I was sold on Battle: Los Angeles from the moment I found out the plot synopsis—a real-time alien invasion movie set in LA—but today was the first time anything from the film has been shown to an audience (unless you count the viral campaign spread around the Comic-Con convention center). Check after the break for a breakdown of what we saw, and our reactions.
The footage opens with references to past extraterrestrial attacks in the US, detailing historical moments of purported alien contact, such as military firing blindly into the sky at UFOs with no effect. Text reads: “These events have never been explained… Until now.”
Cut to the inside of a helicopter, with soldiers awaiting battle. They arrive to a devastated LA, which has now become a full-on battlefield. Gunfire and missiles rain down onto the city. Buildings have been reduced to rubble. Others are in the midst of being reduced to rubble, with an alien ship laying waste to the entire landscape.
Later, the soldiers—among whom is Aaron Eckhart—are given a rundown of their objective. “If it isn’t human, kill it.”
They walk through a cloud of dust in the city, which has now been deserted. They hear something up ahead. Out of the dust appears a dog, its leash still on. They relax briefly to take care of it, and a storm of laser-esque bullets is unloaded on the group. Obscured aliens are firing from every direction.
Unsure of where the gunfire is coming from, a solider retreats into the laundry room of an abandoned apartment complex. He tries to make contact with the rest of the group, but is soon spooked by an alien shadow. He darts outside, his gun at the ready. Slowly, he makes his way forward, shifting nervously as the threat of the alien looms. Then, he looks up—a tall, barely visible creature (wearing what appears to be a mechanized suit) launches at him, and the soldier is no more.
Cue montage of explosive alien action, featuring: Aaron Eckhart holding a kid in his arms as he runs to a helicopter that’s decimated by a missile; dozens of alien ships blasting through the city; citizens running away from intensive gunfire; and quick-cut shots of epic-scale mysterious alien entities (or possibly some sort of attack vehicles).
Home
