Rating: 
Summary: A Sore For Sighted Eyes
Review: Probably I have seen worse films, but I can't remember just when. The film bears no resemblance to Hubbard's novel, with which I am very familiar. Unfortunately, even having read the novel, I was still unable to follow, or find, a plot in the movie. The characters are hollow and the movie in general simply stretches credibility too far. If you have not seen this, save your cash. Don't even pick it up when it comes out on video in your local grocery store (as bad as this is, it will be there next Thursday after a quick demise on the big screen). This is rated one star, because there is no lower possible rating.
Rating: 
Summary: Battlefield Earth
Review: I must say, that though this is not the greatest movie of the year, it is not the worst either. I must admit, that the acting was not the best I've ever seen, but I didn't go to the movie for intellectual appreciation, but rather, I accept this movie for what it is... a fun thing to do on a saturday night with friends. This movie is very straight forward and doesn't require much thinking. The book was better, but movies are rarely better than the books. This is a movie I would recommend if you are looking for a mindless activity while looking for something fun to do.
Rating:
Summary: Besides plot holes, just plain stupid
Review: The general plot is that the movie takes place in the year 3000 or so, the Earth is a wasteland and man is almost extinct. A race of aliens known as the 'Psychlos' have enslaved the human race. Basically, a rebellion is started under a human named Johnny (Barry Pepper) against the evil alien Trel (John Travolta), who leads security on the planet Earth. Never read the book, but now I don't want to. This movie is a big mistake from beginning to end. Besides not explaining at least have of what goes on, the film is horribly directed, acted, and the script is about as enjoyable as a soap opera. I hate it when a film leaves too many questions unanswered, especially when those questions have nothing to do with the story, but are merely curiousity because of specific actions. Aside from that, the numerous questionable plot holes make this a shame to walk out of and mention you saw it. I'm sure those who read the 1000-plus page novel (in small print) can probably understand what is going on, but I guess the two screenwriters assumed that everyone who saw this had already read the book. I find it funny that in the year 3000 the lights at Fort Knox just happen to still conviently work. Anyway, besides the obvious story irregularities, the technical aspects fall short all the way. The camera angles are obnoxious and almost insulting, like the director is trying to be original in some sense but is coming off like his tripods are broken. Perhaps if there was some artistic significance I would be able to live with it, but here there isn't. Travolta has played the villian a dozen times before, except the difference is here he looks silly and is tall. Barry Pepper does a sufficient job as the know-it-all human hero but his material is too cliched to be moving. The score is self-indulgent, wanna-be glory hound stuff that only succeeds in being extremely annoying. Some of the special effects are nice, but most are drab and downright amateur. A few of the action sequences were slightly impressive, but they only encompassed the last ten minutes of the film, the rest relying on the story. Normally I would approve of appreciation of the storyline, but this film handles it so poorly I would have prefered mindless action and effects. A movie that suffers from just about every single cliche known in filmmaking, 'Earth' is another chapter in sci-fi that will be forgotten quite soon. All the elements of a wretched movie are met in complete fulfillment here, with a few more thrown in for good measure. Don't bother.
Rating:
Summary: WoW! So BAD!
Review: John Travolta is definitely out of his relm with this one. Not only did this movie bore me, but I found that it stole things from great movies like Total Recall, Independence Day, the Postman, and Star Trek. . . Barry Pepper (who?) does nothing for his role as hero and Travolta's only good point is his imbacilic laugh. My friend and I made fun of this movie the entire time. Not worth seeing or thinking about again. Please Stay Away from this one--even if someone holds a gun to your head.
Rating:
Summary: Visually good. But thats about it.
Review: The look and special effects of this film are very good. For me, that can make a movie worth while. Normally i am not very critical of movie story lines, but Battlefield Earth has more plot holes than swiss cheese. To summarize, the year is now 3000 and man is an endangered spieces. Some of my next comments are semi-spoilers, so dont read on if you haven't seen the movie. First off the one main thing that bothered me was the so called tribe seemed to break into Ft.Knox with sticks, glad my money isnt kept there. Second, you find me anyone who can learn to fly a harrier in a week and i'll shake their hand. Third, after a thousand years of just sitting there, would it be plausable to find a Harrier in perfect working order, fueled and fully armed? I could go on and on. The movie still is alright, and is worth seeing at least once. Maybe just see it at a matinee or wait till it comes out on video/dvd. Oh, btw, can i smell a sequal? :)
Rating: 
Summary: A Fun Summer Thrill Ride!!!
