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Battlefield Earth (2000)

Director: Roger Christian

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2 reviews

Movie review

From Time Out Film Guide

This adaptation of a baggy, unfinished sci-fi novel by Scientology's L Ron Hubbard - starring famous acolyte Travolta - has a message that is loud but not at all clear. In fact, it plays more like a summer popcorn movie than a propaganda piece, with the emphasis on violent action, deafening explosions and CGI effects rather than meaningful statements. Travolta, it seems, had wanted to star in a film of Battlefield Earth since first reading the novel in 1982. Only the all-seeing L Ron knows why. The plodding storyline could not be simpler, or more boring. In the year 3000, the Earth is a post-war wasteland that has been colonised, Planet of the Apes-style, by hulking alien invaders, the Psychlos. Humans are used as slave labour, but unite to throw off the yoke of tyranny when fresh-faced hero Jonnie (Pepper), inspired by a glimpse of the Declaration of Independence in the derelict Denver library, hatches a plan to destroy the aliens' atmospherically controlled dome and overthrow the oppressors. Travolta originally coveted the 'good guy' role, but enjoys himself here as Terl, the Psychlos' sneering chief of security - although both he and his assistant Ker (Whitaker) wildly overplay the aliens' bombastic arrogance and mocking laughter. Director Roger (Nostradamus) Christian simply flings the action up on the screen, using visual wipes to disguise the lack of logic and continuity.

Author: NF 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

GerryMac, Belfast said...

Posted on Oct 08 2008 13:56 First, may I say that I can't understand either of the above reviews NF has given. Was he serious or was his tongue planted firmly up his ***? I'll leave that for anyone else who has seen this movie to work out!
As for me, a guy who has loved SF movies since a child, I couldn't actually believe my eyes and ears how bad this really was. It starts at the bottom and goes rapidly towards hell below zero after that. Everything in this movie has been done before. There is not one piece of originality throughout - except for how abysmally bad it is, of course! From the opening shots of a stuntman crashing through glass windows in slow motion (cf Blade Runner) and explosions of waste gases on a panoramic view of the townscapes (also Blade Runner), it copies virtually every movie ever made - and badly. Two great actors, Travolta and Whittaker, are wasted. Travolta has no excuse as he was its driving force in getting it made and producing it. Dialogue is risible, plot laughable, suspension of disbelief ?- don't even ask! I never would have thought that a modern director could have elevated the infamous Ed Wood into a directing genius but Roger Christian has managed it with this movie and has amply demonstrated that he himself couldn't direct a lobotomised sheep into a pen. With this offering, Mr Christian truly deserves to be thrown to the lions .

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NF said...

Posted on Sep 08 2008 00:39 wow i am an asshole. i cant believe i wrote this review, seeing how good the movie really is. someone shoot me.

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