Refined title: Battleship Game

Following the triumphs of Transformers and G.I. Joe, Hasbro introduces another cherished franchise to the silver screen, yielding explosive and delightfully implausible outcomes. The premise unfolds with aliens making a splashdown near Hawaii, enveloping the islands in an impenetrable force field and wreaking havoc among the trapped inhabitants. While the world watches helplessly from outside, a small group of naval officers and civilians, led by Taylor Kitsch's brash washout and Rihanna's weapons expert, must devise a strategy to save humanity despite being vastly outgunned.

Director Peter Berg, known for his genre-bending approach in films like The Rundown and Hancock, maintains a surprisingly disciplined narrative, portraying military strategy and command structure with authentic reverence. Notably, actual combat veterans are cast in key supporting roles, enhancing the film's authenticity. However, this earnest portrayal occasionally clashes with the inherent absurdity of the plot, especially in the climax where the protagonists strategically fire a missile at B7, evoking playful nods to classic board games without ever uttering the iconic line "You sunk my battleship," although Liam Neeson, in a significant cameo as an admiral, certainly hints at it.

Despite occasional narrative gaps, Berg's film unquestionably delivers on the promise of a thrilling action spectacle, featuring several intense combat sequences executed with flair and creativity. Special commendation goes to the inventive design of the aliens' primary weapon—a menacing, gear-studded sphere that gleefully devours its surroundings. While coherence might be sacrificed for spectacle, Battleship offers maximum summer-movie excitement per dollar spent.

As Andrew Wright succinctly concludes, "Bring on Kerplunk: The Motion Picture."

product information: