Rating summary
Movie | | 1.5 |
Video | | 2.5 |
Audio | | 3.5 |
Extras | | 2.5 |
Overall | | 2.5 |
Battlefield Earth Blu-ray Movie Review
Reviewed by Martin Liebman November 12, 2020
If ever there was an example of Hollywood destroying the story, depth, detail, and overall likability of a novel, this might may very well be it. L. Ron
Hubbard’s beloved
1982 novel Battlefield Earth is sometimes a dense and sprawling read, but it’s also a rewarding character study amidst the story of a
radically altered future Earth landscape. The film adaptation’s production fiascos, critical failures, and box office flopping are the stuff of cinema legend
and Internet banter galore. Those details are best left to Bing. But even if the end product is one of the most loathed movies ever made, it’s at
least left behind a legacy of intricate teardowns and memes that have few equals around the Internet, all of which has, almost in a cruel way, elevated
the film into something of a fan favorite cult status.
For centuries, Earth has lay in ruins. Long ago the world was quickly defeated by the powerful Psychlos, aliens form another star who have
drained the world of its resources. Humans remain, some living in scattered settlements, others enslaved by the Psychlos which believe the species
to
be grossly inferior, dismissing the “man animals” as incapable of anything more than crude manual labor. When one surviving human, Johnny
"Goodboy"
Tyler
(Barry Pepper), wanders away from his encampment in search of truths about the world around him, he’s captured by the Psychlos. His
determination
and intelligence beyond the typical “man animal” catchers the attention of Terl (John Travolta), a Psychlo who has long seen his positing as Earth’s
head of security as a steppingstone to bigger and better things. But when Terl is told he shall remain at the post indefinitely, he and his cohort Ker
(Forest Whitaker) are left with a longshot option: to train Tyler in the ways of the Psychlos so he may in turn train his fellow “man animals” to mine
a
newfound gold vein which just might be Terl’s ticket off world once and for all. But Terl underestimates Tyler; he’s a natural leader and manages to
turn the tables on his Psychlo overlord, rally the remnants of humanity, and spark an uprising against the most powerful force in the galaxy.
The plot does operate better in the book where the characters are provided fuller personas and more complex shaping details beyond the crudities
that
exist in the film. But it’s not simply a poor translation from page to screen that knocks
Battlefield Earth down into the dregs of cinema
history; the movie proper is poorly constructed, too, endlessly stymied by Dutch angles, incessant wipes, low-grade special effects (which 20 years
on only look worse), poor lighting and color timing, unconvincing
props, and so on. Add lousy acting, thin characters, and goofy dialogue (Travolta’s Terl rarely allows a sentence go by without using the word
“leverage” or “man-animal”) and there's rarely a reprieve from the foulness that permeates the picture. To the movie’s credit, though, some of the
scripted repetitiveness does come from the novel where it does work better
when given room to breathe and the characters afforded more opportunity at solidified development. Travolta’s take on the villain is so over the top
that it teeters
on fun and even appropriate, certainly fitting the character’s single-minded motivation which is ultimately his downfall. Terl lives up to his species’
name; the character is psychotic, highly intelligent but too impatient and unwilling – not unable – to put the larger picture together. Of course that
does not speak well of his Psychlo comrades, such as Ker, whom he often gets the better of even when they believe they’ve played their ace.
Barry Pepper obviously does not match Travolta's theatrics but that's not his character. For the terrible script from which he works he does a
commendable job of amplifying his character's strengths and playing down to the Psychlo level when need be. Pepper's externalities are not often
award worthy, but his ability to play the long game and the mind game with his captor does work well if one can look beyond the movie's sloppy
surface.
Ultimately, though, it's a shame it doesn't work better, or really at all. The novel is very good and far more in-depth, including a significant amount
of content that picks up where the movie left off; this film's poor returns and critical responses canned a planned-for sequel. Opportunities abound
for a superior film in the same storyline with the far advanced dystopian setting (so many similar films take place with characters who still
understand their surroundings; here humans have devolved, somewhat, and the remnants of the old world and the old ways are little more than
vapor and tenuous, overgrown hints as to once was). With so much time behind the project, so much talent involved in its production, such a
quality
source with which to work, there's plenty of story behind the story, and if nothing else
Battlefield Earth has settled into a place in history as
one of the most fascinating bad movies ever made.
