Battlefield Earth (2000)

After enslavement and near extermination by an alien race in the year 3000, humanity begins to fight back.

Director:

Roger Christian

Writers:

Corey Mandell (screenplay), J.D. Shapiro (screenplay)

Stars:

John Travolta, Forest Whitaker, Barry Pepper

Bottom Rated Movies #61 | 19 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Travolta	...	Terl
Barry Pepper	...	Jonnie Goodboy Tyler
Forest Whitaker	...	Ker
Kim Coates	...	Carlo
Sabine Karsenti	...	Chrissy
Michael Byrne	...	Parson Staffer
Christian Tessier	...	Mickey
Sylvain Landry	...	Sammy
Richard Tyson	...	Robert the Fox
Christopher Freeman	...	Processing Clerk
John Topor	...	Processing Clerk / One-Eyed Guard / Teleportation Supervisor
Shaun Austin-Olsen	...	Planetship
Tim Post	...	Assistant Planetship / Psychlo Guard
Earl Pastko	...	Bartender
Michel Perron	...	Rock

Storyline

In the year 3000, humanity is no match for the Psychlos, a greedy, manipulative race on a quest for ultimate profit. Led by the seductive and powerful Terl, the Psychlos are stripping Earth of its resources, using the broken remnants of humanity as slaves. What is left of the human race has reverted to a primitive state, believing the invaders to be demons and technology to be evil. After humanity has all but given up any hope of freeing themselves from alien oppression, a young man named Tyler decides to leave his desolate home high in the Rocky Mountains to discover the truth, whereupon he is captured and enslaved. It is then that he decides to fight back, leading his fellow man in one final struggle for freedom.

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Plot Keywords:

bad acting | male alien | little boy blue | alien | alien race | 

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Taglines:

Take Back The Planet

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sci-fi action

Details

Official Sites:

Author Services Author Services (DVD news)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 May 2000 (USA)

Also Known As:

Battlefield Earth

Filming Locations:

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$73,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$11,548,898, 14 May 2000, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$21,471,685, 16 July 2000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$8,253,978

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros., Morgan Creek Entertainment Group, Franchise Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

118 min 119 min (video)

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Travolta's contract had him take a large up-front pay cut from his usual fee, to around $10 million, with incentives that would have paid him about $15 million more when and if the movie met standards at the North American box office. Unfortunately, for him, it didn't.

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Goofs

Jet fuel has a shelf life of about four years. A fully-fueled jet found after 1,000 years wouldn't even be able to start, much less take off and fly.

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Quotes

Terl: You have been quite a challenge, rat-brain, and you're going to make a hell of a conversation piece when you're stuffed and hanging on the wall at the academy!

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Star Trek: Insurrection (2012)

User Reviews

What were they thinking???

Actually, was anyone involved with this total disaster thinking at all? My personal guess: no, and if they were, I'd rather not know about what.

None of the reviews have done BE justice. Having heard what a start to finish mess this was, my brother and I decided to watch it, just for fun. It was horrible beyond all our expectations - and not in a fun way. And so I can now tell anyone who's interested: You must see this movie yourself to realize the sheer magnitude of its badness, stupidity, and ineptitude.

I've heard that BE cost about 70 million dollars to make - though how anyone could have greenlighted it is a great mystery. Since there was nothing on screen to indicate why it had cost that much, my brother and I have also worked out how the budget was allocated:

* Travolta's salary, plus assorted managers and hangers on: 40 million.

* Special effects, film, sets, costumes, makeup and hair extensions: 25 million.

* all other salaries: $4,999,888.

* script: $112 and change.

Though that still doesn't begin to explain the end result. I give up. I'll never understand how Travolta managed to get BE made, or released, for that matter. Why is he tanking his career again? Who knows? After this, why should anyone care? Ah, well. I hope he finds something better to act in in the future; I honestly can't see how he could come up with something worse.

I never thought I'd give anything a 1, but this is indeed as worthy a candidate as I've ever seen. So, * is my vote, and I'd rate it lower if it were possible. Just... incredible. Watch and learn.