No, it's not another L.A. riot; it's L.A. in a Halo-type alien war. Aaron Eckhart, debatably in his best starring role, is recalled as Marine Staff Sargent Michael Nantz and flown into Santa Monica with his platoon to face off alien invaders.
The soldiers' backgrounds are referenced throughout the movie, adding a human factor in a sci-fi blockbuster. Some platoon members, Sargent Mike, and his 2nd LT (William Martinez) have some chips on their shoulders to increase the personal drama. Their mission: rescue civilians stuck in the crossfire. Regular people getting caught in the battle bring it even closer to home when they extract Joe's (Michael Pena) Latino family. Since they are in L.A., needing a quick ride before their sector is bombarded, they rig a public bus. Tragedy strikes and the platoon comes to the verge of mutiny.
The Sargent is forced to make a final selfless act haunting his past. It all leads to the final showdown. My teen Balcony liked the realistic CGI of course--loud and in your face! The aliens slowly reveal themselves with great suspense. I don't mind the overused attack the mother ship and scatter the forces resolution in the end, when it works. It made you feel like viewing a grand battle from a folding chair. The finale is even credible, using modern weaponry skillfully and resolutely against a dominant foe.
I have to give this a FIELD GOAL, but hear me out, it's exciting reliving the intense battle scenes in our urban backyard. The grunt one-liners are cheesy at times, but the characters convince you to root for them as they resolve their inner battles. The best contribution is finally seeing an L.A. blockbuster you're not embarrassed about, unlike the list of improbable Angelino finesse movies like San Andreas, Volcano, and Escape from LA.
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