6.1 | / 10 |
Users | 4.0 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.9 |
A squad of U.S. Marines becomes the last line of defense against a global invasion.
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Ramón Rodríguez (XVIII), Will Rothhaar, Cory Hardrict, Jim ParrackAction | 100% |
Sci-Fi | 54% |
Thriller | 52% |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
French: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Single disc (1 BD)
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 5.0 | |
Audio | 5.0 | |
Extras | 0.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
Work as a unit and we will prevail.
Battle: Los Angeles is going to take more incoming fire from highbrow critics than does the Marine detachment from alien invaders in the
movie. Make no mistake, this is big, dumb, loud, and plotless Hollywood trifle, and every last second of it is a blast. Director Jonathan
Liebesman (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning ) didn't set out to win a Best Picture Oscar with Battle: Los Angeles; he has
instead crafted exactly what a movie of this "plot" should be: mindless entertainment. Most times, the big and ridiculous fare doesn't work, but this is
the exception. Here's a movie that's content to be loud and exciting, delivering what is, in essence, a video game come to life. The film makes no false
pretenses and it never becomes too corny, even when the rah-rah rally around the leader and save the day stuff rises to the
forefront.
Liebesman does a fine job of balancing big action with an impending sense of fear that manifests in the first half and is released in what is practically an
incessant string of lengthy action scenes in the second half. It's a cathartic experience of sorts, escapist entertainment at its finest for sure, allowing
audiences to both fear the unknown and experience impending doom from the safety of the theater.
Chaos in "4K."
Sony's commitment to releasing the finest Blu-ray products is evident with every spin of a Sony-branded disc. The consistency of product -- from the
latest blockbusters to the most cherished classic titles from years gone by -- is arguably tops in the entire industry, and why shouldn't it be; Sony
was a lead Blu-ray design and advocacy outfit, its PlayStation 3 console offered disc playback and instant wide format adoption, and the first wave of
titles released back in 2006 bore the
Sony label on the spine. Since then, and through a few growing pains and spurts -- a bloody format war, a misstep or two, the transition from Dolby TrueHD to DTS-HD Master Audio -- the
studio has emerged as the most trustworthy in the industry when it comes to its Blu-ray product. When it says Sony, chances are extremely
high that the movie is going to look
(and sound) about as good as the format allows. Now, Sony is recalling the days of its "Superbit" DVD releases with the emergence of "Mastered in
4K"
(*)
Blu-ray discs. The initial wave consists of a handful of films, all of which have enjoyed previous, and largely very high quality, Blu-ray transfers. The
new
transfers are sourced from 4K masters but here's where the giant asterisk comes in: they're then downscaled to standard Blu-ray 1080p resolution.
That
means buyers can enjoy them on their regular old Blu-ray players and their regular old HDTVs -- no fancy new hardware required. The downside is
that
viewers aren't really seeing the material in 4K; even those who shell out the large sum of cash for a new 4K TV will be treated only to an upscaled
presentation, much the same way today's regular old TV/playback 1080p device combos upscale standard definition DVDs.
Watching the "Mastered in 4K" transfer in 1080p does yield some benefits over the standard 1080p Blu-ray releases, even if it's not a true 4K
experience. The discs
take advantage of a significantly higher bitrate than regular old Blu-ray discs, meaning more muscle to produce the finest picture quality, revealing
superior details and showcasing that perfect cinematic, pleasing grain texturing for pictures photographed on film and more accuracy for those
photographed in the wholly digital realm. "Mastered in 4K" discs also promise superior color balance and accuracy, reproducing a more
faithful-to-the-source palette that will reveal the sort of natural shading and subtle nuance even the best of 1080p Blu-ray cannot match. More, Sony
promises
enhanced viewing on its own line of 4K TVs thanks to a proprietary upscaling algorithm that's designed to squeeze the most out of
the "Mastered in 4K" line of Sony discs, above and beyond what any competitor's display can offer. Makes sense considering some branch of Sony is at
work
along every step of the process. Unfortunately, one of Sony's shiny new 4K televisions was not available for review purposes, but suffice it to say that
either of the launch displays -- the 55" and 65" XBR-labeled sets -- will undoubtedly offer the best consumer viewing picture to date, whether joined
with a Sony "Mastered in 4K" disc or a regular old Blu-ray from any studio.
Here's another example of where the "Mastered in 4K" disc looks fabulous but is not by any means the leaps-and-bounds superior to Sony's excellent
original Blu-ray release. But it sure is pretty. Really, really pretty. In fact, the
vibrancy, stability, attention to exacting detail, and color reproduction are absolutely second to none. The image delivers a positively dazzling array of
tactile, nuanced textures. Nylon helmet straps and MOLLE gear, kevlar helmets, T-shirt collars, and all the way down to the wear and dirt on suede
combat
boots
all appear spot-on real. The 4K transfer of the 35mm film element, even downscaled to 1080p, squeezes out every last little subtle textural detail in a
movie in which there are plenty in practically every shot.
