Battleship must have been written by someone who was either incredibly ballsy or incredibly stupid. Either way, they've produced one of the most over-the-top, cheese-fest spectaculars since The Expendables. Let's be clear. I loved The Expendables for what it was, and anyone who enjoyed that film would probably like Battleship.
I laughed my ass off through most of this film. I laughed at how they actually managed to associate this with the board game, complete with people shouting out "B3! H12!". It took a hell of a lot of silly contrivances and exposition to do it, but they did it. As I said, balls or stupidity. I laughed even harder when the heroes commandeer a 1940s warship - still prepped and armed, no less - and with some very special help, drive it around like the Blues Mobile. Balls or stupidity.
My hat goes off to the casting choices as well. Liam Neeson plays both a grumpy admiral, and a father to an endangered daughter, whom he never gets to go on a killing spree to rescue. Then there is that guy from True Blood for those who bring the Mrs along (there are plenty of shirtless scenes). Then there is Rhianna. What, Rhianna's in this? Sure, why not. The only person I had trouble with was the protagonist, who I could never ever recognise for some reason. I kept mistaking him for an extra, or one of the minor characters. They needed someone more distinct, with a big bushy beard or something. They might as well.
Although it was probably not the intention of this ridiculous movie to provide me so much mirth, I hesitate to label this as a So Bad Its Good movie. That isn't really what it is. It is what The Expendables was. Or Independence Day. I hate the phrase "its just a dumb action movie", because that always feels like a cheap way to excuse poor film making. But there must be some credence to that argument, because I find myself forgiving all these movies for being as dumb as they are. Refuge In Audacity? Rule Of Cool? Or maybe its because I just like giant warships and massive gunfire. Whatever it is, it works.
The audacity!
Battleship must have been written by someone who was either incredibly ballsy or incredibly stupid. Either way, they've produced one of the most over-the-top, cheese-fest spectaculars since The Expendables. Let's be clear. I loved The Expendables for what it was, and anyone who enjoyed that film would probably like Battleship.
I laughed my ass off through most of this film. I laughed at how they actually managed to associate this with the board game, complete with people shouting out "B3! H12!". It took a hell of a lot of silly contrivances and exposition to do it, but they did it. As I said, balls or stupidity. I laughed even harder when the heroes commandeer a 1940s warship - still prepped and armed, no less - and with some very special help, drive it around like the Blues Mobile. Balls or stupidity.
My hat goes off to the casting choices as well. Liam Neeson plays both a grumpy admiral, and a father to an endangered daughter, whom he never gets to go on a killing spree to rescue. Then there is that guy from True Blood for those who bring the Mrs along (there are plenty of shirtless scenes). Then there is Rhianna. What, Rhianna's in this? Sure, why not. The only person I had trouble with was the protagonist, who I could never ever recognise for some reason. I kept mistaking him for an extra, or one of the minor characters. They needed someone more distinct, with a big bushy beard or something. They might as well.
Although it was probably not the intention of this ridiculous movie to provide me so much mirth, I hesitate to label this as a So Bad Its Good movie. That isn't really what it is. It is what The Expendables was. Or Independence Day. I hate the phrase "its just a dumb action movie", because that always feels like a cheap way to excuse poor film making. But there must be some credence to that argument, because I find myself forgiving all these movies for being as dumb as they are. Refuge In Audacity? Rule Of Cool? Or maybe its because I just like giant warships and massive gunfire. Whatever it is, it works.