“Battle: Los Angeles”
Los Angeles becomes the last stand for humans when Earth is attacked by unknown forces.
There’s so much bravado and machismo in this story of a few Marines beating back an alien invasion, it’s the best recruiting film since the 1968 John Wayne film “The Green Berets.”
Director Jonathan Liebesman’s mission is to crank up the action to the eye-shaking, ear-rattling level. And it’s mission accomplished.
Grade: B-
“Red Riding Hood”
A young woman (Amanda Seyfried) begins to suspect the man she loves is a werewolf. Director Catherine Hardwicke’s latest film is almost the same thing as “Twilight.”
The updated take on the fairy tale follows a brooding young girl, Valerie (Seyfried), who’s being wooed by two mysterious hunks. The only thing that could get in the way of true romance is a werewolf.
Visually, the film is spectacular. The images are so striking they almost make you forget things like how no one notices the cold in their snow-covered environs.
Grade: C
Also coming
“Kill the Irishman”: Val Kilmer stars in this story of the rise and fall of Irish-American mobster Danny Greene.
“Off Limits”: Two cops (Willem Dafoe, Gregory Hines) are given a case no one wants solved.
“Kingdom of War: Part 1 & 2”: A monk declares sovereignty for Siam.
“Shot in the Dark”: Adrian Grenier’s documentary about his quest to find his biological father.
“36th Precinct”: Gerard Depardieu and Daniel Auteuil play rival cops.
“When They Were Young”: A look at the high school and youth basketball days of NBA greats.
Rick Bentley, The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)
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