, such as Skyline, which gave the appearance that it would be good though in reality, it had NO point). Two weeks ago I Am Number Four came out, and although, not technically an attack on Earth, it is an invasion film that takes place on Earth while searching for aliens who inhabited our planet. Granted the film could have been better but it had its shining moments too. Please keep in mind I am strictly speaking Earth invasions so please, do not think of Avatar or Predators as neither took place on Earth.

That being said, Battle: Los Angeles can be classified as a decent film for what it is and will most certainly bring in the crowds this weekend. Just viewing the trailers, the film looks like a cross between Independence Day and Saving Private Ryan or perhaps a mini-series like 'Band of Brothers' or 'The Pacific'. I realize that sounds a bit like a "DUH" statement, but if you decide to see the film this weekend you will be hit over the head with that visual just as I was. Although the cinematography choices are similar to Cloverfield, providing such a bumpy ride that it almost distracts from the overall story as you tilt your head left and right in an attempt to figure out what visual is on the screen, and there is little else that the sci-fi end of the story brings to the film. I only wish that the story had been better developed, giving the viewer a better idea of what these aliens are like, but then again, the story is about humans and not the aliens.

Battle: Los Angeles is a high stress war film between humans and aliens. The filming adds to this particular aspect of the film in a way that will make for another successful sci-fi invasion film for the movie industry. I only two real issues I would like to make about this film, the first being how the 'Band of Brothers'/'The Pacific' vibe provided when introducing the characters, clearly providing the audience their names by showing text in the lower third of the screen, but honesty, the film moved so fast this added information was almost an insignificant piece of information.. I’m suspecting that there wasn’t other way for the viewer to catch the names of the character during the dialog, it being inaudible. The second issue, if you're going to make a war film, whether it be based in reality or sci-fi world, you had better make it believable. Now, granted I am not a soldier and have never had to experience war (or anything war like), I have watched a lot of TV and films involving war and every one that I have seen has shown these brave men and women swearing under pressure, however, now that the censors have been hard a work to make life merry, either the studio felt that Battle: Los Angeles to be so violent that to keep the rating of PG-13 they needed to leave out the profanity... OR the writer decided to make these boys - and girl - so righteous to not piss off their maker by using inappropriate language, as their world is being turned into a living hell.

If you are a fan of games like Call of Duty than, overall, I’d say this is the film to see as you will be able to follow the action much better than those that do not fall within this group. If, however, you have never played a first-person shooter game, you may have a difficult time keeping up with the momentum of the film. The story, for what it is, delivers, but fails to provide what is needed to raise it above any other alien invasion film. The visual effects are decent, but since the aliens are rarely seen up close and personal, I question how well they were developed, thinking perhaps that the individual’s creative ability does not provide him with enough imagination to develop aliens unlike any others that have come before. I found the best part of the film to be the joy of watching Aaron Eckhart (Dark Knight) and Michelle Rodriguez (Resident Evil, Fast and the Furious) take down so many aliens. The cast was most definitely the biggest highlight of the film. So if you are looking for a movie to see this weekend for pure entertainment, Battle: Los Angeles will do, but if you are looking for an amazing film to see, you might want to check what else is playing.

I give Battle: Los Angeles a 2.5 out of 5.

Avatar -- Review

The long awaited James Cameron film Avatar hit theaters this past weekend. While opening weekend raked in an estimated $77 million in domestic ticket sales and an additional $159 million in ticket sales in 106 countries overseas -- excluding Japan and China who are still to come. This weekend Avatar did reach the #9 spot for All Time Worldwide Opening Records and the #2 spot for Top December Opening Weekend Records. However, some reports have come in saying that the blizzard that hit the east coast caused ticket sales to take a hit, but my Saturday experience at the theater proved otherwise.

I remember being bombarded by phone calls last week with several people asking me if it was worth going to see Avatar in theaters. I had heard mixed reviews regarding the film, with people commenting that it will be strictly eye candy with no substance in storyline and I felt compelled to share what I had heard. Even as I received a handful of calls on opening day from my father asking if it was something that he would understand, I still felt the need to share the mixed feelings I had quickly developed over the weeks leading up to its release. I was surprised that later in the day I had a voicemail waiting for me, practically screaming at me, that I had to go see the film this weekend. My father, who is of the older movie go-er generation, does not see eye to eye with me when it comes to movies as he is interested in the more intellectual and "family fun" style of films where as I enjoy blood, guts and insane amounts of action. To hear that he thought the movie was "awesome" and actually ended up using the word about a dozen times in a conversation that followed, I felt compelled to go out this opening weekend to see if it was really as good as he though. So Saturday morning, making plans with my movie date for the evening, I purchased tickets online to avoid at least one line and then ventured out into the first blizzard of the season.

Arriving at the theater 45 minutes before showtime, I stood in line feeling like a complete film geek, excited just to see what the film would look like since I had little expectations for there being a good storyline. My date for the evening seemed less than excited, standing in line in a bit of a stooper and neutral to everything that was going on. After finding seats in what was a much smaller screen that I was expecting the trailer began to roll. Unfortunately none of the trailers really stuck out, but once advised to put on our 3D glasses I sat in aw and awaiting what was about to happen.

With a running time of 2 hours and 40 minutes, I never once felt a lull or dramatic drop in the pace of the film. It held and captivated my attention for the entire screening and watching in 'RealD' you truly do get an experience unlike any other. I have watched plenty of other 3D shows and films with the classic red and blue glasses that give you such a horrible headache you seriously wonder why you ever bother to watch anything in 3D, but the translucent RealD glasses give you the 3rd dimension without the pain. From the opening scene straight through to the end, I fought the urge to reach out and "touch" the beautiful world of Pandora that James Cameron introduced us to. The world of Pandora is a beautiful place both in theory, vision and story, and no matter how fantastic the fantasy level became everything remained grounded in reality. From the space crafts the humans use travel in to the alien planet, to the military vehicles and weapons, to the plants, creatures and people of Pandora each element hints are reality. Nothing strayed too far from the line of what "could be".

As for the story, I was surprised by the level of depth it held. It was not your basic sci-fi/fantasy story, and it left me considering what under lying statements Mr. Cameron was making about our current standing globally. The story was thought provoking and left me thinking about social and political commentary that could be picked up and hinted at in some aspect or another. The film is visually out of this world, and the story will hold your attention for the entire running time. By the time you are ready to walk out of the theater, you will not feel like you have been sitting through a 3 hr film, unless you just downed a large coke.

If you are an Aliens fan, see if you catch the homage James Camera slips in. See if you can find the "Titanic moment". This film is a must see over the winter break. Even if you do not enjoy the story, I guarentee that you will not be disappointed by the visual effects. Although, as my movie date said, the Na'vi's skin may be a little distracting. But all in all the film is worth the sitting time. You will love Sam Worthington's performance, both in flesh and CGI. You will enjoy the grace and beauty of Zoe Saldana as her dance background adds to the Na'vi. Her movements are truly those of a trained ballerina and it made watching her leaping through the trees and during battle that much more amazing. The Na'vi, in their looks, movements, beliefs, and soul truly are amazing characters. Even the wonderful Sigourney Weaver will amaze you with the heart and soul of her character. Michelle Rodriguez players her typical "badass" self. She is just as much a fighter as she is in every other role she has played and it's fun to watch her keeping up with the "big boys" when it comes to a gun fight. Stephen Lang is that guy you will recognize but may not recall his name at the end of the film, but his performance as Colonel Miles Quaritch is everything you could ever want. And Joel Moore just makes you love him even more with each character he plays in his blooming career.

So if you want a film that will pull you right into the story and picture, go check out Avatar.