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88 of 98 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wouldn't win Oscars, but so entertaining., June 14, 2011
I watched this movie twice in theaters, despite its bad reviews. I have to say I'm a bit puzzled as to what critics were expecting when they saw this. Saving Private Ryan? Black Hawk Down? I'm sorry, the movie is just not that deep. Does it make the movie bad? Not even remotely. It's a little cliche, a little overacted, and contains a little too much bravado. Last I checked, these are all on the checklist for being a Marine. It's a fun, thrilling ride, full of action, and it's just plain entertaining. Not into that sort of thing? Prefer to stick to your thought-provoking Oscar nominees? That's fine, keep walking. If you want an exciting bit of entertainment, you can do much, MUCH worse than this movie.
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254 of 296 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Science fiction war, at it's best, March 13, 2011
This is a movie that really isn't anything new. In fact, if you seen Black Hawk Down and District 9, it may look familiar. What this film does that makes it so great is that it can combine these elements together so well, that you really can't believe that this hasn't been done before. They made the right choice by including a Marine platoon into the script, rather than some nameless group of soldiers or whoever wears a uniform so that Johnny Civilian can get the picture that they are U.S. troops. It isn't the most perfect depiction of Marines, as I was one and remember the "F" bomb being used a whole heck of a lot more frequently, but it is passable. Aaron Eckhart really does a great job in his role as a battle tested Staff Sergeant. I think anyone else playing this character would have a hard time pulling it off exactly how he did. The rest of the cast is not all that bad either, given the scope of the story. And I am not a fan of Michelle Rodriguez, but she was tolerable- for the most part. You have to remember that this is a movie about an alien invasion, it is not mona lisa smile. You have probably seen these movies before, but not like this. This is urban warfare fighting in the streets of downtown Los Angeles. It's fun and exciting, and better than half of the other "realistic" war movies that are already out. I highly recommend this film to anyone who likes sci-fi and military movies. You wont be disappointed. The critics have taken a proverbial dump on this movie, but what do they know anyway. This is exactly the movie I expected it to be when I walked in to the theater, and a little bit more with some character believability and Aaron Eckhart's acting. I will be eagerly awaiting the Blu-ray release so that I can watch this all over again in HD in the comfort of my living room. So suspend your rational thought process for a bit and enjoy Battle: Los Angeles for what it is; a science fiction war movie. Hoo-Rah.
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126 of 147 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
So much better than what the critics and some viewers are saying., May 11, 2011
This movie tells the story of a small group of Marines, in a bad situation, in small place in time and in a limited scope to the actual "war", as they follow orders and hold fast to their honor, courage and commitment. As the father of a young Marine, I couldn't help but be emotionally moved to the point of saying to my wife that I really don't want my son to be in combat, knowing full well that he is trained and ready to the mission. This movie isn't about the aliens as much as it is about these young Marines. The one waiting for his child to be born. The one who looks like he should still be in high school. The officer who has never commanded in combat. The one who is planning to be married. The one who suffers from PTSD. The veteran who is scarred by his past service. All cliches but certainly reflective of today's military service men and women. Open your eyes and see it for what it is. See the sacrifice and the committment. Committment to duty and to one another. This is not a sci-fi film. It is a film that tells the story of our men and women who serve today, on US soil and foreign shores. It just happens to be in LA and have aliens. This film should make one feel proud of the men and women who serve and feel compassion for those families and military members who suffer great loss due to war. If at the end of the film you don't sit quietly for a moment or two to reflect on what you have seen then I think perhaps you missed the point. No need to compare to other films, but if we must... Independence day was fun, Skyline was lame, District 9 was very good and intriguing, Black Hawk Down was very good as well. Battle: LA is one of the better "war" films out.
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