Battle: Los Angeles

[Scareb]

I just liked that this film was portrayed from a military units viewpoint. More often then not these movies are seen from some civilian who is running around hiding from the aliens and somehow thwarting their plans. Instead this is from a military view so I enjoyed it a lot.

Also don't even compare this to that abortion of a film skyline. I will NEVER willingly watch that movie ever again.

 

[Larry Young]

You know, I guess it depends on the topic. There's something dangerous in manipulating patriotism. So I can like Lars Von Trier, who's outrageously, shamefully manipulative, but dislike Saving Private Ryan. My inner "reader of dystopian fiction" starts seeing red flags when I feel like my patriotism is being coerced. I can cry at the beginning of Up but not at the end of Private Ryan. Does that make sense?

Sure, I understand what you're saying, but I guess from a writing perspective, all storytelling is, at the core, manipulating the emotions in your audience. If the story doesn't invoke a passion of some kind in the audience, why bother telling the story in the first place?

I would submit that BATTLE: LA did its job on you in that it invoked such a passionate response. That's why it drives me nuts when people talk about movies and books and TV they've consumed and at the end of it say, "meh." That's the biggest insult to storytelling the Peanut Gallery can give.

 

[Melanie]

I watched the trailer and it seems to be a nice movie to change your ideas...

I think I will rent it soon !

 

[cayman shen]

Sure, I understand what you're saying, but I guess from a writing perspective, all storytelling is, at the core, manipulating the emotions in your audience. If the story doesn't invoke a passion of some kind in the audience, why bother telling the story in the first place?

Oh I hear you. But it's also the sign of a skilled writer to either a) not be too shamelessly obvious. You don't want the puppet's strings to show. You need willing suspension of even emotional disbelief or else your story is clunky and hackneyed. Or b) be so good the audience doesn't even care it's being played like a violin. Kill Bill comes to mind here. Toy Story 2. The Iron Giant. Yes, I was obviously being played, but the story was so damn good I let it ride. Battle LA is no Iron Giant.

 

[Larry Young]

•*What's "emotional disbelief?"

• I hated KILL BILL VOL. 1 so much I never saw the second one. Talk about the strings showing. :lol

 

[Melanie]

( thanks ! )

 

[cayman shen]

•*What's "emotional disbelief?"

• I hated KILL BILL VOL. 1 so much I never saw the second one. Talk about the strings showing. :lol

"Emotional disbelief"...not sure how to articulate it. My way of saying I'm resisting allowing you to manipulate me? So if I suspend my emotional disbelief, I'm intentionally letting down my guard so you can have your way with me as an audience member.

And yeah, Kill Bill isn't everyone's thing, but the end is very emotional to me, so I used it as an example. But you get what I'm saying when I mention Toy Story 3 or Iron Giant, right?

 

[Larry Young]

"Emotional disbelief"...not sure how to articulate it. My way of saying I'm resisting allowing you to manipulate me? So if I suspend my emotional disbelief, I'm intentionally letting down my guard so you can have your way with me as an audience member.

Isn't this why people go to the movies? To be entertained, experience the story with a room full of other folks who've chosen to go see the same film at the same time? Isn't that the contract you have with the movie makers? You're paying them for the opportunity for them to entertain you?

I talk with A LOT of people about audience expectation and have for YEARS and I've never heard from anyone that they go have the experience but they resist it at the same time.

I mean, I can understand that if you need brain surgery, then of course you want the brain surgeon to prove to you he's the best. But with something as self-selecting as your own personal choice of entertainment... not going in with an open mind just seems self-defeating and... well... odd... for an entertainment choice.

 

[cayman shen]

Isn't this why people go to the movies? To be entertained, experience the story with a room full of other folks who've chosen to go see the same film at the same time? Isn't that the contract you have with the movie makers? You're paying them for the opportunity for them to entertain you?

I talk with A LOT of people about audience expectation and have for YEARS and I've never heard from anyone that they go have the experience but they resist it at the same time.

I mean, I can understand that if you need brain surgery, then of course you want the brain surgeon to prove to you he's the best. But with something as self-selecting as your own personal choice of entertainment... not going in with an open mind just seems self-defeating and... well... odd... for an entertainment choice.

It's not that I don't GO IN with an open mind. I do. But bad writers or actors can spend all your goodwill in a hurry. You've never rolled your eyes at some trite, cheesy, cornball sentiment, at a time when a movie was trying to have or provide deep emotional impact but failed? How about Vader's "Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!"? I WANT to be moved emotionally, but I want it done skillfully. I want to be seduced. I showed up to the party; you don't have to slip something in my drink.

