Sci-Fi
requires suspension of disbelief so that we can inhabit a world of
imaginary wonders and oddities, and a heavy dose is definitely needed
for the enjoyment of Battlefield Earth, a movie based on L. Ron
Hubbard’s novel.
John
Travolta co-produced and stars as the arch-villain Terl, the chief of
security for the Psychlo conquerors of Earth. The Psychlos are hirsute,
huge creatures with talons for fingernails. Many of the few human
survivors are kept as slaves and fed swill in primitive cells. Others
struggle for survival in primitive, remote tribal villages. Thus,
the
stage is set for a human savior to ride out of the mountains seeking a
better place for his tribe.
In
a rebellious huff, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler (Barry Pepper) defies the
superstitious beliefs of his secluded tribe and gallops off, but his
exploration is short lived when he is captured and taken to the Psychlo
city.
Though
the Psychlos are advanced technologically, their social structure is
based on Machiavellian manipulation, blackmail, and back-stabbing. Terl
believes he is destined to be a conqueror of galaxies. His assistant, a
scheming second fiddle in training to gain the skills in chicanery of
his boss, is Ker (Forrest Whittaker). Whittaker’s signature gaze with
eyes slightly akimbo is even more impactful with the lime green contacts
of different sizes.
Because
of Jonnie’s persistent and clever attempts to escape, Terl believes
that even though he is a man-animal with no intelligence, Jonnie can be
trained to operate mining equipment in a secret operation designed to
enrich Terl. The fun begins when, in their constant plotting and spying,
Terl and Ker completely misunderstand the nature of their slaves,
perhaps because they are so mechanized and so convinced that man-animals
are stupid that they have forgotten what it means to live on the verge
of death and make desperate decisions.
The
special effects and backdrops, although very good in many instances,
also appear stylized and painted, perhaps to remind us that there is
something off kilter going on. The characters are so deliciously absurd
in their polarization that we were belly laughing for much of the movie.
Terl is such an overblown, self-important ass. Ker is so obsequious and
yet rebellious as he tries to outsmart his boss. Jonnie is so amazingly
earnest. His quick emergence from ignorant man-animal and rat brain (for
his favorite food) to speed learning Psychlo language and technology
from a mind flow machine and human history in decrepit libraries prompts
him to make speeches and spout one-liners of side splitting jingoism.
It
struck us that to make a serious attempt at the comic book dimensions of
the story, a Japanese style animation might have been better than CGI
aided live action. In thinking about the audience for Battlefield
Earth, the problem seems that the kiddies may be broken away from
the melodrama because the situations and language are too sophisticated
and subtle. The teens may be disengaged because the action lacks punch,
and the adults may turn away because the parody and humor are not more
slapstick.
We
had fun, we reflected a moment or two after the film, and we wondered if
the obvious sequel will be borne of the box office numbers.
