Battleship - Sinking Ship or Sailing Success?

So I went to see Battleship this Wednesday - not out of curiosity of how well Rihanna's acting skills are but purely out of lust for Taylor Kitsch - and I was actually surprised at my positive feelings towards the film after I left the cinema.

Battleship is a popcorn movie. Nothing more, and it is aware of this. This is what makes the movie work. It is genuinely enjoyable if not taken too seriously. Transformers director Michael Bay should take note - this is how a summer blockbuster including CGI-filled aliens and machinery should be put together. 

Battleship tells the story of lead character Alex Hopper, played by Taylor Kitsch, a hopeless young man who somehow manages to find his way into the navy. Hopper continues to act irresponsibly which does not bode well with his commanding officer, played by Liam Neeson, who is unfortunately the father of Hopper's fiancé, played by Brooklyn Decker. Under strange and scary circumstances Hopper finds himself in charge of his navy crew when aliens land in the water and it is up to him to guide the navy into saving the planet.

Ludicrous plot of course, however the excellent CGI effects of the intruding aliens and the ability of Kitsch to keep the energy up for this film keeps the audience more than entertained. Many lines spoken (usually by weapons officer Raikes, played by Rihanna) are cheesy, yet the film has a sense of humour, taking the mickey  out of itself when these lines are uttered. Kitsch proves that he is the next Hollywood main man keeping the ladies happy with his intense looks and navy uniform, an action star in the making.

Alex Skaarsgard who plays Kitsch's older brother is slightly underwhelming, as well as fiancé Brooklyn Decker whose scenes captured away from the action of fighting the aliens at sea are unnecessary in my opinion. She's a beautiful woman and a decent actress but she didn't need to feature so much. Rihanna was surprisingly decent also as Raikes, adding the attitude she embodies daily - not a bad first acting effort.

There were elements included in Battleship of every disaster film you can think of, from Titanic, to 2012, to Pearl Harbour. The clichés came with it, from a close-up shot of a scared look from Brooklyn Decker hiding from the aliens (a la Megan Fox in Transformers 2), to the surrendering line in the face of almost certain death from Kistch,'Men, it's been a pleasure working with you...' - but don't let these bother you too much.

Battleship takes notes from where Transformers II went wrong. It doesn't overcomplicate the story, trying to raise credibility of the film - its a simple alien battle plot with great action scenes and a satisfying close. Seeing the film will not cause you any harm.