Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, action and destruction, and for language.
Starring Liam Neeson, Taylor Kitsch, Brooklyn Decker, Alexander Skarsgard and Rihanna
Directed by Peter Berg (The Kingdom, Friday Night Lights and Hancock)
You sunk my…No, I’m just can’t say it!
Peter Berg produces and directs Battleship, an epic-scaled action-adventure that unfolds across the seas, in the skies and over land as our planet fights for survival against a superior force. Inspired by Hasbro’s classic naval combat game, Battleship stars Taylor Kitsch as Lt. Alex Hopper, a Naval officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones; Brooklyn Decker as Sam Shane, a physical therapist and Hopper’s fiancée; Alexander Skarsgård as Hopper’s older brother, Stone, Commanding Officer of the USS Sampson; Rihanna as Petty Officer Raikes, Hopper’s crewmate and a weapons specialist on the USS John Paul Jones; and international superstar Liam Neeson as Hopper and Stone’s superior (and Sam’s father), Admiral Shane.
I never thought I’d be saying this about this movie, but I really enjoyed it. Sure, part of it was because I went into it with absolutely zero expectations…I was actually a little worried because I invited two friends from church to go with me. But not only was it not as bad as I thought it would be, it was actually really fun in a big, loud, mindless summer blockbuster kind of way…and it’s certainly a better option than The Dictator.
As you would expect Battleship has some very cool special effects. The spaceships and aliens are strangely interesting. I mean seriously, aliens who need to wear sunglasses…that’s pretty cool!
As far as the plot, well it is based on a board game so it’s not very complex and there are quite a few plot holes. For instance, this particular alien race is capable of traveling faster than the speed of light but can’t contact their home planet from their ships – they need the technology that we discovered. It’s best not to think too hard about those things while you’re watching it.
The cast gets no complaints from me. Taylor Kitsch, Liam Neeson and Alexander Skarsgard are all great. There are some great lines and some even better laughs. Brooklyn Decker is ok, but everyone knows she is there for “eye candy.”
I did wonder how exactly this tied into the original game. I mean there is really only one reference to the grid screen and the “It’s a miss/hit” calls. Yeah I’m still scratching my head on that one.
That being said, if you are looking for a deep movie with complex characters…skip it. But if you want to see a funny action-packed movie with some cool aliens, clever one-liners and a bunch of stuff that gets blown up…this is your movie – It’s “Theater Worthy.”
SHOULD KIDS SEE IT?
There is no sex or nudity, but there is one scene where Taylor and Brooklyn kiss on a beach. She is in a bikini top and the camera zooms in a little too much.
The violence is mild. By that I mean there is not a lot of blood or gore, but there is plenty of destruction and explosions.
As far as profanity goes, there are 2 F-words (and one that gets cut off by an explosion), and a few others including the B-word, H*** and D***.
Conversation Starter
- What happened when the aliens first attacked?
- How did the humans respond?
- Have you ever failed at something the first time you tried it? What happened?
- What did the solders do when they failed?
- What did you do when you failed?
Read Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
- What does this verse tell us about perseverance?
- So what are you going to do the next time you fail?
