As it flopped for audiences and was speared to near death by the critics, it looked as if we would never hear of "Battlefield Earth" again. However, Warners has nurtured it back to life with a DVD shoeshine job that's designed to make you want to take this ailing beast home with you.
Picture quality is as good as we have typically come to expect from Warners for one of their new titles. The image is clear and detailed throughout, unlike the storyline.
The 5.1 sound mix is a bass hungry monster that whips around the speakers to great effect.
Packed with added features, this DVD serves to remind us that most movies are not deliberately meant to be rubbish. Through the interviews, design elements, and the commentary, we learn how George Lucas insisted that Roger Christian would be the ideal man to direct a movie that is based on one of the best-selling science fiction books ever. How it then took shape and developed from there perfectly demonstrates how the people involved were able to convince themselves that they had a big hit on their hands.
No doubt this film will attract a cult following over time and this DVD will serve those fans well.
Chapters: 37
Region: 2
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1
Extra Features: Scene selection, audio commentary with director Roger Christian and production designer Patrick Tatopolous, behind-the-scenes featurette, storyboard montage, John Travolta make-up tests, creative visual effects featurette, trailer, two TV spots, cast and crew credits, DVD-ROM official website, animated menus, English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
Battlefield Earth DVD (2000)