Battle LA - Movie Review

The long awaited alien thriller "Battle LA" opened this weekend to the delight of millions. No doubt many had seen the now forgettable "Skyline", which was made on a much smaller budget and was not well received by audiences or critics. "Battle LA" did not disappoint, and was action packed from start to finish. The plot and sub plots were carefully set-up, and they created a sense of compassion for the characters. Aaron Eckert as a battle tested Marine Staff Sergeant was the main character who had recently lost soldiers under his command, and was planning to retire. The arrival of the aliens changed that as he was thrust back into a leadership role under an untested Second Lieutenant  well  played by Ramon Rodriguez. The aliens were different than expected, and were not as advanced as you might have imagined. Their ships and weapons while futuristic, seemed to be hundreds of years in advance of Earth instead of thousands or even millions.The special effects were good, but again there were no alien death rays or huge flying saucers to assimilate. The picture was filmed like an old war movie from the 1950's. It was definitely shown  from the soldiers perspective. While not a classic like the original "War of the Worlds",  B-LA was action packed,  touching, and kept you on the edge of your seat. I give it 3 1/2 stars out of 5.