Rating: 
Summary: GOLDEN AGE SCI FI
Review: This DVD was purchased with great anticipation. I loved the book, but I wondered how the genre of the Sci Fi novel could translate to the large screen. In my mind, while reading Hubbard's novel, I envisioned the story as in the old Flash Gordon flicks, but in technicolor & digital sound.The DVD delivered this. A high quality action matinee feature that had little pretense. I was pleased with JT's Terl, which is faithfully portrayed as an oafish brute who had no morals. The interplay between Whitaker & Travolta was hilarious & added a dimension not noticed (by me) in the book. I would have given more of the thoughtful dialogue of the book to Jonny, but with things moving so fast, this is an understandable trade-off. The sound is great, with good dynamic range & surround phenomena. The visuals are a clear contrast of darkness & light. I particularly liked the bluish psychlo effects, against the Rocky Mountain vistas in accompanying scenes. I can see why it is selling so well in DVD. I travel a lot & there are a couple of DVDs that I play on my laptop. It is pretty funny that in planes or airports, there always seems to be several people who are attracted to the visuals. It is very similar to MI-2 & Matrix in that way. For the hyper-critic: skip this movie. It is for a good time & enjoyment nothing else. It is NOT my favorite movie, but it is right up there when I want to be entertained & watch something that holds my interest.
Rating: 
Summary: Campy Sci-Fi
Review: I found the quality of the DVD production to be very good - clearer, crisper than the movie. I enjoyed the movie but think the DVD is better due to the improved quality. If you liked the movie, you'll love the DVD. Great special effects, costuming and make-up, hilarious characters and a great story line. It's old- time sci-fi fun.
Rating:
Summary: Buy your own copy
Review: I was thoroughly entertained by this DVD. I dug the movie when I saw it in the theaters, and it's as much fun on the little screen. The special effects are great and Travolta is one of the best sci-fi bad guys in years. Rent it for yourself. I'm happy to have it in my collection.
Rating:
Summary: Soon To Be A Classic
Review: The more times I see this movie, the more I like it. It's deep and you've got to pay attention but it's an excellent story with excellent acting. It reminds me of Dune which when it first came out was panned but today it's a classic and millions of people love it. I think this movie will have the same results in the end.
Rating:
Summary: Better Still
Review: The re-editing and newly added footage have done a lot for the film. I was impressed with the results! I have seen the DVD version twice now and enjoyed it a lot. It is particularly great for the 13 and under crowd. Much fun!
Rating:
Summary: Some movies work with the books they're from - some don't
Review: Having read and enjoyed the book a few years back, when the DVD finally came out I obtained a copy right away. Due to the fact that few movies seem to succeed in providing the same imagery and impact that a book can, it was with apprehension (and my fingerss crossed) that I viewed the DVD. I was not disappointed. In fact I was quite impressed with the job done. Hats off to the producers, directors and actors. I was particularly impressed with the scenes included in the movie as well as the photography and the editing. For example, the simplified use of special effects, the over the top / campy acting and imagery presentation in a number of scnenes, and even the fact that while there is no blood actually shown in the movie, you sure believe there was. I thought John Travolta portrayed an well conceived villan and that Barry Pepper did a fine job as Johnny -- good and campy acting on both of their parts. While a simple story of good conquering evil, with some old time special effects done with an eye (or wink) to the action serials and stories of the 40s and 50s, I thought BattleField Earth did a very good job of it. All in all I think it was a very tough challenge to undertake. Hats off to those who pulled it off!
Rating: 
Summary: Worst movie ever made. Just plain sad.
Review: This is probably the worst movie I have ever seen. It is not even entertaining in a unitentionally funny kind of way. Ed Woods Plan 9 From Outer Space is Citizen Kane compared to this piece of (....) John Travolta please get someone else to pick your movie roles for you. Your Pulp Fiction comeback is just about over if you dont get your act together.Hardest to believe fact? Travolta is planning a sequel!!! I read it in US Weekly.For those who did not like Star Wars Episode 1, consider it Nobel prize worthy compared to this. OUT!!!
Rating:
Summary: As hokey as science fiction is, was, or will be.
