BATTLESHIP (2012)

Genre: Action/Sci-Fi
Director: Peter Berg
Cast: Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Alexander Skarsgard, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker, Hamish Linklater, Tadanobu Asano, Josh Pence, Peter MacNicol
Runtime: 2 hrs 10 mins
Rating: PG13 (Battle Sequences)
Released By: UIP
Official Website: http://www.battleshipmovie.com/

Opening Day: 12 April 2012

Synopsis: Peter Berg (Hancock) produces and directs Battleship, an epic-scaled action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force. Inspired by Hasbro’s classic naval combat game, Battleship stars Taylor Kitsch as Lt. Alex Hopper, a Naval officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones; Brooklyn Decker as Sam Shane, a physical therapist and Hopper’s fiancée; Alexander Skarsgård as Hopper’s older brother, Stone, Commanding Officer of the USS Sampson; Rihanna as Petty Officer Raikes, Hopper’s crewmate and a weapons specialist on the USS John Paul Jones; and international superstar Liam Neeson as Hopper and Stone’s superior (and Sam’s father), Admiral Shane.

Movie Review:

The last I remember there isn’t any aliens involved in the strategy naval boardgame, “Battleship”. Oops did I just let out a major spoiler? Anyway it doesn’t matter much if you have been paying attention to all the trailers and TV spots. In this Peter Berg’s directed movie, there are indeed more than mere battleships, submarines and fighter jets and seriously what do you expect from the same company that is responsible for another toy property that generated gazillion amount of dollars at the box office.

While director James ‘Titanic-Avatar’ Cameron has openly criticized “Battleship” as an example of bad filmmaking even before it opens, he isn’t that far from being wrong. “Battleship” apparently has nothing much to do with the boardgame that was so popular back in the days where cable TV and iPad is nonexistent and it doesn’t take a genius to scribe a story pitting numerous USS carriers against some unknown entities. Taking a leaf (or two) out of the Michael Bay/Roland Emmerich school of filmmaking, Berg populated “Battleship” with plenty of high-octane action sequences, most of them visually arresting and deafening. Unfortunately, you would have seen 90% of them one way or another even before you step into the cinema. The attack on the naval base looks like a cross between “Pearl Harbor” and “Transformers” and the bombing of buildings, highways awkwardly looks like leftovers from “Armageddon” and “2012”. Bay loves his movies to be filled with army cargo and Berg indeed does him proud by touting every piece of hardware found in the US Navy.

The only credit I feel “Battleship” deserved is the Halo-looking like aliens. Wonderfully crafted and human-like although you won’t get to see much of their true self let alone their true purpose on earth. As with any other aliens-invading movies, the technology and design of their sleek machinery is top-notch and “Battleship” won’t disappoint viewers in this aspect.

Year 2012 is the year for actor Taylor Kitsch who topline the movie as Lt Alex Hopper, a hotheaded naval officer who conveniently has a brother, Stone (True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard) also a naval officer and his prospective father-in-law is also a navy guy but a powerful one, Admiral Shane (Liam Neeson). Kitsch might not have much success playing “John Carter” and it looks like his Alex Hopper’s one-dimensional character isn’t going to give him much leg as well. Again, Michael Bay has the tendency to engage Supermodels for his movies; Berg on the other hand decides to rope in popstar Rihanna for her feature film debut, she for that matter indeed looks good running around deck out in naval outfit and the gorgeous Brooklyn Decker (Just Go With It) as Alex’s love interest is splendid (in terms of look and figure) on the big screen. With all the characters underwritten including an extended cameo by Neeson (and you thought he is here to kick some serious alien-asses), you will be sorely disappointed. Skarsgard is also wasted in a role that is probably filmed during his True Blood break.    

Boasting a Transformers crew that involves Hasbro, composer Steve Jablonsky and visual effects house ILM, “Battleship” ends up as a piece of visual heavy pre-summer blockbuster that tries too hard mimicking the success of the morphing robots franchise. At least Berg’s “Hancock” was a fun piece on anti-hero and “The Kingdom”, an action-packed political thriller, “Battleship” collapses under layers and layers of CG and state-of-the-art sound effects. At a staggering two hours plus, this is pretty exhaustive. Peter Berg can be such a competent director that it just befuddles me why he is aping Michael Bay all the way right here.

Movie Rating:

(This year’s answer to Transformers. Period)

Review by Linus Tee