Battlefield Earth (DVD, 2001, Special Edition)

One fine morning my friends woke me up to tell me they had just watched the best movie this sorry excuse of a planet had ever seen! They were talking about Battlefield Earth, acclaimed as one of the worst film to roam the earth.

Indeed, many parts of the movie are confusing:
- Humans can crash through 5-6 layer of glass and bear no scratches.
- Aliens believe the human's favorite food is uncooked rats, despite an access to all the world's libraries for a 1000 years.
- Humans are back to stone age but are able to use flight simulators, F-16s and nuclear weapons.
- Harriers can still hover after a 1000 years without fuel or upkeep.
- Aliens believe that the dog is the superior specie because they took a snapshot of one being driven by a "man-animal".
- Aliens cannot breathe human air, humans cannot breathe alien air, spectators cannotr understand where is which.
- Aliens willingly give information to humans along with spaceships and leave them unattended, leading to the destruction of the aliens home planet.
- Humans in captivity look more than happy and not at all surprised to eat slimy goo, even as first timers.
- No one has the slightest clue what a "cycle" is, yet it is crucial to understand Terl's (Travolta) misdemeanor, source of the plot.
- etc.

Now, one might think this movie in not worth purchasing. Indeed, with endless options for download (and renewal), why bother spending the money we can ill-afford to spare. Well I just spent said money to buy the special edition! Since I watched the feature, it's been like a drug, I cannot express the grim feeling running through my soul if I cannot reach my computer to watch what I like to call the "Ambassador Scene" (unarguably the best scene in the whole wide world). If you've spent a good night out with friends, it will provide the last good laugh you need to call it a day. Go ahead ans treat yourself. I know I've earned it!

Herr Dr. Pönn

It's one of those films that you've probably heard about and as one of the most expensive flops of all times that's hardly surprising. Because, believe me it's bad, truly, truly bad. After watching this film for the first time I was left with the sense that if everyone involved and just tried 10% extra it would be - without doubt the single worst film of all times, even worst than Plan 9 From Outer Space. As it is, Battlefield Earth ranks along side Freddy Got Fingered in terms of appallingness and is so bad it'll almost certainly make you angry. There's little to recommend it. At the time, Travolta seemed determined to piss away any remaining kudos he'd gotten from Pulp Fiction with as many bad acting roles as possible and this must rank as the single worst acting performance of his career. That his performance outshines everyone elses is a testimony to just how bad he is. The story is laughable, the plot holes hilarious - Harrier Jump Jets that still work after a thousand years of sitting in mountain caves? - To name but one. And yet despite all that I've managed to watch it twice, even now as I write these words I ache for its awfulness. It's like watching a train crash - you'll end up mesmerised by it's badness, stunned by the fact anyone made it in the first place. If only it was bad enough to enter that legendary pantheon of - So Bad it's Good movies, but sadly it isn't. Sure you'll meet people who'll swear blind it's brilliant but in my opinion it's probably best to ignore them, they'll either be mentally challenged or Sciencetologists. Buy it and watch it for a laugh but don't expect to be able to watch it all the way through without resorting to the fast forward button.

To this day I try to understand the bad attention this movie gets. The story misses things that we wonder about, but so do all movies. We take pride in the fiction BECAUSE its different from reality. If we needed an explaination for exactly how Yoda can lift stuff with his mind we would say how much Star Wars sucked. The makeup is a little weak, but the animalistic revenge is beautiful. It can be a good movie even if you're not into scientology. It's the lowly and primitive rising against advanced power. The way all movies should go. Some of the effects do look "dumb" and poorly thought out. So if you prefer a title with those "flawless" scenes that wow with their perfection, this is not going to impress you.

This is a pretty good movie. I always enjoy John Travolta as a bad guy. As far as science fiction goes it is a bit cornball but good. The general theme of the "greater good" comes across very well. The effects were decent. It's too bad production costs are so high for any type of film nowadays so we will not see the end of the saga (the other half of the book). It was acceptable as a family film also. My kids enjoyed it, that is always a plus.

If you like Star Trek (etc., and scifi in general) and like Travolta, you will love this DVD. Travolta plays a somewhat mean character in this scifi movie, it is a different move for him but some aspects can be seen in his later movies also. He can do a great mean guy. If you are not into scifi movies then you might pass on this as it has a dark futuristic scheme involving people in slavery. The story is pretty good and acting is good also, but true it is Travolta that lights up the screen with that devilish intellect and makes this good movie great. Travolta was deeply involved with the making of this film and it shows.

Some read other things into this movie, but I did not. If it is trying to give me a religious message or something I did not get it. Considering that anything in scifi is allowed and IS fiction, I don't see problems with this storyline. No movie is perfect, just be entertained or turn it off. The little guy winning is always a corny story to me, but what else are you going to do a movie about? Ok lets not bring up that question here. This is fiction manufactured from today's ideas so it is about what I would expect, however I found it plenty entertaining to watch.