Review: "Battlefield Earth" is tremendously bad: so bad, in fact, that it will shake your faith in ever watching another science fiction movie, let alone a movie with John Travolta in its cast again, either. The story is a bore right from the get-go, the acting seems solid but is wasted on a terrible plot, and the enemies vs. the good guys sequences seem like something out of a second-rate comic book that has been sitting on the shelves awaiting purchase for many years. Do these people think that all this cheese will just cancel itself out or what? The movie is based on the novel by L. Ron Hubbard, and if the novel is as bad as this, then it's not as big a shock. But still, the movie takes place in the year 3000, and Earth is no more a collection of countries and cities, but is under the rule of Terl, the leader of the evil Psychlos, who have taken over the planet and have total control of the natural resources and have left all the "man-animals" (humans) to fend for themselves. This is where our established hero, Jonnie Tyler, and his group of humans, to restore everything back to its original state and rid the world of Psychlo rule. So goes the basic, and continually basic, plot for this cheese-ridden sci-fi movie that has no worth for it's money. The story is so full of nothing but contrivance and cheesy effects that in the end, the film has done nothing except make us feel that we have wasted our money. Instead of picking up and going somewhere, it remains as stagnant and uncomfortable as the cheese the movie portrays. The only thing the movie really can be commended for is its portrayal of Earth gone wrong. The ruins of Washington D.C. are nicely rendered here, going frome wide shots of the outskirts of the ruined city ot its inner streets and burned-out buildings. This was pleasing to the eye, but hardly turns the movie into a style-over-substance flick. This is about as much style as the film has to offer, and despite a nice display of special effects, instead of feeling a sense of awe, you'll find yourself wishing effects of this quality could be extracted and placed in another, more lucid movie. John Travolta takes the centerstage of this hammy geekfest, at Terl, the leader of the Psychlos. He looks absolutely ridiculous, his costume invoking more laughter from that audience than the cliche jokes he spouts throughout the movie's running time. He is never able to inspire fear or suspense, and his acting is completely flat throughout. I found myself comparing his dreadlocks to those of that one black guy who plays on that soap opera all those years (not a good sign). His counterpart is Jonnie, played by Barry Pepper. Pepper does what he can to try and bring some life and thrills to the movie, but his attempts to save it from flopping are a flop themselves. He has nothing to do throughout the movie but swim along in a sea of plot contrivance and mixmatched characters, all given a touch of total unbelievability that ruins everything they thought would come off as a serious film. While this movie may provide some sort of rousing entertainment for a much, much younger set, maybe 10-year-olds, it is nothing new for those of us familiar with the sci-fi genre, and it proves to us all that movies this bad really are uncomfortable to sit the whole way through. I was squirming in my seat, just praying for the ending, which never seems to arrive. I found myself wishing things would pick up, but no such luck. My briefness in this review is a testament to the movie itself: it's short on everything a movie like this needs, filling its holes with loads of cheese and unnecessary twists and turns.Â
Rating:
Summary: How did this Happen?
Review: I didn't think that 70 million dollars could make such a bad movie. This moderately high budget film is the worst made film of its caliber that I have ever seen. It saddens me that with all of the great sci-fi books that could have been converted into a movie, that a second tier author like L. Ron Hubbard book was given this money. This movie has adapted a second rate story that is too long and is based on kind of sadistic sarcasim that would have taken a genuis of an author and director to make work in a movie. The story is based on a human characters revolt aginst a shockingly stupid alein overlord. The stupidity of the overlord (played by Travolta) is supposed to say somthing about the evils of bueracracy in powerfull governments, or somthing like that. Well Hubbard suceed at this in his books, and no one involved in this movie could do any better. If only the problem with this movie were confined to the scipt, I could perhaps forgive it. But no, the directing was bad, and the editing was simply awfull. I am no serious film critic, but this movie was painfull to watch even if the story is ingnored. The effect of the movie was like being stuck in a room with someone you not only strongly dislike, but who also smells bad. People have talked in other reviews how they liked the sceanery, and stage producdtion. I thought it all looked like plastic, and was just not consistant with the rest of the film. This movie is simply amazing in how bad it is. With the resources and talent that they had, I cannot think of a worse film they could have made.
Rating:
Summary: You stupid man-animal, watch this movie!
Review: The only thing that stunk about this movie was the ending. The jetplanes the cavemen used were way too old to be operational. I enjoy good camp, but logic holes that are too big usually detract from the suspension of disbelief this type of movie should inspire. Other than this I would give it five stars. The movie was actually enjoyable and funny. The scenes of wasted Denver were neat. The actors fit the roles. Travolta played a great comedic villain. I can't say enough for the FX - outstanding. And the plot wasn't half bad either. The critics bashed this a lot harder than they should have. It's not the best movie ever made, but it's enjoyable.
| 
