Battlefield Earth Review

Battlefield Earth

Release Date: 28th September 2000 - Australia


Production Companies

Warner Bros. Pictures (presents)

Morgan Creek Productions (in association

with)

Franchise Pictures (in association with)

JTP Films

Battlefield Productions

Distribution

Roadshow Films

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: M

Runtime: 117 minutes
                119 minutes (DVD)

Budget: $75,000,000
              (Declared)

             $44,000,000 (Actual)

Box Office Gross:
$29,725,663 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary

In the year 3000, Earth is now under the rule of a manipulative alien race known as the Psychlos. They have conquered the planet, enslaved humanity and stripped its precious gold. A human named Tyler gets captured and enslaved after leaving his desolate home high in the Rocky Mountains in search of the truth and

becomes humanity's last

hope of taking back their

planet.

Cast

Barry Pepper - Jonnie Goodboy Tyler

John Travolta - Terl

Forest Whitaker - Ker

Kim Coates - Carlo

Sabine Karsenti - Chrissy
Michael Byrne - Pastor Staffer

Christian Tessier - Mickey

Sylvain Landry - Sammy

Richard Tyson - Robert the Fox
Michael MacRae - District Manager Zete
Shaun Austin-Olsen - Planetship
Tim Post - Assistant Planetship/Psychlo Guard
Earl Pastko - Bartender

Kelly Preston - Chirk
Jason Cavalier - Floyd
Sean Hewitt - Heywood
Andy Bradshaw - Mason
Jim Meskimen - Blythe
Tait Ruppert - Rodman
Marie-Josee Croze - Mara
Noel Burton - Clinko

Crew

Director - Roger Christian

Based on the Novel "Battlefield Earth" -

L. Ron Hubbard

Screenplay - Corey Mandell

and J.D. Shapiro
Associate Producers - Anson Downes
and Linda Favila
Executive Producers - Ashok Amritraj,
Don Carmody and Andrew Stevens

Producers - Jonathan D. Krane,

Elie Samaha and John Travolta
Co-Producers - James Holt and Tracee Stanley
Casting Director - Lynn Stalmaster

Production/Costume/Creature Designer -

Patrick Tatopoulos

Conceptual Artists: Los Angeles Art

Department - Harald Belker and Kevin Ishoika

Supervising Art Director - Claude Paré

Set Decorators - Louis Dandonneau

and Anna Galéa

Project Supervisor: Patrick Tatopoulos

Design, Inc. - Jake Garber

Special Makeup Effects - C.J. Goldman

Director of Photography - Giles Nuttgens

"A" Camera First Assistant - Nicolas Marion

First Assistant Director - Walter Gaspsrovic
Second Unit Director - Richard Martin
Stunt Coordinator/Stunts: Human - Steve Lucescu
Stunt Co-Coordinator - J.P. Romando
Stunt Co-Coordinator/Stunt Double: Teri/
Stunts: Human - Mark Riccardi
Mechanical Special Effects Supervisor - Louis Craig

Visual Effects Supervisor - Erik Henry

Digital Effects Supervisor: ComputerCafe -

David Ebner

Digital Effects Supervisors: Rhythm & Hues -

Bryan Hirota and Nicholas Titmarsh

Digital Supervisor: Digital Firepower -

Charles Darby

Digital Compositing Supervisor: Rhythm & Hues -

Edwin Rivera

Miniature Supervisor - Bill Pearson

Model Shop Supervisor - Ronny Gosselin
Miniature Special Effects Supervisor -
Joe Viskocil

Motion Control Miniature Supervisor -

Chris Trice

Digital Animation Supervisor/Producer:

Image Savant - Richard 'Dr.' Baily

Matte Painting Supervisor: Digital Backlot -

Robert Stromberg

Film Editor - Robin Russell

Supervising Sound Editor - Christopher S. Aud

Co-Supervising Sound Editor - Bob Redpath

Sound Designers - John P. Fasal,

James Lebrecht and John Nutt

Re-Recording Mixers - David Campbell,

Dan Hiland, Christian P. Melinker,

Ken S. Polk, John T. Reitz and Gregg Rudloff

Music - Elia Cmiral

Review
BATTLEFIELD EARTH did not meet my expectations as a science-fiction film. Most of the movie's aspects were terrible. One example is the dialogue, which includes corny lines like "While you were still learning how to SPELL YOUR NAME! I was being trained to conquer GALAXIES!" and "Rat-brain," and overused words and phrases such as "leverage" and "piece of cake." John Travolta's overacting is worth mentioning, mostly because he had too much fun with his antagonist role. This film was also his pet project because he was a Scientologist.

One thing that makes BATTLEFIELD EARTH worse is the overuse of Dutch camera angles. The director tilts the camera for about 20 degrees, either the left or right, giving an innovative but bizarre look. This technique is ideal for a sci-fi movie such as this; fewer Dutch camera angles would have helped my dizziness. BATTLEFIELD EARTH is such a case. I was left feeling nauseous and needing a Panadol.

BATTLEFIELD EARTH is disappointing and the least favourite sci-fi film I have ever reviewed. It could be improved if the cast and crew weren't trying hard to make something extraordinary. Instead, what results is an unsuccessful sci-fi/comedy that fails to bring excitement and humour to the screen or, in any way entertain viewers. I preferred watching Star Wars or The Matrix, which had hardcore action. BATTLEFIELD EARTH is probably not Johnny T's best work.

Star rating: (1/5) Not Worth Watching

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