Battle Los Angeles Blu-ray Review

Battle: Los Angeles" on Blu-ray is presented in a 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 encode, delivering a superb video quality that stays true to the film's intentional visual subtlety and detail. The presentation showcases an understated yet effective color palette dominated by urban grays and muted tones, reflecting the gritty and smoky battle environments. However, the transfer doesn’t shy away from displaying vibrant flashes of key colors such as reds in CNN graphics, fiery oranges, and blues in earlier sequences, adding to the visual depth. Despite these deliberate color choices, the imagery retains an impressive clarity across a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, with strong black levels that contribute to inky-deep night scenes without succumbing to crush, ensuring that the cinematic quality is maintained throughout.

Detail is one of this transfer's most notable strengths; every facial nuance, scratch, and texture is rendered with exceptional clarity. This keen attention to detail extends to the smallest of elements, from the wear on helmet chin straps to the grime on actors' faces, all highlighted against a fine layer of natural film grain. The sharpness and resolution achieved here ensure that even amidst rapid movement and the occasionally disorienting shaky-cam, viewers can appreciate the finer points of the action. Bright whites and spot-on contrast also enhance visibility and depth, allowing for a highly detailed visual experience even in the far distance.

In essence, Sony's Blu-ray presentation of "Battle: Los Angeles" succeeds in capturing every nuance intended by its filmmakers with precision and care. While the color scheme may appear subdued by design, it serves to enhance the film's atmospheric tension. Coupled with robust and penetrating black levels for night sequences, and an overall clarity that showcases meticulous detailing, this visual portrayal remains both striking and true to its source material, offering viewers an immersive cinematic experience free of digital anomalies or excessive post-processing.

The audio presentation of "Battle: Los Angeles" on Blu Ray exemplifies what a high-caliber, multichannel lossless sound track should be, perfectly embodying the chaos and intensity of urban warfare through its meticulously crafted soundscape. From the opening scenes featuring a well-defined, booming low end that signals a no-nonsense approach, to the intricate replication of an incoming extraterrestrial attack via news reports stretching across the soundstage, the audio effectively transcends the physical speakers to create a boundless auditory experience. This seamless immersion is further enhanced by crystal-clear dialogue that remains impeccably centered, regardless of the on-screen chaos. Ambient sounds and the musical score, including tracks like 2Pac's "California Love," are brilliantly rendered, maintaining the atmosphere without overshadowing the clarity of dialogue or the subtleties of the background.

The soundtrack truly excels when it comes to depicting the sonic landscape of battle. The potency and distinctiveness of each weapon's fire, from SAWs to M4s and alien armaments, are rendered with such precision that listeners can identify them by sound alone by the film's climax. This attention to detail extends to the sound of bullets whizzing through the air, matching the visual tracer fire, and explosions that are both powerful and sharply executed. The low end supports these moments with regular, clean contributions that never degrade into distortion. Background elements are constant yet meticulously layered, offering distant echoes of warfare that contribute to an all-encompassing sense of dread and urgency, pulling the listener directly into the strife-torn streets of Los Angeles.

However, amidst this aural spectacle, there is a slight caveat. The soundtrack's vigor and intensity at times overwhelm, making dialogue hard to discern - a point that might stem from the original sound design rather than the Blu Ray audio mix itself. Despite this minor issue, which could arguably detract only slightly from an otherwise stellar auditory experience, "Battle: Los Angeles" presents a reference-quality audio track. Its expansive and immersive 360-degree soundfield, combined with an authoritative low end and excellent dynamics throughout the mid-range, deliver an atmospheric yet precisely balanced soundscape. This mix could serve as exemplary demo material for any home theater system, provided one appreciates an audio experience that is as excessive and bombastic as it is immersive and detailed.

The Blu-ray release of "Battle: Los Angeles" presents an engaging, albeit not comprehensive, array of special features. Focusing on a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage, detailed featurettes, and a unique picture-in-picture Command Control option, it provides a fascinating insight into the creation of this war-meets-alien-invasion film. Noteworthy is the absence of the much-anticipated Resistance 3 game demo, a disappointment for some fans. The extras dive deep into the characters, the actors' intensive military training, and the sophisticated special and visual effects. The inclusion of a comprehensive look at the alien design, from concept to CGI, and practical effects complements the film's documentary style. Building the war-ravaged Los Angeles in Louisiana and putting the cast through a rigorous boot camp adds layers of authenticity, making these extras a valuable addition for fans interested in the filmmaking process. However, the presentation could have benefited from more expansive content to fully satisfy all interests.

