Battle: LA

Well, predicable, in all ways, I suppose, like "Independence Day" and other such "us against them" sorts of stories. "They" come with force, and they're horrible and implacable and ruthless, but we're noble and honorable and determined, even as we struggle with our usual junk.

Sure, lots of shooting and lots of explosions, and familiar LA landmarks coming under alien fire.

Okay, that said, I totally enjoyed "Battle: LA."

It's entertaining, with great visuals, fun acting, a story laced with some of the profound questions that color the human drama, and fun for folks who know LA ... familiar with streets like Lincoln and Olympic and landmarks like the Santa Monica Airport and the LA skyline.

Filmed in La, though, sort of dampens the effect, but so it goes. It's a story about LA, and as the general says, "We can't afford to lose LA," and that makes sense no matter what.

I enjoyed Aaron Eckhart as "Staff Sargent," with his Marine-like chiseled face, a man tormented by survivor's syndrome, trying to survive his own inner demons. Having lost men in a previous deployment, he's ready to leave the Maines, submits the paperwork to resign, but this sudden emergency puts all of that on delay.

He's called into action with a Lieutenant fresh out of school, a team-member resentful of his leadership, a big-mouth who's more noise than substance, a tough woman, a loving father, some frightened children, and always the alien soldier who may be just as scared of us, as we are of them, yet with a vastly superior technology.

Throughout the course of operations, some big thoughts:
- Loyalty to the team.
- Courage in the face of fire.
- Forgiveness - the surviving brother of a man lost under Staff Sargent's tour of duty is serving under his command here at Camp Pendleton.
- A father's love for his son.
- The reality of death.
- The power of persistance.

Michelle Rodriguez is a familiar face and voice playing a role reminiscent of her fine role in "Avatar." She brings a fine blend of Latino toughness and smoldering sultriness that says, "Look, but don't touch."

In the end, well, we still don't know how it's going to end. If this were the mid-50s, a story like this would be a great Saturday afternoon serial.

Worth seeing?

Absolutely, and see it in a theater, big screen.

Pay attention to the big questions, grab a bag of popcorn, sit back and enjoy the action.

Thank You for Smoking

"I do it for the mortgage!"

A black comedy (2005) about big tobacco and its darling-boy lobbyist who can spin a brick and turn the opposition into fumbling baboons!

A great cast of characters ... Aaron Eckhart plays the spin-doctor, a smarmy, cheerful, piece of crap who lost his moral bearings a long time ago and finds comfort in two companions, lobbyists respectively for alcohol and firearms. They refer to their weekly gatherings as the MOD Squad - Merchants of Death who pride themselves on the death-rate associated with their product - and tobacco leads the charge.

Robert Duvall is "the Captain" - the man in Winston-Salem who heads the industry - a ruthless southern gentleman. William H. Macy, a pompous senator; Katie Holmes, a "sell-her-body" reporter, and J.K Simmons as Nick Naylor's boss - a no-nonsense, back-stabbing, go-get-'em jerk who'd sell his grandmother for a buck.

Nick's son, Maria Bello, is all ears and eyes, watching his father flim-flam his way through life. Though living with his mother, he often travels with his father, learning how to spin his way to success, a protege learning how to talk!

In the end, crap floats. After losing his job, because he divulged trade secrets to the reporter, he manages a new spin, appears before congress, demolishes the opposition, seemingly has a moment of moral recall, regains his job, quits his job, and goes to work for other "down and out," misunderstood, industries - such as "loggers, sweatshop foremen, oil drillers, landmine developers and baby seal poachers."

As Naylor puts it: "Michael Jordan plays ball, Charles Manson kills people, I talk. Everyone has a talent."