Battlefield Earth
Author, Paul West
Battlefield Earth, ludicrously billed as "The Saga of the Year 3000," is the kind of film in which an alien race can use a machine to implant the history of global civilization within seconds into a human brain by using a laser beam. But these aliens are also bent on conquering Earth and looting it of billions worth of gold. Why?
This is just one of the many questions raised by what can only be described as one of the cinema's landmark achievements in wretched science fiction. Battlefield Earth can't stake a claim to "so bad it's good" territory, but it approaches that caliber with resounding silliness.
John Travolta, whose career could, after this mess, nose-dive into the abyss of unemployment, co-produced the film and stars as Terl, a "Psychlo" from the "Planet Psychlo." Terl's stay in Earth is an unpleasant one. Earth in this film is the usual vision of a nuclear nightmare, devoid of cities and landscapes, its civilians akin to cavemen. Scenes are full of cliched gloom and doom that sinks to a new level of indifference. Assisted by Ker (an equally embarrassing Forrest Whittaker) during his stay on earth, Travolta delivers every line with ultra-sarcasm.
Try to make sense of this set-up: A hunter, named Johnnie Goodboy Tyler (Barry Pepper), is enslaved by Terl, who exploits civilians for his own commercial purposes. Johnnie is put to work in a gold mine, but ends up learning the history of Psychlo civilization (not to mention that of the entire Earth) and staging his own revolt.
Sound goofy? There's more, including ridiculous religious symbolism, dialogue that wavers uncomfortably between satire and imbecility, and visuals that are severely drab and empty. This ugly film has a murky visual look, and there's nary a shot that captures the fundamental elements of awe, wonder and beauty that are essential for science fiction to function.
Much of Battlefield Earth consists of dreary chase scenes and philosophical mumbo jumbo, with action scenes photographed in slow-motion, earning fatally unplanned laughs. Nothing makes any sense or adds up to any satisfying exercise in comedy, satire, drama, or science fiction. The technical work, including the tawdry visual enhancements, are astoundingly subpar.
The race of "Psychlos" (AKA psychos, get it?) is a curious assembly that walked off the latest Star Trek retread. Nine feet tall, they have ungainly dreadlocks, speak with perfect colloquial English, and feel the need to waste their time on Earth, "a pathetic excuse for a planet," instead of doing something useful with their knowledge or power. The actors are so absurdly costumed they appear uncomfortable on screen, and have such difficulty walking that they recall some of the worst moments in the notorious Plan 9 From Outerspace.
In fact, the film's director, Roger Christian (whose previous film, Masterminds, received some of the worst reviews of the decade), may very well be the Ed Wood of the 21st century. Watching Battlefield Earth is an incredibly vacuous experience. It is stunning that this film was made in an age when the production of a commercial film is such an arduous and expensive task. It would be fun if this film were bad enough to be good, but for most of its two hours, it is simply foolish.
You have been warned.
Battlefield Earth is rated PG-13 and is playing at Meridian 16 and Metro Cinemas
