Battleship

If you want science fiction that respects its own premise, Battleship is available in Australia on Amazon Prime Video and BINGE, and in the US on Amazon Prime Video right now. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. 6,021 viewers have already rated it on TMDB — the kind of consensus that does not happen by accident. Taylor Kitsch sets the tone, and the world-building does the rest. Available now on Amazon Prime Video — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Battleship is not trying to be everything to everyone, and that focus is exactly what makes it work. Battleship treats its concept seriously enough to follow it all the way through. When mankind beams a radio signal into space, a reply comes from ‘Planet G’, in the form of several alien crafts that splash down in the waters off Hawaii. Lieutenant Alex Hopper is a weapons officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones, part of an international naval coalition which becomes the world's last hope for survival as they engage the hostile alien force of unimaginable strength. While taking on the invaders, Hopper must also try to live up to the potential that his brother, and his fiancée's father—an Admiral—expect of him. Taylor Kitsch and Alexander Skarsgård lead a cast that brings real weight to the material. It was released in 2012. What separates Battleship from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

Battleship is satisfying on multiple levels — something to watch and something to think about after. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. The complete film is available and best experienced without too much prior knowledge of where it goes. Taylor Kitsch anchors it with a performance that makes the more abstract moments feel personal. If you have been burned by ambitious sci-fi before, this is the exception.