[Screen It]

 

"BATTLEFIELD EARTH"
(2000) (John Travolta, Barry Pepper) (PG-13)

Alcohol/
Drugs
Blood/Gore Disrespectful/
Bad Attitude
Frightening/
Tense Scenes
Guns/
Weapons
Moderate Moderate Extreme *Moderate Extreme
Imitative
Behavior
Jump
Scenes
Music
(Scary/Tense)
Music
(Inappropriate)
Profanity
Minor None Heavy None *Mild
Sex/
Nudity
Smoking Tense Family
Scenes
Topics To
Talk About
Violence
Mild None Minor Mild Extreme


QUICK TAKE:
Sci-fi: A thousand years into the future, a small band of humans tries to overthrow the vicious and ruthless alien race that's all but exterminated them from Earth.
PLOT:
It's the year 3000, Earth has been ravished and nearly all of mankind has been exterminated by a vicious alien race known as the Psychlos. Nonetheless, small tribes of what have essentially become primitive humans have survived outside the now long since decimated urban centers. In one such tribe, a hunter, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler (BARRY PEPPER), doesn't believe in the mythology supported by the others and thinks that there has to be a better life somewhere out there in the world. As such, he leaves his mate, Chrissie (SABINE KARSENTI), and sets out to find it.

Instead, Jonnie and another man, Carlo (KIM COATES), are captured by the Psychlos in an ancient city and transported to the human processing center in the Dome, a large structure inhabited by the alien race. There, he discovers that the Psychlos have captured many other humans and use them as slave labor. He also eventually meets Terl (JOHN TRAVOLTA), the corrupt Chief of Security who's happy to be getting off what he considers a miserable excuse for a planet and handing the post over to his assistant, Ker (FOREST WHITAKER).

Unbeknownst to Terl, who has a knack for blackmailing most everyone he knows, he's been ordered to stay on Earth for another fifty cycles, something that angers him to no end. In response, Terl decides to get his revenge on his superiors by not reporting Ker's earlier discovery of gold veins in the Rocky Mountains and instead hoarding the valuable metal for himself.

Of course, he needs to keep his plan secret from District Manager Zete (MICHAEL MICREA) and thus decides to use human, and not Psychlo laborers to mine the ore. Believing most humans to be nothing more than animals, Terl handpicks a select few he wishes to educate and thus enable them to operate the related machinery.

Little does he know, however, that by educating Jonnie, he's setting into motion a series of events that will forever change life on Earth. From that point on, it becomes a battle of wills and smarts between Terl and Jonnie as each tries to achieve what's best for themselves.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?
The presence of Travolta and the sci-fi element may draw teenagers to this picture.
WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13
For intense sci-fi action.
CAST AS ROLE MODELS:
  • JOHN TRAVOLTA plays the corrupt and conniving security chief for the alien race. Demeaning to humans and most of his cohorts, he isn't above killing just for the fun of it.
  • BARRY PEPPER plays one of the few remaining humans who becomes their brave commander in leading them in rebellion against their alien oppressors.
  • FOREST WHITAKER plays Terl's right-hand assistant, a Psychlo just as capable of treachery as his superior.
  • KIM COATES plays another human who assists Jonnie and his plan of rebellion against the aliens.
  • CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO

    HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE


    Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit?
    Then read OUR TAKE of this film.


    (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below).


    OUR WORD TO PARENTS:
    The following is quick summary of the content found in this PG-13 rated, sci-fi film. Violence is rated as extreme due to all sort of such related mayhem, including characters hitting, stunning or killing others (the latter two via some sort of "laser" gun), and plenty of destruction at the end with aerial dogfights and explosions that destroy massive structures and an entire planet. While some dismemberment takes place during such violence, there's nearly no blood or gore (although a previously severed head is briefly seen).

    Some of those scenes may be tense or unsettling to some viewers, but that's all dependent on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material (meaning older kids won't have problems with it as everything's too absurd to be taken seriously). The aliens obviously have bad attitudes for killing most of the humans and enslaving the rest, as well as for a generally callous and amused attitude toward anyone else's plight. Some of them drink what are presumably alcoholic beverages and a few of them appear somewhat intoxicated after doing so.

    Profanity consists of a handful of mild expletives (with 1 possible "f" word although it was hard to tell for sure), while some brief sexually related material is present (including a female alien with an extremely long tongue who suggestively licks it at a male). Should you still be concerned about the film's appropriateness for yourself or anyone in your home who wishes to see the film, you may want to take a closer look at our more detailed content listings for specific examples of what occurs in the film.


    ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE
  • Various Psychlos, including Terl, drink what's presumably some sort of alcoholic beverage in a bar.
  • Terl is back in that bar and appears intoxicated from drinking many vials of that beverage, which is also the case for Ker.
  • Various Psychlos drink in the bar again.
  • Ker has one of those supposedly alcoholic beverages.
  • BLOOD/GORE
  • Starving, Jonnie cuts into and then takes a bite out off a dead and still raw rat (one of his companions also takes a bite), but we don't see anything particularly bloody or gory.
  • We see the face of what looks like a frozen body in what's presumably a futuristic casket.
  • Terl briefly raises up a severed head for Ker to see.
  • DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE
  • The Psychlos have both not only for destroying much of Earth and killing most of its people (and enslaving the rest), but also for being a mean-spirited race not above killing or being corrupt just for the fun of being that way (they also laugh when Jonnie shoots one of their people dead and after killing others, etc.).
  • Terl is a corrupt security officer who blackmails most everyone he knows.
  • A man in a public cage says that no one eats before him (until Jonnie defeats him in a fight).
  • Terl discovers that Ker was keeping valuable information from him for his own gain.
  • Deprived of his oxygen mask, Jonnie races around trying to find some air as two Psychlos joke and laugh about how long it will take before his lungs burst.
  • After Ker thinks that man-animals can fly, Terl grabs one, holds him over a ravine, and then lets him go to prove that they can't fly (and he's correct as we see the man falling and screaming but don't see the impact at the distant bottom).
  • To prove his marksmanship, Terl fires several shots at a nearby cow, apparently severely injuring it (we only see one brief shot where one of its legs appears to fly off but without any other gore).
  • Terl laughs at the thought of a female getting leverage over anyone.
  • FRIGHTENING SCENES
  • Scenes listed under "Violence" may also be tense or suspenseful to some viewers, but that's all dependent on their age, level of maturity and tolerance for such material.
  • As Jonnie rides along, odd noises zip about above him, spooking his horse and causing it to panic, eventually fall over, and spill him onto the ground.
  • A Psychlo shoots at Jonnie and two other men, eventually hitting them with the beam that seemingly knocks them unconscious.
  • Deprived of his oxygen mask, Jonnie races around trying to find some air as two Psychlos joke and laugh about how long it will take before his lungs burst.
  • After Ker thinks that man-animals can fly, Terl grabs one, holds him over a ravine, and then lets him go to prove that they can't fly (and he's correct as we see the man falling and screaming but don't see the impact at the distant bottom).
  • Some kids may find a scene where a pulsating beam of energy pumps knowledge directly into Jonnie's head as a bit disturbing (no gore, just a look of him in mild agony).
  • Terl briefly raises up a severed head for Ker to see.
  • GUNS/WEAPONS
  • Crudely fashioned spears: Briefly used by two men to threaten Jonnie.
  • Laser-type guns: Used by the Psychlos to stun, kill or dismember humans, animals or other Psychlos.
  • Machine guns/Knife/Bazookas/Explosives/Jet Fighters/Nuclear warhead: Used by the humans to attack and/or kill the Psychlos and destroy their buildings, spacecraft and home planet.
  • IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR
  • Phrases: "Bastards," "I'll be damned," "Crap hole," "Moron," "Idiot," "Don't blow a head gasket," "Crap heads," "Rat brain" (what Terl constantly calls Jonnie) and "Imbecile."
  • JUMP SCENES
  • None.
  • MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE)
  • A heavy amount of action-oriented and suspenseful music takes place during the film.
  • MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE)
  • None.
  • PROFANITY
  • There's 1 possible "f" word (although it was hard to tell and seems unlikely considering the lack of other strong expletives), along with at least 8 hells, 4 craps, 3 damns and 1 ass used as exclamations.
  • SEX/NUDITY
  • We briefly see the bare and obviously not exactly realistic looking breast of a female mannequin in an old store.
  • Terl admits that something he did (possibly sexual in nature) with a young woman was before he knew she was a Senator's daughter (none of which is seen or further discussed).
  • Terl talks with a female Psychlo that he states "has other advantages" and we then see her stick out and sensuously lick her extremely long tongue at him (she does this twice).
  • SMOKING
  • None.
  • TENSE FAMILY SCENES
  • A man learns that his father died when he was off trying to find medicine for him (but beyond just a moment of a grievous look, that's about it).
  • TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT
