Battleship (2012)

 

          Mahalo motherfucker

Alex Hopper, played by Taylor Kitsch (Lone Survivor, Snakes on a plane and The Covenant) is a larrikin who is in and out of work.  His brother Stone Hopper is a Commander in the Navy.  

After a night out where Alex Hopper ends up being arrested and tasered while trying to win the affection of Sam. Stone tells Alex that he has to join the Navy and make something of himself.  Alex won over Sam’s heart that night and once in the Navy Alex finds out that Sam is Admiral Shane’s daughter.  Admiral Shane is played by Liam Neeson (Taken, The A-Team & Shindler’s List) Admiral Shane is never impressed with Alex’s antics and likes to make example of how much Stone is better. 

It’s about now in the film that we find out that NASA and other scientists are planning to send a message out into space.  They believe that they have found a habitable planet and can bounce a signal from satellite dishes on earth to satellites orbiting earth and further on from there.  It’s not long before we find out that the message sent to space reaches someone but they aren’t friendly.

battleship

With the invasion clear the Navy instantly attacks.  This is quickly shown to be the wrong move with the alien space ship showing some of its firepower, destroying a Navy battleship in seconds.  The ship destroyed was commanded by Stone Hopper.  Alex was on a runabout that was sent out to get a closer inspection and once he returns to his ship he finds out that his brother is dead and that his higher ranking officers were also dead, leaving him command.  Lt Alex Hopper takes charge and with a faithful crew start planning their assault.  The rest of the Navy fleet are blocked off by some sort of force field so it’s up to Alex and his crew. The action in the film is great but there is something about the film that just feels like a mash up of all different films.  The space ships appear like a transformer sort of thing, it feels like Transformers meets Independence Day with Battle Los Angeles thrown in for good measure.  The aliens make me think of aliens from the Doom games and movie.  Overall it’s not a bad movie but I just couldn’t help but feel like it had all been done before.  Even Alex Hopper and Sam not getting approval from Admiral Shane has been done to death in movies and sitcoms.  Battleship is a Sci-fi/Action/Drama that, yes I would watch again but only if there was no other options.

Duff points 6/10