A Scientist at the Movies Reviews by Greg Paris

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Title: Battlefield Earth

Date Viewed: 5/13/00

Details:

John Travolta

Barry Pepper

Forest Whitaker

Kelly Preston

Director: Roger Christian

Score: -

The Review:Perhaps I am the only science fiction fan on the face of the globe who has never read any of L. Ron Hubbard's massive series of novels that starts with the title Battlefield Earth. It never interested me. They just sat there on the bookstore shelves staring at me -- apparently big sellers, though, so I was a little curious about the film version. Well, we all make mistakes.

As the movie starts off, "it's the year 3000, and humans are an endangered species; when the planet was invaded, the natives only managed to put up a fight for only a few minutes before being soundly defeated." A degenerate and superstitious humanity survives in furtive cracks in a damaged ecosystem, occasionally rounded up to serve the conquering Psychlos as slaves. One human male -- "brighter than the average bear"-- eventually is put into a position where he can alter the balance of power. Yawn.

The character of the Psychlo dominant species -- the primary cast of the movie -- is defined as: ugly, egomaniacal, ungroomed, short-sighted, vain, scheming, bipolar, dirty, disgusting, sadistic, manipulative, unprincipled bullies -- totally unappealing in any sense. I've met any number of humans like this, and have no interest in following the alien antics of similar dysfunctional psychological profiles. No doubt the intent was a thoroughly repulsive and unsympathetic critter; they succeeded all too well.

This movie is so dull that I will not dignify it by wasting time with a "niggling blooper" section. Suffice to say that there are many errors and annoyances that detract even more from what minimal plot can be deciphered.

This film displaces all those present on my "Bottom of the Barrel" list of the worst science fiction movies of all time -- even worse than Starship Troopers, The Fifth Element, and Stargate. Don't waste your time. Now I can pass these volumes on the bookstore shelves with continued disinterest, and absolutely no qualms.

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