Battle: Los Angeles
Dir: Jonathan Liebesman
2011
***
Battle: Los Angeles is one part Alien invasion film and two parts Army porn. I once heard it said that Battle: Los Angeles is 'Independence Day meets Black Hawk Down' and I think that's pretty much spot on. However, I enjoyed this much more than both of those films. I felt there was an element of realism that balances out the fantasy aspect of the story and isn't that what we all want from these kinds of films? Independence Day was a cartoon in comparison and Black Hawk Down was good but a bit of a confusing headache. I was going to say Battle: Los Angeles is a guilty pleasure but actually, I don't mind admitting that I liked it. What do I know though, I thought Skyline was good but what I will still say in my defense is that they are both original films within the genre, something some of the other more popular films can't boast. It's an indulgence and should be treated accordingly (with a big bucket of popcorn).