Battle: Los Angeles is a surprisingly competent and impressive production, and not only because it doesn’t suck. Sure, you can highlight its shortcomings – the character clichés, the cheesy empowerment moments, the awkward “maybe I can help, I’m a veterinarian” beats and the occasional logic bumps. But Jonathan Liebesman’s film is also a “retreat hell” action flick with a committed cast and a secret weapon – the ability to, in a well-worn alien invasion sub-genre, feel remotely original.
