Battleship

If the Academy Awards started a new category called “best dirt placement on a poster’ Battleship would win the award.

Here is a tip for you:

Let Battleship be Battleship.

It is not Prometheus (I’m guessing) but it is better than Cowboys and Aliens, Transformers, Wrath of the Titans and Battle LA. Battleship is a loud, dumb and incredibly fun.  The dialogue can be laughable (“You are a hotshot”), the acting bad (Brooklyn Decker trying her best) and Rami Malek (The Pacific) needed more to do.

If you can’t sit back and enjoy this movie I feel bad for you. It is a huge gamble that is helmed by an excellent director. Enjoy a movie that was made to enjoy.

I understand why people do not like this movie, It is a peculiar and alienating film. However, it worked on me. I loved the weirdness (bearded aliens), odd humor (the beginning of the movie is all about getting a chicken burrito) and Friday Night Lights reunion between Peter Berg and Taylor Kitsch.

I’ve talked to several people who all scoff at this film. They laugh at the name and seem to have forgotten that Peter Berg (Rundown, Kingdom, Friday Night Lights) directed the film. Here are some reasons to watch this film.

1. A Friday Night Lights reunion with Peter Berg, Taylor Kitsch and Jessie Plemons.

2. A wonderful celebration of Veterans. Some of the key members who repel the invasion are actual veterans. One of the main characters is Gregory D. Gadson. He is a real life Iraq hero who lost both of his legs. Gadson is a commanding screen presence who is not too ornery.

3. A cohesive plot amidst the money. Battleship Unlike Transformers 2&3 and Wrath of the Titans has a legit three act plot that moves full steam ahead.

4. The gamble. They made a movie based on a board game with a slightly unknown Canadian actor who worked on Friday Night Lights and got a bad rap from John Carter (read the review).

5. The movie is meant to make you cheer. There is zero pretension. Don’t cheat yourself out of a ridiculous time.

The movie focuses on a section of Hawaii trapped inside a force field. The aliens lost their communications so they try to use massive satellites in Hawaii….The same satellites that were meant to contact them. Kitsch battles them at sea and Brooklyn Decker battles the aliens on the mainland.

Who cares that the aliens have bad goatees? Who cares that the movie resembles a better version of a Michael Bay film? Movies are made for you to enjoy. Battleship is a movie that is filled with unpretentious joy….And Liam Neeson.

Sidenote:  Battleship did something brilliant. Sensing a poor opening weekend in the US ($25 million) they opened it up worldwide a month before it hit US theaters. The film was a success grossing $250 million and paying for its budget. Now, that the film has flopped here the press statements revolve around how the film is a worldwide success. I see this smart marketing continuing in the future. It proves that people around the world love stuff blowing up.