Battle: Los Angeles
A Marine platoon defends Los Angeles from an alien invasion.
In 2011, Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, and Original Film released *Battle: Los Angeles*, a military science fiction action film directed by Jonathan Liebesman from a script by Chris Bertolini. Distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing, the movie stars Aaron Eckhart, Michelle Rodriguez, Ramon Rodriguez, Bridget Moynahan, Ne-Yo, and Michael Peña. The story follows a Marine staff sergeant who, along with a platoon of U.S. Marines and other stranded military personnel, defends Los Angeles during an alien invasion. Brian Tyler composed the score, which won a BMI TV Music Award; the soundtrack was released by Varèse Sarabande on March 8, 2011, and performed with the Hollywood Studio Symphony.
Principal photography began in September 2009, and the film hit U.S. theaters on March 11, 2011. It earned $212 million worldwide against a production budget of roughly $70–77 million, though it received mostly negative reviews from critics. DVD and Blu-ray releases followed on June 14, 2011.
The plot begins on August 12, 2011, when alien spacecraft land near major coastal cities. As Los Angeles is evacuated, Marines from Camp Pendleton arrive, including Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz, an Iraq War veteran about to retire. Assigned to 1st Platoon, Echo Company, 2nd Battalion, 5th Marines, Nantz serves under 2nd Lieutenant William Martinez. The platoon sets up a forward operating base at Santa Monica Airport, where they learn that the Air Force plans to carpet-bomb the area. Given three hours to retrieve civilians from a police station, the Marines advance through the city, suffer an ambush, and take casualties. Nantz, with Marines Imlay and Harris, searches for a missing soldier, Lenihan. After fighting off an alien, they join forces with soldiers from the Army’s 40th Infantry Division and Air Force Technical Sergeant Elena Santos. At the police station, they find five civilians: veterinarian Michele, children Kirsten, Amy, Hector, and Hector’s father Joe. A helicopter arrives to evacuate wounded Marines but cannot take the civilians; during takeoff, alien air units destroy it, killing Grayston, Guerrero, Lenihan, and Simmons.
The group commandeers a transit bus for evacuation. En route, they deduce that alien air units are drones targeting human radio transmissions. Santos reveals her mission is to locate and destroy the aliens’ command center controlling the drones.
Quick Facts
- Director
- Jonathan Liebesman
- Writer
- Chris Bertolini
- Producer
- Neal H. Moritz / Ori Marmur
- Starring
- Aaron Eckhart / Michelle Rodriguez / Ramon Rodriguez / Bridget Moynahan / Ne-Yo / Michael Peña
- Cinematography
- Lukas Ettlin
- Editing
- Christian Wagner
- Music
- Brian Tyler
- Studio
- Columbia Pictures / Relativity Media / Original Film
- Distributor
- Sony Pictures Releasing
- Released
- 8 March 2011 · Westwood · 2011 · 03 · 11 · United States
- Runtime
- 116 minutes
- Country
- United States
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The film's story was partly inspired by the Battle of Los Angeles, a rumored enemy attack and subsequent anti-aircraft artillery barrage that took place in Los Angeles during World War II on the night of February 24, 1942. The incident occurred a day after the Bombardment of Ellwood, when an Imperial Japanese submarine launched shells at US aviation fuel tanks. Director Jonathan Liebesman intended the film to be a realistic depiction of an alien invasion in the style of a war film, taking inspiration from Black Hawk Down, Saving Private Ryan, and United 93 for his documentary style of filming. He also drew inspiration from YouTube videos of Marines fighting in Fallujah for the look of the film. As a result, the film was not shot in 3D, as the director felt that combined with the handheld camera style would make the audience 'throw up in two minutes.' Instead, standard film was used, intercutting footage from three different cameras. The filmmakers tested shooting digitally on a Red camera but found it could not capture the same quality image as standard film. The film was shot for a PG-13 rating, as the director felt making it overly gory did not suit the more suspenseful tone they were trying to achieve. Screenwriter Chris Bertolini tried to include humor and suspense as well as action, which he felt were important elements to help draw the audience into the drama.
Reader's Guide
Battle: Los Angeles received mostly negative reviews from critics, but it grossed $212 million worldwide against a production budget of around $70–77 million, indicating commercial success despite critical reception. The film won the BMI TV Music Award for composer Brian Tyler, and its score was orchestrated by Tyler in conjunction with the Hollywood Studio Symphony. The soundtrack was released by the Varèse Sarabande music label on March 8, 2011. The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray on June 14, 2011. Its legacy lies in its attempt to blend military realism with science fiction, using a handheld camera style and drawing on real-world military tactics and camaraderie. The film's plot, involving a Marine platoon defending Los Angeles from an alien invasion, was partly inspired by the historical Battle of Los Angeles incident from World War II. The film's production involved co-production by Columbia Pictures, Relativity Media, and Original Film, and it was distributed by Sony Pictures Releasing.
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