Facial details are equally excellent; every line, pore, and bead of sweat and all the dirt, grime, and blood are not just visible and well defined but just
about the pinnacle
of cinema realism. All of this is not even to mention how great the war-torn urban environments look. Even through thick smoke, the rubble and
overturned and charred cars take on a noticeable amount of accuracy, even at a distance and in the best lighting conditions, for instance when an
alien craft is taken down at a gas station or, soon thereafter, during an intense firefight on the freeway. The transfer enjoys a natural sense of depth,
as much as can
be accomplished in the 2D realm, thanks in large part to the pristine nature of the image and the sharpness that extends all the way back to the
furthest background detail. Very light grain remains; it's rarely noticeable but plays a critical part in shaping what is a stellar film-like texture. Colors
are
equally fantastic. Battle: Los Angeles isn't a movie that delivers the most vibrant and diverse palette to begin with. There are no major
splashes of red, blue, or yellow, but what's here dazzles. The tan, brown, dark green, and gray combat uniform pieces look wonderful, particularly
early
when when they're not torn and covered in dust and grime. An early scene in a flower shop and, later, when the men assemble prior to deployment
show off just how nuanced the colors are. The desert camouflage pattern almost literally looks as good as seeing it in real life. Black levels are rock
solid
strong and flesh tones appear even across a fairly broad spectrum from the palest to the darkest soldier. There are a couple of very minor, very
unpronounced instances of banding, the most
noticeable being along a wall around the fifteen minute mark. Otherwise, this is what a perfect high definition transfer looks like.
All screenshots have been sourced from the "Mastered in 4K" Blu-ray disc. The first nineteen shots have been selected to match those found in
the review of the old release. New screenshots have also been aded for perusal.
Battle: Los Angeles features a dynamic multichannel lossless sound presentation that practically transports listeners into an urban war zone, the same, it seems, as appears on the previous release. The movie begins with a loud and tight push at the low end; this one means business for sure, and things only get better as the movie progresses. The opening is followed by a string of various news reports of the pending attack stretching out across the front of the soundstage to a point that the sounds effectively eliminate the speakers and create a seemingly seamless and limitless sound field. Dialogue, both in calmer scenes and in the heat of battle alike, is perfectly centered in the middle front speaker and is of the utmost in clarity and precision. Minor ambience spills into the back channels during quieter moments, and music is crystal-clear, whether instrumental score or the beats of 2Pac's California Love. Of course, none of that is the featured attraction. Battle: Los Angeles thrives on the sounds of combat. Weapons fire is potent and clarity is excellent, to the point that astute listeners can by the end of the film identify the different sonic signatures of SAWs, M4s, and alien weapons by sound alone. Shots zip through the soundstage, often following the lines of tracer fire across the screen. There's no shortage of energy, and the low end kicks in with regularity in the process of creating intense explosions that rock the listening area but do so cleanly and accurately; never does the track fall apart into a jumbled mess of indistinct sound effects. Even better, the background is constantly filled with distant weapons fire and explosions, which truly creates a sense of panic and chaos even when the fighting is miles away. Battle: Los Angeles is of reference quality from the top down; did anyone expect less?
Battle: Los Angeles contains no supplemental content.
Battle: Los Angeles has "divisive" written all over it. On one hand will be movie fans who can look past the flaws and enjoy the ride, and on the other will be those who see in it just another cliché-riddled plotless clunker that relies on explosions and yelling and gunfire to mask the absence of a plot. Then there will be a few who will wish that the movie had gone further and portrayed a grisly, no-nonsense picture of an alien invasion, not a watered down final take. The truth is that Battle: Los Angeles falls somewhere in the middle of all three. Most important, though, it's entertaining, even if it's flawed from every angle, and it tries hard -- and succeeds a good deal of the time -- to find a balance between gritty War movie and semi-safe PG-13 entertainment. More forgiving general audiences should like it enough, and Action junkies and War movie enthusiasts should enjoy it a great deal. Battle: Los Angeles could have been better, but then again, so could the vast majority of movies out there. This one is at least content to do its thing and do it (usually) very well without trying to be something it's not and doesn't need to be. Sony's Blu-ray "Mastered in 4K" release of Battle: Los Angeles offers incredible picture quality. It's an instant reference presentation for video, and the soundtrack is killer, too. No extras are included. It's probably not worth the upgrade, even at a relatively friendly price, but to be sure this is the definitive version of the film from a videophile's perspective.
2010
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20th Anniversary Edition
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Limited Edition
1997
Director's Cut
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20th Anniversary
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