Review: Battlefield Earth is not the greatest sci-fi adventure film ever made, it also fails to do justice to the novel, but do not listen to the tightwads lambasting this film for not breaking new ground in their dorky sci-fi universe, this one is quite a lot of fun.John Travolta continues his over the top villian technique here with Terl, a cruel and heartless Psychlo alien bent on using the near extinct human race for his own purposes. For a lower budgeted summer blockbuster, the special effects are often quite very impressive and the supporting cast plays things well. Battlefield Earth only fumbles the ball at the inexperienced hands of director Roger Christian. He doesn't do terribly, he just fills his film to the brim with unnecessary slow motion shots and some loopy Dutch angles. In the hands of a more experienced filmmaker, this film could've taken off like wildfire, instead, one has no choice but to ponder how better it could've been.This is knitpicking, in the end, the good outweighs the bad, and this summer sci-fi, while it won't win any awards, does as it's supposed to, provides enough thrills and adventure, humor and Travolta to make for a night's worth of entertainment. Lighten up and see it!!
Rating:
Summary: A Real Letdown
Review: A friend and I went on opening night to see what the previews had shown to be a really cool sci-fi movie. Within minutes of the opening scene, one could just tell that things were not as they seemed they would be. Set 1000 years into the future, man has regressed into an ape-like mentality, which I found quite laughable in and of itself. In many instances, the cinematography and orchestration were inappropriate as a weak scene was bolstered by extremely dynamic music and sounds as if trying to compensate for lack of a real plot. The constant barrage of changing dynamics really made you feel tired - and that was 30 minutes into the movie. In most sci-fi films, you need to suspend belief in order to accept what you are seeing - but this film violated even what is permissible for a sci-fi film. The performance by the actors disappointed the audience. On a brighter note, this film had probably the best special effects and impeccable CGI integration that I have seen since "The Matrix" came out, but everything seemed borrowed and didn't seem to belong. I really went to see this film because John Travolta was starring in it. My thought process was that if he has a starring role, it can't be that all bad. My take on this movie: wait until it comes out on a cable channel if you really must see it - it's not even worth renting. If you have to see a sci-fi movie on the silver screen this summer, wait for the next one to come out as it can't help but be better than this one was.
Rating: 
Summary: Battlefield Earth: Travolta & effects great!
Review: I just got back from the first showing here and I thought it was great. If you think homo sapiens are the good guys and that an Earth we do not control looks like Los Angeles in Bladerunner, you understand where this movie comes from. Travolta is the very perfection of evil -- as in anyone that evil has to be basically very, very stupid. Too bad Johnnie Tyler's girl friend Chrissy does not have more screen time for character development. I missed that from the book. Otherwise, first rate. Right up there with Indepencence Day, and more to come.
Rating:
Summary: A lot worse than the book ...
Review: ... and the book reads like it was written by a monkey with one of those fridge magnet poetry sets. Really, if this is Scientologist propagenda, then "the Church" is dumber than I thought. Special effects: not that great. Director: seems to think that tilting the camera equals "art film." Acting: overt the top. Plot: filled with holes. Travolta: shows just how smart he is by producing this piece of mush. Avoid.
Rating:
Summary: Unbelievably bad
Review: I was not expecting great cinema, but even my meager expectations were shattered. This movie was so bad that it defies explanation. The book wasn't great, but it certainly deserved better treatment than this - I thought John Travolta liked Hubbard! Bad acting and a script whose best feature was horrible dialogue were not saved by the special effects. Seriously, the effects were nice, but the suspension of disbelief required from this movie left many of the twelve-year-old audience members laughing aloud at the screening I saw. I went for free and still wish I hadn't seen it. Don't waste your time.
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