Summer Review #2 -- Battleship

In box office terms, summer is a period for high concept flicks and mindless cheesy actioners. Sometimes we get a film that is stuck in between these breeds with no way out, and this is where we find Peter Berg's Battleship.

After a secret government project -- but of course -- yields results in the form of hostile alien contact, new Navy recruit  Alex Hopper's (Taylor Kitsch) leadership skills are tested. Along with his brother (Alexander Skarsgård) and a petty officer (Rihanna), Alex has to defend his crew and our world from the onslaught. In the meantime, his girlfriend (Brooklyn Decker) might be in danger while trying to uncover what the aliens' intentions are... 

And so are we. The most disappointing aspect of the film is the lack of clarification on the aliens' plans. Disabling communication and transportation seems to be their goal, but for what purpose? Taking over the world is a simple answer -- why are they doing what they are doing? Why do they need our planet? At least the Independence Day visitors were perfectly clear on what they were here for, from the first to the last explosion. Even the flat characters did not disappoint me as much as this missing element of the story did. On the other hand, the action sequences are a cool sight to see on the big screen, although I cannot forgive the rip-off of the iconic monolith visual from 2001: A Space Odyssey. Honestly, people, if you had wanted to copy anything, you should not have copied from a work that can blow yours away with one scene. In general, casual summer thrills seem to be the entire point of Battleship. Being that it is based on a board game, we should feel lucky that it accomplishes that task.

The cast does their best. Actors can only ever be as good as the writing, so I do not know why Kitsch is getting such a bad rap. He is likeable enough and I get the sense that a good screenplay could bring out an unanticipated edge. The film is Grammy winner Rihanna's acting debut, and she is actually pretty good, as is the charming Decker. Even though he has some of the blandest lines, Skarsgård's calmly imposing appearance makes him perfect for the role of a dutiful officer. At least he does not have to contend with flirtation involving a chicken burrito. I kid you not. Liam Neeson's talents are properly wasted -- there is no nuance or depth to be found in any plot point here -- and real-life veteran Gregory D. Gadson makes an impressive debut as well. Finally, to all the screenwriters out there, can we please retire the "bad feeling" line? It must have felt fresh once, but it has passed its expiration date a hundred cinematic dooms ago.

Battleship is a fun adventure to watch if you throw your expectations to the wind. Full of dynamic sequences and beautiful locations, innocuous and unpretentious, it is a chip off the old block as far as the blockbuster season goes. Do not expect to be dazzled, but do expect to be entertained.

6/10