Every so often, a film arrives with high ambitions only to be subjected to poor reception, scathing reviews, and, in some cases, deemed to be one of the worst ever made. This is precisely what happened following the initial release of Battlefield Earth in 2000. A sci-fi passion project for its star, John Travolta, who had been striving to get the adaptation of L. Ron Hubbard's novel off the ground for several years, is regarded by many as one of the biggest failures ever made.
Often cited along with The Room, Manos: The Hands of Fate, Birdemic, and Troll 2, as the very bottom of the barrel and having a pitiful score of just 3% on Rotten Tomatoes, Battlefield Earth has been a punching bag for many years. However, it's still shown on streaming services such as Tubi and Prime Video, and it's still a popular topic of discussion. Truth be told, Battlefield Earth had the misfortune of arriving at a time period where audience expectations demanded more in their world-building and narratives.
The Paranoia of Y2K and High Expectations
When Battlefield Earth arrived in 2000, the world had recently breathed a sigh of relief in a state of paranoia regarding the supposed Y2K bug, a theory that the year 2000 would cause a mass computer crash. In retrospect, Battlefield Earth, a film that chronicles a dystopian future where humanity is enslaved to an alien race known as the Psychlos, almost comes off as a satire of the over-dependence on technology.
By 2000, there was a new standard regarding what audiences wanted and expected in a science fiction film. The Star Trek and Star Wars franchises were now the bar that all others were expected to follow in terms of new worlds and complex characters. In 2000 alone, Battlefield Earth competed with the likes of X-Men, Unbreakable, and Titan A.E., all of which were much better received. Battlefield Earth was far removed from what science fiction had evolved into and was somewhat of a throwback to a bygone era.
The formative years of science fiction weren't exactly complex, and due to the fact that the exploration of space was still years away from occurring, some of the offerings dreamed up by the early pioneers of the genre were anything but operatic. Forbidden Planet, The Blob, Planet of the Vampires, and even the old serials of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers had a sort of campy charm that allowed for imagination to run rampant in scenarios featuring monsters, aliens, planets, and robots.
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Presentation and Performance That's Anything But Subtle
A common critique of Battlefield Earth is the over-the-top performances of many of the cast members. While this is certainly a fair assessment and one that anyone who's watched the film can easily attest to, it's part of the charm that Battlefield Earth has as a whole. John Travolta's performance as evil alien overlord Terl is so exaggerated and grandiose that it manages to provide a never-ending source of entertainment. A great part of the charm is that Travolta doesn't try to disguise his voice. You know it's him. Fans of his roles in Saturday Night Fever, Staying Alive, Grease, and even Welcome Back Kotter get to see Travolta in a boisterous role that's a non-stop riot.
Another knock made against Battlefield Earth has to do with its cinematography. Filmed entirely at a Dutch angle, that is, a camera technique that makes everything appear at a tilt, might be distracting for some. However, this technique was prominent in the original Batman series, which featured Adam West whenever the villain's lair was shown on screen. The usage of a Dutch angle, while certainly repetitive, is charming and adds to the overall ridiculousness of the overall experience.
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Being Entertained and the Suspension of Disbelief
While Battlefield Earth might not be a riveting exhibition of drama or the space opera that many science fiction fans have grown accustomed to, there's no denying its capacity to entertain is well-established. Whether it's John Travolta's ability to deliver a performance that's overbearing and ostentatious, the overall presentation of the films' content through a Dutch angle, or the camp that elicits a nostalgic feel to the B-grade offerings of the drive-in era, Battlefield Earth deserves to be recognized as a fun ride that shouldn't be taken too seriously.
In Tim Burton's biopic of Ed Wood, the titular character and eccentric director famously says, "What do you know? Haven't you ever heard of the suspension of disbelief?" There's no such thing as a perfect film. The greatest endeavors in cinema have complex situations that are easily solved, plot holes that are never explained, and items that defy all logic and common sense. Movies are supposed to be entertaining, and through the suspension of disbelief, Battlefield Earth is a fun ride full of camp and bombast.
Stream Battlefield Earth on Tubi.