BattleshipMovie Reviews

So-so

Avg. Critic Score: 41 out of 100 Mixed or average reviews Metascore^® based on all critic reviews

Information for Parents:

OK for kids 12+

Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

83

Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum
Battleship is a sound vessel floating in Hollywood's oil-slick sea of "Transformers" sequels and vampire riffs. Read full review
60

The Hollywood Reporter |
Those looking for big, loud sci-fi action will find plenty to like here as director Peter Berg (Hancock, Friday Night Lights) pumps up the volume on clashing military hardware and flag-waving heroics. Read full review
55

Movieline | Stephanie Zacharek
Actually, the picture is perhaps not quite as painful as you might be expecting, though probably not as enjoyable, either. Read full review
50

Wall Street Journal | Joe Morgenstern
Like "Transformers," which it rivals in relentlessness, Battleship comes with its own force field, a furious energy that renders criticism irrelevant. Read full review
50

NPR | Bob Mondello
The story, by brothers Erich and Jon Hoeber, who also penned the clever, quippy, aging-assassin movie "Red," is cleverer and quippier than it has any reason to be, even if it makes not the remotest sense. Read full review
50

USA Today | Claudia Puig
Mostly, Battleship is a noisy, overlong and numbing military-vs.-aliens saga with laughably bad dialogue. Read full review
38

Boston Globe | Tom Russo
If only there were more genuine rah-rah fun involved, instead of just endless, thudding, seen-it-all-before mayhem. Read full review
25

San Francisco Chronicle | Amy Biancolli
It's loud, it's large, it's stupid, and its best gag involves a chicken burrito. Read full review
25

Rolling Stone | Peter Travers
Way to go, Battleship: Take the crassest of cynical junk, slather it in jingoism and sell it as rah-rah fun for right-wingers. Read full review
0

New York Daily News | Joe Neumaier
The worst humans-fighting-aliens movie I've ever seen. And I've seen a lot of humans-fighting-aliens movies. Read full review

Metacritic link View more reviews for Battleship on Metacritic

Information for Parents

Common Sense Media says OK for kids 12+ Over-the-top sci-fi action with great special effects.

What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that Battleship (inspired by the classic Hasbro board game) is the kind of summer alien adventure that, like Independence Day, features a doomsday alien invasion that only a select armed forces group can fight against. As you'd expect, there's a high body count -- mostly due to all of the building- and ship-destroying explosions that the aliens -- though not much gore. Many high-tech weapons are used, one female character dresses somewhat suggestively, and the language can be occasionally salty -- "s--t," "bitch," and two cut-off exclamations of "motherf--er." Although the effects-heavy action is filled with scenes of targeted violence, there are ultimately some positive messages about rising to the occasion and overcoming your fears.

Families can talk about Battleship's violence. How does the fact that much of it is larger than life affect its impact? How is it different watching aliens get hurt than human characters?
What are some of the cliches associated with alien-invasion movies? Why are they such a popular genre to release in the summer?
This movie marks Rihanna's transition from music to film. Was her celebrity status as a pop superstar distracting in the role?
Why do rogue characters like Alex tend be more compelling than always-good characters like Stone?

The good stuff

Positive messages: Characters rise to the occasion to sacrifice themselves for the greater good, summon their bravery to take a stand against the aliens, and learn to think first and act later, even if they're usually impetuous people. Although violence is the story's ultimate problem-solver, Battleship is still a story of courage under fire and cooperating to target a common enemy.
Positive role models: Stone Hopper is the picture of a selfless commanding officer; he's smart, decisive, and brave. Alex learns to step up after he's forced to command the ship and, with the help of a core group of officers, becomes the kind of leader his brother would be proud of -- especially when he teams up with a rival Japanese officer to figure out how to defeat the aliens. A retired Army veteran, who's also a double amputee, displays leadership and courage.

What to watch for

Violence: As with most alien-invasion films, there's a huge body count. The aliens wipe out two entire ships, destroy a number of buildings, and cause widespread deaths in Hawaii and China, as well as worldwide panic. A few well-liked secondary characters die. Lots of explosions and gun violence, as well as some minor brawling among the rival naval officers. Characters are shown bloodied from close calls, as well as moments before their ships explode.
Sexy stuff: A few passionate kisses, a shot of a couple in bed, and the male star is shown wearing just a towel after coming out of the shower. One female character wears particularly tight or revealing clothes, even when she's working as a physical therapist. In one scene, she kisses her boyfriend while wearing only a string bikini top and very short shorts.
Language: Two implied uses of "motherf--er" (the last part is covered up by an explosion both times). Other words include "s--t," "ass," "hell," "bitch," "damn," "idiot," "oh my God," "goddamn," and the like.
Consumerism: The movie is based on the Hasbro board game, and Hasbro is credited as one of the production companies. There's one segment in which grid coordinates are called out just like in the game. Otherwise, there aren't any major product placements within the movie itself -- but there lots of tie-in products available, from special editions of the board game to first-person shooter video games, apps, toys, and more.
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some drinking early in the film: Adult brothers do shots for a birthday at a bar where others are also consuming alcohol. The main character gets drunk and makes some iffy decisions as a result.

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