When I first heard that Hasbro was making a movie out of their board game Battleship, I had in mind something along the lines of “The Hunt for Red October” – two opposing militaries engaging in chess-like combat on the high seas. Then the trailer came out, and I found out I was, oh, so wrong.
Instead, "Battleship" has been turned into a big budget summer blockbuster as the U.S. Navy takes on an alien invasion force. The scientific community has been sending out a signal seeking life on other planets, and they have answered. Five ships (just like the board game) land on earth, but the alien communication ship crashes leaving them unable to communicate back home. As the aliens rush to establish communication, a few Navy ships set out to stop them.
Taylor Kitsch (John Carter) and Alexander Skarsgård (True Blood) star as brothers and Navy officers who engage the enemy. Kitsch is making his second attempt at big box office movie after John Carter tanked earlier this year. Skarsgård turns in another solid performance. I can’t help but think he’s just one big role away from becoming a breakout star. He owns the camera when he’s onscreen; it’s too bad he and Liam Neeson aren’t given enough to do in the film, as Kitsch is the primary focus.
Take special note of Colonel Gregory D. Gadson, who plays a crutial role in the film. Colonel Gadson is a double amputee (the result of a road side bomb in Iraq). He gives a solid performance in his first film and proves he can still kick ass.
Rihanna does a solid job as a soldier helping to fight off the aliens. She can definitely kick butt, and I look forward to seeing what she can do with future roles. Brooklyn Decker is doing double duty this weekend (She’s also in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting”). Here she plays the daughter of the boys’ commanding officer (Liam Neeson) and a love interest for Kitsch’s character. Decker builds on her successful turn in last year’s “Just Go With It.”
The movie itself was much better than I anticipated. I was expecting a loud Transformers-style free-for-all, and that’s what I got. However, director Peter Berg takes time to actually develop his characters and he uses the women for more than eye candy. Michael Bay should try to learn something before he tackles Transformers IV.
The movie has its flaws. There are some continuity problems. At one point a character is confronted by an alien while he tries to retrieve a device. One minute, he's standing toe-toe with an alien and the next he's running out the door to safety without any explanation. The aliens seem unable or unwilling to attack anything that isn't attacking them. There are some definite problems with the script, but I can forgive them in this type of movie.
The explosive effects are really well done (and very loud). They actually do work a battleship style grid into the film at one point, and the aliens’ ammunition looks like the pegs from the game. The big winner here is the U.S. Navy which probably gets its best piece of propaganda since "Top Gun".
I’ll admit I had low expectations going in. "Battleship" is summer popcorn film. I came out of it having had fun, and isn't that what summer blockbusters are all about?
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