10 Most Underrated Sci-Fi Action Movies
9. Battleship
The moderate box office performance for this mega million dollar budget movie lead many a critic and sci-fi fan to write off this film. While it doesn't aim for any lofty heights, there's still a lot of fun to be had, especially in the outstanding finale.
Taylor Kitsch is adequate enough as lead man Alex Hopper, who unwittingly finds himself in charge of the last remaining ship in the US Navy after an alien attack. The movie goes through the motions in its first two acts with some decent action scenes and so-so acting making it watchable, if not all that memorable.
The move then makes a delightful late twist, making what seemed like a passing tribute to WW2 veterans in the first act become the film's core focus. With all the navy fleet destroyed, the action moves to a decommissioned WW2 battleship, with much of the weaponry only able to be used by the elder veterans.
Embracing the heroes of the past as the heroes of the present is a genius move that makes the final battle between humans and aliens all the more engaging. It's all well and good to make a passing mention of our War veterans in your film, but to allow them to take over your film's climax really deserves some plaudits.