Battle Planet - DVD

Film: Soldier Jordan Strider (Zack Ward) is sent to the distant planet Terra 219 to ensure that the rebels of the Aquarian nature people no longer oppose the Alliance. But when Jordan meets the attractive Aquarian fighter Jun'hee and realizes that her people are right to fear for their existence, the soldier is deeply conflicted. For if he is to save Jun'hee and the other Aquarians, he must stand against the Alliance. And that would have unimaginable consequences. But then Jordan learns the real reason for his stay on Terra 219 - and that makes the decision of which side to take much easier, but not less dangerous...

A soldier sent to an alien planet to infiltrate a rebellious primitive people - that sounds an awful lot like "Avatar" - especially since the cover design is very obviously based on the sci-fi success. Admittedly, the 2008 production, which looks more like a TV movie, can't match Cameron's megahit, especially since director Greg Aronowitz probably only had a budget available that would be equivalent to the catering costs of a day on the set of "Avatar". But "Battle Planet" doesn't even try to be anything more than simplistic sci-fi trash. With a pretty decent set and some CGI effects worth seeing, Aronowitz packs his sometimes surprisingly profound message into an entertaining garment that knows how to entertain with slightly exaggerated humor and an endearingly trashy charm despite several weaknesses.

The comparison made on the cover to the fantasy series "Outer Limits" is not so far-fetched. Both the design of the spaceship's interior and the Aquarians' masks could be borrowed in style from the science fiction-oriented episodes of the series. Zack Ward acts more than appropriately in this setting, usually with a little wink, which is further emphasized by the neat dubbing.

Although "Battle Planet" is, on balance, not really a good film, but thoroughly entertaining in its own way, the story can really surprise in one respect: because amidst the colorful and also rather casual hustle and bustle, an ending like the one offered here is not necessarily what the viewer thinks to expect. If you don't need perfect effects or an overly original story and are looking for simple sci-fi entertainment of the rather old-fashioned kind, you can confidently venture a visit to Terra 219.

Picture + Sound: The DVD's picture is clean and sharp and can also convince with its strong, sometimes deliberately alienated colors. Here and there is noticeable image noise, which is especially in darker scenes somewhat disturbing. The sound is quite dynamic and has some good surround effects to offer, but is dominated by dialogue and more discreet ambient noises for large parts. Good!

Extras: In addition to the trailer for the film, there are only a few other trailers from the provider's program.

Conclusion: "Battle Planet" is not a particularly good film. But the makers know that perfectly well, which is why they have given it a certain touch of self-mockery. The comparison with "Avatar", which is imposed by the cover and individual plot elements, is not very accurate, rather lovers of old-fashioned SciFi series should feel addressed by the charmingly trashy implementation. The DVD is technically on a decent level, bonus material is unfortunately, apart from trailers, not.

An article by Frankfurt-Tipp