"...and that is why...man is an endangered species..."

BATTLEFIELD EARTH (PG-13)

Reviewed May 15, 2000 - Check out the Battlefield Earth Website.

Studio Synopsis: In the year 3000, there are no countries, no cities... Earth is a wasteland. And man is an endangered species.

A millennium ago, vicious Psychlo aliens swept down from the skies and wiped out Earth’s entire defense force in nine minutes. Now, the handfuls of surviving humans are either used as slaves, stripping the mineral resources from the planet for use by the Psychlo race, or hiding out in remote mountain villages, primitive and cut off from the rest of humanity.

One of the most powerful figures on this new Earth is Psychlo Chief of Security Terl (John Travolta), a brilliant and monstrous alien who believes he was destined to conquer galaxies.

What he does not know is that one human, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler (Barry Pepper), is about to put a kink in his plan to exploit Earth’s human slaves for his own personal gain. A hunter who sets out to make life better for his people, Jonnie is captured and made to work as a slave in one of the Psychlos’ mines. It is here that his journey really begins – a grand adventure that will lead him to discover places and things he never knew existed.

Fuzzydog Review: In a loud, special-effects laden, post-apocalyptic vision of Earth in the year 3000, Battlefield Earth presents a science-fiction fantasy-world based on the work of L. Ron Hubbard.  It's big.  It's dark.  It's man versus aliens.  But despite all of its setpiece grandeur and computer-generated competence, Battlefield Earth also leaves much to be desired.  I'm talking about huge logic gaps, badly edited fight scenes, a lack of any emotional core, and the constant "seen it, done that" feeling you get while watching this film.  Sitting in the theatre, I couldn't help but be reminded of other sci-fi and/or post-apocalyptic efforts in the past decade or so, including The Fifth Element, Alien3, Waterworld, Dark City and of course, Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace.  And you know what?  Battlefield Earth is less engaging, less original, and less memorable than any of these films (yes, including Waterworld!).  Hello?!  It's bad enough that this film is derivative of all these prior efforts, but to do it with such overblown blandness is a real crime.  No thanks on this one...

Responses from cyberspace--thanks for writing!

prof watcher gives this movie  stars: "Travolta's Demolition Derby, San Francisco Chronicle; January 19, 2001 (A review of Battlefield Earth) "...There is a kind of nuttiness at work in this great big comic book of a movie. It is a spacey demolition derby. 'Battlefield Earth' needs to be approached by audiences in the same spirit Travolta approached his material. He's obviously getting a kick out of it." The new DVD was #2 on Billboard for the week that ended Feb. 3. It was #3 in DVD Empire's listings of Jan 28. So much for the prissy critics who hate anything that real guys like!" (3/4/01)