 

[Larry Young]

Naw, I haven't rolled my eyes at anything since I was about 13 or 14. I think rolling your eyes at something is about the most immature of all the nonverbal cues people have, and is the reason why when people use the rollseyes emoticon here I always type " **** that rollseyes emoticon and the horse it rode in on."

I am also notoriously easy to entertain. If there's some trite or cheesy or cornball sentiment in a movie that I find out of place (which would be impressive, because I love that writ-large stuff), I'd concentrate on the stuff in the movie I liked instead of the stuff I didn't. The fact that movies get made at all is such an impressive achievement I spot filmmakers a lot of points just for getting the stuff up on the screen.

Also, I don't have the huge problem with the prequels everyone else has. I don't mind the NOOOOOOOOO in ROTS at all. The one put into Jedi so Lucas has a parallel narrative structure after the fact is a hair more troubling to me, but I don't much like Jedi anyway and if I really cared I have my laserdisk rips to watch.

 

[yt]

I really liked the movie.

 

[Interceptor6]

Battle LA is still on my list to go see, under the "mindless yet entertaining" slot.
(Kill Bill 1 Was PURE cheese!! And I loved every second of it!)

 

[Mrjdogg131]

I thought it was a great video game--I mean it was basically just an actioner, pretty light on character and plot. I thought it was forgettable, but for 90 minutes or whatever I DID enjoy it. What I didn't enjoy was how it was so flagrantly propogandistic (is that a word?). At a few points I felt like I was watching an Army recruitment video.

it is a movie, you are thinking of battle field 3

 

[Larry Young]

No, he's using a metaphor.

 

[jfennell]

Loved this movie. Another good BUG movie, so to speak. Didn't have to concentrate or try to 'read' the characters. Just a relaxing, fight for human kind, butt-kicking, shoot'em up mindless movie. Definitely won't win any Oscars, but heck those are overrated anyway.

UPDATE: 02252012. Liked the movie so much I have acquired 3 character full uniforms and a stunt rifle. Final battle, Cpl. Harris and stunt rifle, Tech Sgt. Santos from alien autopsy scene, and SSgt. Nantz hospital and bus scenes.

 

[cayman shen]

EDIT: whoops

 

[rodneyfaile]

Finally saw this movie. I liked it a lot. I would describe it as Independence Day crossed with Cloverfield.

 

[Dart]

Saw it a little while ago. Didn't see it in the theatre because I thought it would be crap. My sister, who saw Skyline and BLA said to go see it. So I did.

I didn't mind that there was little character development. To me, it seemed like we were supposed to just go along for the ride with whomever was taking us. I enjoyed it because it wasn't dull and it wasn't another "America vs. ________" so much as it was people against an outside threat. Being non-American, I appreciated that there was consideration given to the rest of the world - that this wasn't just happening in the USA.

My usual philosophy when going to the movies is to just go along with things. The whole experience should be like a good waterslide (one that keeps ya going the entire duration of the ride and doesn't stop anywhere in the middle).

 

[rodneyfaile]

My usual philosophy when going to the movies is to just go along with things.

If everyone viewed movies that way, they would enjoy them a whole lot more.

Instead it seems most people would rather pick a movie apart and bash it. They think it means they have a more sophisticated taste. Its the equivalent of making fun of others to feel better about themselves

 

[SSgt Burton]

If everyone viewed movies that way, they would enjoy them a whole lot more.

Instead it seems most people would rather pick a movie apart and bash it. They think it means they have a more sophisticated taste. Its the equivalent of making fun of others to feel better about themselves

I like hamburgers, but I don't like having them all the time.

Sometimes I get to eat a fine steak. It doesn't happen too often, but when it does it is amazing.

If a movie is the equivalent of a hamburger to me, that's okay. I just don't want "every" film I watch to be a hamburger.

I don't think anyone here has called anyone an "idiot", or "simpleton" because they liked a particular movie.

However I have seen people called "film snobs" or "elitists."

I guess the door swings both ways.


Having said that... :rolleyes


I just bought Battle L.A. on bluray last week.

Do I think this is a "great" movie?

No.

However I like "Aliens vs Earth" movies in general. My collection ranges from classics like the 1953 "War of the Worlds", to movies like "Mars Attacks", and even movies like the 2005 "War of the Worlds", and "Independence Day" (which to me is like a hot dog).


Kevin