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Battlefield Earth (2000)


DVD Cover
Three out of Five

Movie

Rating: PG-13 (intense sci-fi action)
Length: 119 minutes

Video

Widescreen 2.35:1 Color (Anamorphic)

Audio

ENGLISH: Dolby Digital 5.1
FRENCH: Dolby Digital 5.1

Captions

English, French

Purchase

Plot

It's the year 3000 and humans have been near extinction for centuries due to being attacked and taken over by aliens that are only interested in stealing minerals from the Earth. Can the humans lead a successful revolt to regain their freedom?

Pros

This film has a strong cast and a very unique look. Don't take this as a serious movie; look at it as half sci-fi and half comedy. Some of the dialogue in this film will leave you rolling on the floor in laughter. How Travolta and Whitaker were able to get their lines out at times without laughing is truly amazing.

Cons

This film does get a bit cheesy and you do have to suspend belief to follow it (like you do for most sci-fi films). If you're looking for a serious sci-fi movie, you do need to look elsewhere.

Extras

  • Commentaries by Director Roger Christian and Production Designer Patrick Tatopolous
  • Behind-the-Scenes Documentary "Evolution and Creation"
  • John Travolta's Alien Makeup Test Feature
  • Creative Visual Effects Feature
  • Storyboard Montage
  • Cast & Crew Bios
  • TV Spots
  • Theatrical Trailers

Recommendation

The story is nothing more than the normal good guy underdog having to defeat the big strong bad guys. Having said that, this is one of the most reviled sci-fi movies ever made. The people that love the book by L. Ron Hubbard (a book I've never read) hate it like most fans of books hate movies that are made from them; just ask any Stephen King fan. People that hate or distrust scientology hate it for a number of reasons, one as simple as one of scientology's own, Travolta, starred in and helped produce it (they should take solace in that he lost money doing it). All I have to say is get over it and watch it for what it is; a simple and humorous sci-fi movie.

Director

Actors

Shaun Austin-Olsen - Planetship
Michael Byrne - Parson Staffer
[The Eagle has Landed, Force 10 from Navarone, Indiana Jones III, The Mists of Avalon, The Musketeer, The Saint]
Kim Coates - Carlo
[Assault on Precinct 13, Innocent Blood, The Last Boyscout, Open Range, Silent Hill]
Christopher Freeman - Processing Clerk
Sabine Karsenti - Chrissy
Sylvain Landry - Sammy
Earl Pastko - Bartender
Barry Pepper - Jonnie Goodboy Tyler
[25th Hour, Enemy of the State, The Green Mile, Saving Private Ryan, We Were Soldiers]
Michel Perron - Rock
[Gothika, Island of the Dead]
Tim Post - Assistant Planetship / Psychlo Guard
Christian Tessier - Mickey
[Taking Lives]
John Topor - Processing Clerk / One-Eyed Guard / Teleportation Supervisor
John Travolta - Terl
[Basic, Be Cool, Broken Arrow, Face/Off, The General's Daughter, Get Shorty, Michael, Phenomenom, Primary Colors, Pulp Fiction, The Punisher, Swordfish]
Richard Tyson - Robert the Fox
Forest Whitaker - Ker
[Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Good Morning Vietnam, The Last King of Scotland, Panic Room, Phenomenon, Phone Booth, Platoon, Species]

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