Extras included in this disc:

• Command Control: Interactive feature with storyboard comparisons, behind-the-scenes footage, and mini-featurettes.
• Behind the Battle: Discussions on the unique premise and documentary style.
• Aliens in L.A.: Detailed exploration of alien design and green screen acting.
• Preparing for Battle: Examination of physical preparations for roles.
• Boot Camp: Insights into military-style boot camp for cast.
• Creating L.A. in LA: How Louisiana was transformed to look like Los Angeles.
• Directing the Battle: Exploration of Director Jonathan Liebesman's approach.
• The Freeway Battle: Behind-the-scenes look at one of the key action scenes.
• Previews: Trailers for additional Sony titles.
• Battle: Los Angeles PS3 Wallpaper.
• MovieIQ.
• BD-Live.
• DVD Copy.

Battle: Los Angeles," despite its ambitions, unfolds as a mixed bag of stunning visuals and a hearty dose of Hollywood clichés, rendering it an experience that oscillates between engaging spectacle and missed opportunities. Presented by Sony with a high-quality Blu-ray release, the film, directed by Jonathan Liebesman, is an attempt to blend the grit of war films with sci-fi action, but finds itself ensnared in its adherence to formulaic narrative arcs and underdeveloped characterizations. Liebesman, leveraging a background in horror and action, delivers a loud, CGI-driven portrayal of alien invasion set against the backdrop of Los Angeles, albeit actually filmed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The movie thrusts viewers into the chaos from the get-go but stumbles with its insertion of flashbacks and shallow character development which detracts from the immediacy and immersion of the combat sequences.

Aaron Eckhart leads the cast as Staff Sergeant Michael Nantz, a war-weary Marine who embodies the archetypal reluctant hero dragged back into the fray. Surrounding him are thinly sketched characters played by talents such as Michelle Rodriguez and Bridget Moynahan, who navigate through a predictable plot dotted with heroics and revelations meant to bolster a sense of camaraderie and sacrifice. Criticisms are leveled at the film's PG-13 sanitization, which seemingly undermines its ambition to present a raw and realistic depiction of warfare, opting instead for a more family-friendly portrayal that compromises on authenticity. The narrative, borrowing elements from superior war and sci-fi films, trudges through familiar territory, culminating in moments that intend to resonate with grandeur but often feel contrived.

Nevertheless, "Battle: Los Angeles" manages to captivate with its high-octane action sequences and compelling visual effects, albeit marred by occasional lapses in execution. The director's use of shaky-cam aims for an immersive, on-the-ground feel but risks disorienting viewers, contributing to a disjointed narrative flow that swings between intense battle scenes and forced dramatic interludes. The film's technical aspects, notably its cinematography and sound design, anchor the presentation on Blu-ray, providing an enveloping audiovisual experience that somewhat redeems the film’s narrative shortcomings. While "Battle: Los Angeles" may falter in delivering a coherent and impactful story, it succeeds as escapist entertainment that showcases the spectacle of urban warfare amidst an alien apocalypse.

Battle: Los Angeles," as directed by Jonathan Liebesman, polarizes opinions with its portrayal of an alien invasion, teetering between a high-octane military spectacle and a pitfall of sci-fi clichés. The movie finds a curious middle ground—drawing in audiences with its blend of gritty warfare and palatable PG-13 action, even as it grapples with a plot that's often overshadowed by sheer noise and pyrotechnics. Critics argue that while the film tries to balance between hardcore battle scenes and broader, accessible entertainment, it occasionally succumbs to contrivances and laughable dialogues. However, it earns points for not overreaching, sticking to its guns with commendable dedication to delivering straightforward, action-packed sequences amidst the chaos of extraterrestrial combat.

The technical presentation of "Battle: Los Angeles" on Blu-ray is unanimously lauded, sparkling with exceptional audio and visual quality that propels the viewer right into the heart of the fray. This aspect, along with a generous suite of extras, elevates the overall package, offering fans an immersive experience that almost justifies the purchase alone. Lovers of thunderous battle scenes and dazzling visual effects will find much to appreciate here, underscoring the Blu-ray release's appeal to its core audience. The added content further enriches the viewing experience, although it may not fully compensate for the film's narrative and dialogic shortcomings.

In conclusion, while "Battle: Los Angeles" may stumble narratively and struggle with a degree of hollowness in character development, its Blu-ray release shines technically, making it a compelling pick for enthusiasts of action and science fiction cinema. The film robustly serves its target demographic of action buffs and war movie aficionados, delivering on the fronts of sensory overload and escapist entertainment. Despite its pitfalls, the movie, complemented by an impressive Blu-ray presentation, manages to carve out a niche for itself, particularly among those who prioritize spectacle over substance.