Warship fans in the 1950s will remember the excitement of awaiting each year the arrival of the annual reference volume called "Jane's fighting ships". Therein they would find, page by page, details of every warship in every country around the world. This was also en era when battleships ruled the oceans. At the pinnacle of the US fleet was the "Iowa class" battleship, intended initially intended to be six but eventually four built: Iowa, New Jersey, Missouri and Wisconsin. "Battleship" is a fictionalized story of USS Missouri. This paint-by-number alien invasion action flick is lifted a few notches because of this 70-year-old "dinosaur" which has served as a naval museum in Pearl Harbour since 1992.
Seven decades after WW II, Pearl Harbour in this move hosts joint naval exercise with the US and several Asian nations participating, including Japan. There is conflict, but it's a game. However, it soon turns into a deadly combats against aliens, a plot that might have been teleported directly from "Transformers". With more plot holes than the holes inflicted on the armour of the 21st century warships, this movie is nevertheless fun. While you may watch with dismay the idiotically primitive nature of the arsenal from aliens that can traverse the universe to reach earth (why don't they have deadly laser rays that turn our warship instantly to ashes), you have to understand that this is more a video game than a movie, insofar as the action aspects go. The adversaries have to be able to shoot at each other for what seems an eternity, with deafening sound to match. In this, the movie delivers: this is mindless fun, but fun nevertheless.
As mentioned, the climax comes when all the available warships (the rests are blocked behind a power shield) are sunk and our hero brings out USS Missouri, manned by retired navy personnel who actually served on the battleship. The movie is lifted a few notches.
I am not going to talk about the "human stories". "Paint-by-number", as I said, says it all. As to the cast, don't know why Taylor Kitsch was such a lethal presence for the box office in "John Carter". Maybe it wasn't his fault at all. If "Battleship" turns out to share the same fate (which I hope it wouldn't), it certainly isn't his fault either, playing an all too familiar seemingly clueless delinquent underdog eventually turned hero. Having just watched Liam Neeson in an inspired and inspiring performance in "Grey", it's not so bad seeing him in a pay-check-oriented role here in "Battleship", as the hero's intimidating prospective father-in-law cum commanding Admiral. Cool model Brooklyn Decker fulfils her destiny admirably here as eye candy, the Admiral's daughter. Delightful surprise is Alexander Skaragard who was quite impressive in an ensemble cast shared with his father in Cannes pedigree "Melancholia". As the protagonist's stern elder brother, his appearance is short but very watcheable. Another delightful surprise Tadanobu Asano, among the most recognizable Japanese actor in Hollywood (and "Japan's Johnny Depp", a reference I make every time I mention his name), play an adversary turned buddy, again all too familiar. And for those who enjoy the pop scene, there's Rihanna in her first movie role, wielding a formidable piece of artillery most of the time.
Seven decades after WW II, Pearl Harbour in this move hosts joint naval exercise with the US and several Asian nations participating, including Japan. There is conflict, but it's a game. However, it soon turns into a deadly combats against aliens, a plot that might have been teleported directly from "Transformers". With more plot holes than the holes inflicted on the armour of the 21st century warships, this movie is nevertheless fun. While you may watch with dismay the idiotically primitive nature of the arsenal from aliens that can traverse the universe to reach earth (why don't they have deadly laser rays that turn our warship instantly to ashes), you have to understand that this is more a video game than a movie, insofar as the action aspects go. The adversaries have to be able to shoot at each other for what seems an eternity, with deafening sound to match. In this, the movie delivers: this is mindless fun, but fun nevertheless.
As mentioned, the climax comes when all the available warships (the rests are blocked behind a power shield) are sunk and our hero brings out USS Missouri, manned by retired navy personnel who actually served on the battleship. The movie is lifted a few notches.
I am not going to talk about the "human stories". "Paint-by-number", as I said, says it all. As to the cast, don't know why Taylor Kitsch was such a lethal presence for the box office in "John Carter". Maybe it wasn't his fault at all. If "Battleship" turns out to share the same fate (which I hope it wouldn't), it certainly isn't his fault either, playing an all too familiar seemingly clueless delinquent underdog eventually turned hero. Having just watched Liam Neeson in an inspired and inspiring performance in "Grey", it's not so bad seeing him in a pay-check-oriented role here in "Battleship", as the hero's intimidating prospective father-in-law cum commanding Admiral. Cool model Brooklyn Decker fulfils her destiny admirably here as eye candy, the Admiral's daughter. Delightful surprise is Alexander Skaragard who was quite impressive in an ensemble cast shared with his father in Cannes pedigree "Melancholia". As the protagonist's stern elder brother, his appearance is short but very watcheable. Another delightful surprise Tadanobu Asano, among the most recognizable Japanese actor in Hollywood (and "Japan's Johnny Depp", a reference I make every time I mention his name), play an adversary turned buddy, again all too familiar. And for those who enjoy the pop scene, there's Rihanna in her first movie role, wielding a formidable piece of artillery most of the time.