BATTLESHIP

In a solar system different from ours, a planet "G" with characteristics entirely similar to Earth is identified and therefore potentially inhabited by intelligent life forms. Scientists then decide to send a signal to establish a hypothetical contact with extraterrestrials. During a U.S. Navy military exercise in the Pacific, attended by brothers Alex and Stone Hopper, the first a layabout and the second a responsible person, the alien response arrives right at sea. The extraterrestrial race that inhabits planet "G", near collapse, is looking for a place to colonize and Earth presents itself to them as an optimal location. The U.S. Navy, allied with the Japanese fleet, will therefore have to undertake a naval battle with the alien invaders to defend the planet. This is a golden age for the historic toy production company Hasbro, as "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" have become internationally successful cinematic sagas. Now it's the turn of another Hasbro game to transition to the cinema, but unlike the aforementioned action figure lines, this time the approach to the source material is slightly more "complex". We are talking about the mythical Battleship, a board game from which "Battleship" is incredibly derived. "Transformers" and "G.I. Joe" could benefit from pre-existing mythology, characters, events, and interactional dynamics that could easily be transposed to the big screen without much difficulty, but how do you handle Battleship in the same way? A gray and blue plastic block with coordinates and colored white and red markers were the only visual support that the screenwriters had, while the "B9 – missed" or "C7 – sunk" was the only narrative certainty they had to adhere to. You will understand that under these conditions making the movie "Battleship" meant starting from scratch with only a title as a fixed point. In this sense, the Hoeber brothers, who with "Whiteout – Incubo bianco" and "Red" had subscribed to comic book adaptations, manage to do their best and give a solidity and coherence to the script of "Battleship" that not everyone expected. But concretely, what is the movie "Battleship"? A colossal action and science fiction film, in which the dynamics of the board game are used to tell an alien invasion movie. In this sense, it is interesting to note how the fear of the extraterrestrial invader is back in vogue in American cinema (but not only!) precisely at a time when conflicts between superpowers are no longer the main headlines of international news. Before "Skyline" and especially "World Invasion", now "Battleship", it is clear the intention to capitalize on the fears of Americans for a threat that comes from the outside (of national borders?) and that could redefine the geography and dynamics of power. Normally, this type of film is typical of the day after major international conflicts precisely to link recent events to fiction in an amalgam of the collective imagination that does not go too far to clash with the good taste of the tragedies in progress. And it is interesting to note that "Battleship", just like "World Invasion" (but also the recent "Act of Valor", although of a different genre), tends to the valorization of the U.S. Army exalting it as a hero in all respects. Propaganda films? Maybe. But in the case of "Battleship" the intention is avoided by using a less solemn linguistic register than usual and more oriented towards pure entertainment, not lacking in self-irony. And so the celebration of war veterans becomes at the same time the most patriotic but also the most ironic and fun moment of the film. Very good, then, the work on the screenplay that knows how to handle the characters and the loud action without sacrificing the characterization of the former and affecting the repetitiveness of the latter. But much of the credit goes to director Peter Berg, proven in action blockbusters like "Hancock" and "The Kingdom", capable of giving the film a great rhythm and optimal management of the most spectacular scenes without ever falling into the easy trap of boring and excessively fine action for its own sake. And if the duration of over 130 minutes can be scary bringing to mind – by genre relevance – the last two very heavy "Transformers", you can rest assured because "Battleship" flows and entertains. Obviously keep in mind that we are always and anyway talking about a "loud" blockbuster, often exaggeratedly unrealistic and perhaps too noisy, but in its genre it knows how to do its job well for which it was designed: to entertain. Cast of small and big names, with at the helm the Taylor Kitsch recently seen in "John Carter", accompanied by Alexander Skarsgard ("Straw Dogs"), Brooklyn Decker ("My Fake Fiance"), pop star Rihanna in her big screen debut, Tadanobu Asano ("Thor"), the real U.S. Army colonel Greg Gadson and in a supporting role Liam Neeson. Really excellent the visual effects and not bad the look of the aliens who, when protected by the armor, resemble a lot the characters of the video game "Halo". Classic popcorn movie perfectly suited for a night at the cinema with friends. P.S. Do not leave the room before the end of the credits, there is a surprise!