John Travolta is really slipping in his old age. Although Hubbard's novel is huge in scope, the filmmakers agreed that the best way to adapt it for the screen would be to split the story into two, Battlefield Earth the first half of the novel, of course leaving film makers open for a hopefully not so pathetic sequel. Don't get me wrong, the story-line is not what was bad about the movie. I too, read the book years ago and was fascinated by the Hubbard's view of Earth in the year 3000.
Earth is a wasteland, and man is an endangered species.
A millennium ago, vicious Psychlo aliens swept down from the skies and wiped out Earth's entire defense force in nine minutes. Now, the handfuls of surviving humans are either used as slaves or are hiding out in remote mountain villages, primitive and cut off from the rest of humanity. The result is kind of a cross between Braveheart meets Star Trek. Jonnie is captured one day en-route to find a better life, and is made to work as a slave in one of the Psychlo mines. The good points, wonderfully artful camera angles, fantastic costumes, makeup and great graphic arts.