CASPER
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Capsule reviews of films opening this week:
"Battle: Los Angeles": Jonathan Liebesman's disaster film doesn't rely as much as others in the genre on the gleeful horror of seeing familiar landmarks burn. Instead, this West Coast version of alien invasion distinguishes itself as an urban warfare film and a patriotic ad for the Marines. A dozen alien ships land on Earth — we only care about the one just off L.A. — and in the ensuing carnage, a platoon of Marines are sent into the fray with the seemingly inconsequential mission of rescuing a handful of civilians (Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena). The weary veteran Staff Sgt. Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) isn't their lieutenant (Ramon Rodriguez), but he's effectively their leader in survival and Marine honor. The talented Eckhart and Liebesman manage to pull off the ultra-seriousness for much of the film, before a laughable speech of teary-eyed inspiration finally does them in. There's oddly little sense of Los Angeles throughout. Instead, the movie stays close to the ground, bogged down in block-by-block combat. L.A. traffic triumphs again. PG-13 for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language. 116 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
• Jake Coyle, AP Entertainment Writer
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"Jane Eyre" — There's been no shortage of film versions of Charlotte Bronte's classic tale of romance and woe. Now, yet another take on the 1847 novel has come to the screen, with Cary Joji Fukunaga directing Moira Buffini's script, which shakes things up by messing with the narrative structure. It begins with Jane fleeing the imposing Thornfield Hall in hysterics and is told mainly in flashback, which creates tension from the start — even if you know the story. Fukunaga may seem like an odd choice to direct such revered literary material; his last film, "Sin Nombre," was a contemporary and violent tale of Central Americans making their way through Mexico on their way to the United States. But both are about people searching for a place to belong, and they share a visceral immediacy. Visually and tonally, his "Jane Eyre" is muted, stripped-down; it's gooey and marshy, vast and grassy, anything but lush — and that's what makes it beautiful. The pacing might even be a bit too low-key, but because it is, and because the attraction between Jane and Rochester simmers for so long, it makes the passionate bursts stand out even more. Regardless of aesthetics, the relationship between these two guarded people is at the heart of the story — it's the source of emotion — and Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender challenge and beguile each other beautifully. PG-13 for thematic elements including a nude image and brief violent content. 103 minutes. Three stars out of four.
"Battle: Los Angeles": Jonathan Liebesman's disaster film doesn't rely as much as others in the genre on the gleeful horror of seeing familiar landmarks burn. Instead, this West Coast version of alien invasion distinguishes itself as an urban warfare film and a patriotic ad for the Marines. A dozen alien ships land on Earth — we only care about the one just off L.A. — and in the ensuing carnage, a platoon of Marines are sent into the fray with the seemingly inconsequential mission of rescuing a handful of civilians (Bridget Moynahan, Michael Pena). The weary veteran Staff Sgt. Nantz (Aaron Eckhart) isn't their lieutenant (Ramon Rodriguez), but he's effectively their leader in survival and Marine honor. The talented Eckhart and Liebesman manage to pull off the ultra-seriousness for much of the film, before a laughable speech of teary-eyed inspiration finally does them in. There's oddly little sense of Los Angeles throughout. Instead, the movie stays close to the ground, bogged down in block-by-block combat. L.A. traffic triumphs again. PG-13 for sustained and intense sequences of war violence and destruction, and for language. 116 minutes. One and a half stars out of four.
• Jake Coyle, AP Entertainment Writer
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"Jane Eyre" — There's been no shortage of film versions of Charlotte Bronte's classic tale of romance and woe. Now, yet another take on the 1847 novel has come to the screen, with Cary Joji Fukunaga directing Moira Buffini's script, which shakes things up by messing with the narrative structure. It begins with Jane fleeing the imposing Thornfield Hall in hysterics and is told mainly in flashback, which creates tension from the start — even if you know the story. Fukunaga may seem like an odd choice to direct such revered literary material; his last film, "Sin Nombre," was a contemporary and violent tale of Central Americans making their way through Mexico on their way to the United States. But both are about people searching for a place to belong, and they share a visceral immediacy. Visually and tonally, his "Jane Eyre" is muted, stripped-down; it's gooey and marshy, vast and grassy, anything but lush — and that's what makes it beautiful. The pacing might even be a bit too low-key, but because it is, and because the attraction between Jane and Rochester simmers for so long, it makes the passionate bursts stand out even more. Regardless of aesthetics, the relationship between these two guarded people is at the heart of the story — it's the source of emotion — and Mia Wasikowska and Michael Fassbender challenge and beguile each other beautifully. PG-13 for thematic elements including a nude image and brief violent content. 103 minutes. Three stars out of four.