Tarantino Refuses to Hate on This 3% RT Sci-Fi Adventure
And you have to watch it to decide for yourself.
When it comes to film criticism, Quentin Tarantino 's words carry some serious weight.
The master behind our favorite iconic films has earned his reputation for his ability to spot hidden gems where others saw nothing but a failure. Yet this time, he threw us a serious curveball, when he defended this sci-fi flop. But we guess that even the most reputable critics, like himself, can occasionally do something that will make us scratch our heads and ask, “Wait, what?”.
That's exactly what happened with Battlefield Earth, a movie that most people would rather forget existed. We're talking about a film that currently sits at a cringeworthy 3% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Battlefield Earth (2000) Was A Sci-Fi Disaster
Battlefield Earth paints a grim picture of humanity's future. Set in the year 3000, the film presents Earth as a desolate wasteland where humans are an endangered species, dominated by a race of towering aliens called Psychlos (bear with us).
The story follows Jonnie "Goodboy" Tyler, a human rebel who dares to challenge the Psychlos' reign.
And on paper, it sounds like it could be an epic sci-fi thriller. But, in reality, it turned into something that had audiences and critics reaching for the exits (or their remote controls).
To give you an idea of what opinion prevailed about this movie, here's what critic Felix Vasquez had to say:
"There's really only one way to summarize my sheer hatred for what is possibly one of the worst movies I've ever seen. And it's through a list."
Seems harsh, huh? Well, you have to imagine hundreds of similar reviews. That's how bad this movie was received.
Tarantino's Prediction Didn't Come True
Yet, amid all of this criticism, one voice stood out in defense of the film (and not just any voice). Tarantino himself loved the movie.
According to director of the infamous Battlefield Earth, Roger Christian, Tarantino's reaction to the film was nothing short of enthusiastic.
Christian told the Den of Geek:
"Tarantino came to the premiere, sat with me, and he hugged me afterwards and said, “This is what I want to write. This is amazing stuff. You’re gonna be killed, all of you. But, [I] just loved this film. Wait ten, twelve years, it’ll all come ’round.” He said, “Forget it now. You’re gonna go through hell.”"
25 years later, Tarantino was right about one thing: this movie surely went through hell. Yet another Tarantino's prediction hasn't quite materialized, people still don't get the movie.
Tarantino's praise for Battlefield Earth is unexpected, and somehow makes you want to know more.
So, if this surprising endorsement has sparked your curiosity about this notorious sci-fi spectacle, you can stream it on Fandango at Home, Amazon Prime, or Apple TV+. Who knows? Maybe you'll see something that the rest of us missed.