Battlefield Earth Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality
The movie states that "man is an endangered species." So too is the movie's filmic origin, apparently. Here's a picture's that's obviously poor from the
opening shot. It's been wiped entirely clean of grain, leaving behind a smooth, flat, artificial façade that robs the image of any inherent clarity, scrubs
away facial and clothing textures, and renders the entire thing phony and flat. It is in no way visually attractive but it somehow fits the movie's
aesthetic and style, anyway, as technically undesirable as it may be. The film rarely offers up anything resembling neutral colors; it's always pushing to
murky greens, chilly blues, and flat earthy tones. It's a divergent style that seems more interested in making sure the audience knows where it is
rather than ensure a quality aesthetic. A few other problems creep in, too. Look at the 2:44 mark for some serious banding and compression artifacts.
Such occur here and there throughout, including during the library scene in chapter six. Additionally, trace remnants of edge enhancement remain. As
poor as the movie may be, it deserves better.
Battlefield Earth Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality
Battlefield Earth's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is not significantly superior to the video, but there is more of a natural flow and
flavor to the whole, though certainly some scenes and sound elements are obviously lacking in precision excellence. Generally, the track offers solid, if
not slightly underwhelming, stage extension and low-end support, usually in the form of Psychlo craft engines roaring around the stage or gunfire
thumping
with a well-rounded thud. The chaotic action sequence to end the film offers plenty of activity but it never quite pulls the listener completely in, offering
more a series of sound effects rather than a well prioritized and perfectly balanced immersive frenzy. Sound detail never reaches the stratosphere,
either, offering solid enough core reproductions but struggling to bring the Psychlo-arranged Earth-based sounds to life with any kind of extravagant
spacing or fidelity. There's little in terms of environmental nuance, and what is present – inside dank "man animal" holding cells or out in open country
where a "mining operation" is underway later in the film – is cursory at best. Dialogue is at least generally stable, clear, and well prioritized with natural
front-center placement.
Battlefield Earth Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras
Battlefield Earth's Blu-ray includes five interviews (which play in conjunction with clips from the film) and a trailer. No DVD copy is included
but Mill Creek has bundled in a MovieSpree digital
copy voucher. This release does not appear to ship with a slipcover.
- Saga in the Year 2000: Directing Battlefield Earth (1080p, 12:54): Director Roger Christian speaks primarily on the film's
budget
but also explores project origins, his previous work that landed him the job, his collaborators on the film, the Dutch angles, costumes, casting,
shooting
locales, digital effects, marketing, and the film's release and reviews.
- Leverage: Writing the First Script (1080p, 15:46): J. David Shapiro discuses how his previous writing credits did not necessarily
translate to writing Science Fiction, landing the Battlefield Earth job, story themes, condensing the source novel, potential directors (Woo,
Stone, and De Palma), his displeasure with subsequent notes and suggestions, dismissal from the project, and more.
- Endangered Species: Scoring Battlefield Earth (1080p, 10:58): Elia Cmiral discusses the music he composed for the film,
breaking down musical themes and the scenes the score supports.
- Domes and Drones: Creating the Miniatures (1080p, 13:32): Model Builder E. James Small explores a number of the key models on
which he worked during production, including the dome (which was ultimately created digitally), dilapidated buildings, alien craft and weapons, and
odds and ends that didn't make it into the film.
- Psychlo Circus: Designing Battlefield Earth (1080p, 14:12): Patrick Tatopoulos discusses parts of the film he thought might
work, willingness to sign onto the project even with a less-than-perfect script, costumes, frustrations, and more.
- Trailer (480i, 0:54).
Battlefield Earth Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation
There is little argument that Battlefield Earth is a bad movie, but it has its charms which show themselves over time. Travolta's work can be
ingratiating looked at in the right way while the innate silliness at play at least allows audiences to revel in the movie's shortcomings rather than be
completely turned off and turned away by them. However one sees the film it's well worth inclusion in any film library. Unfortunately Mill Creek's Blu-ray
is severely wanting. The 1080p transfer is rough on the source and the 5.1 track is no great shakes. At least Mill Creek has included a few extras but
has not returned everything from the previous DVD release. A rare recommendation for a bad film and a mediocre, at best, Blu-ray.