  • The way in which the Psychlos treat the humans and each other (always trying to get leverage over others and laughing at the plight/hardships of others).
  • How such ancient military equipment could possibly still work and how what are essentially prehistoric hunters could operate it (including flying Harrier jets after just one week of "training").
  • VIOLENCE
  • Jonnie goes after another man who makes a disparaging remark about Chrissie, but those two and another man must then flee from a Psychlo that shoots at them with some sort of laser gun that knocks things aside and seemingly renders the humans unconscious when it hits them (including Jonnie who breaks through some plate glass windows while falling).
  • Some humans try to escape, resulting in one being thrown up against a wall and another being shot with a laser beam that renders him unconscious. Jonnie grabs one of their weapons however, and kills one of the Psychlos with a shot from it. Terl then backhands Jonnie, picks him up by his throat, and carries him along that way. Later, Terl wants to see if a human really could shoot a Psychlo dead with one of their weapons and thus allows Jonnie to do so again.
  • A Psychlo pushes another in a bar.
  • A Psychlo backhands a human.
  • Jonnie and another man get into a fight in their public cage with each delivering various punches, blows and kicks to the other. After that man slams Jonnie into a wall and grabs him by the throat, Jonnie then head-butts, knees, punches and then throws him to the ground and then dunks his head into a vat of gruel (but doesn't drown him).
  • Terl strikes Ker several times with a large metal rod/pipe of some sort for betraying him.
  • Some humans are hit by falling debris and Jonnie manages to escape, only to be shot in the back with a debilitating laser blast. A Psychlo then picks him up by his hair and then grabs him by the neck.
  • Various Psychlos fire at Jonnie as he tries to escape. Just when it appears that two of them are going to shoot and injure or kill him (as Jonnie is cornered), Terl shoots those two Psychlos (although we don't know if they're dead or just unconscious).
  • After Ker thinks that man-animals can fly, Terl grabs one, holds him over a ravine, and then lets him go to prove that they can't fly (and he's correct as we see the man falling and screaming but don't see the impact at the distant bottom).
  • A Psychlo pushes Jonnie to the floor and later, one grabs him by the throat.
  • Terl tries pushing some dead rats into Jonnie's mouth. When he won't eat them, Terl then throws him back against a wall. He then backhands Jonnie. Jonnie and his human companions then try to shoot Terl and the others with weapons they found, but they turn out to be empty/disarmed. In turn, Terl backhands one man and grabs another by the throat.
  • To prove his marksmanship, Terl fires several shots at a nearby cow, apparently severely injuring it (we only see one brief shot where one of its legs appears to fly off but without any other gore).
  • A small band of humans grab and disarm Terl, with Jonnie holding Terl's gun on him in a threatening fashion.
  • Terl grabs Jonnie by the throat once more.
  • Ker detonates an explosive collar that was placed around a man's neck (we only hear the explosion).
  • Terl slaps Jonnie on the back of his head.
  • Terl briefly raises up a severed head for Ker to see and then shoots off his assistant's hand (but there's no blood or gore).
  • Several Psychlos are shot and wounded or killed while Jonnie beats another one with a piece of wood or metal pole/rod. Meanwhile, some humans are injured or killed, while Jonnie tries to avoid shots fired at him by several Psychlos.
  • Various humans purposefully vandalize old buildings (by breaking the glass in them, etc.).
  • A missile destroys a Psychlo ship.
  • Missiles fired by jet fighters destroy more Psychlo aircraft.
  • Jonnie shoots (and wounds or kills) several more Psychlos.
  • Several more Psychlo and jet fighter aircraft are destroyed.
  • An explosion blows up part of the Dome and more characters are killed from that and more "gunfire."
  • A character shoots a bazooka at a collection of explosives, thus killing himself but also destroying many huge structures and sending debris falling onto characters below.
  • As Terl fights Jonnie, another man stabs him in the shoulder with a knife, but Terl still hits Jonnie several times.
  • A character detonates an explosive that (unknowingly to him) blows off his arm (but there's no blood or gore).
  • A bomb destroys a building and then causes an entire planet to explode.



  • Reviewed May 9, 2000 / Posted May 12, 2000

    Other new and recent reviews include:

    [Around the World in 80 Days] [Family Camp] [Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness]

    Privacy Statement and Terms of Use and Disclaimer
    By entering this site you acknowledge to having read and agreed to the above conditions.

    All Rights Reserved,
    ©1996-2022 Screen It, Inc.