You sank my...BATTLESHIP! Teaser Trailer
- Thread starter Obiwanshinobi
- Start date
Okay, but you're just gonna stand there and watch me burn.
I think that the aircraft carrier took most of the fun out of ship-to-ship warfare. Fleets no longer come within visual distance of each other (hence, the obsolesence of the battleship).
That's the general consensus but I would argue that battleships were obsolete even before that. Jutland showed how risk averse nations were in using their battleships because they were so expensive. That's why most of the naval action in WWI centered around submarines and the destroyers hunting them.
And the country with all those carriers and ballistic missile subs never deploys all of them at once and rarely deploys more than one of either to a given location because of preparation and maintenance issues. If a confrontation comes that requires deploying ships against China - say to defend the Spratly Islands or something - what you're talking about is one carrier, one cruiser and a handful of destroyers and frigates, and maybe an attack sub, which is all you need for a film. We're talking one battle here, not total war. Are you saying China couldn't manage an attack sub and some surface ships? And didn't they buy a carrier from Russia?
And did you know that China has the largest land army? And are there any other complete non-sequiturs you'd like to exchange? The entire Navy air wing is not going to be deployed at once!
I'm flexible. Let's make it France and market the daylights out of it in the UK. China was just an example.
Which is why I picked China, not Japan. I have more faith in their acceptance.
As far as fighting actual countries on the plausibility level, some thoughts.
1. Throw plausibility out the window. Chinese navy isn't a match for the American navy? So what? Battleships are obsolescent. A realistic depiction of a warfare scenario has never been your agenda here. So for the purposes of this movie your target nation - even North Korea or let's say Madagascar - can go toe to toe with the American task force. Roll film.
2. Okay, not satisfied with that idea? How's this? America goes to war with more than one country. A lot of America's fleets are tied up fighting the Russians and the Indians and now they also have to deal with the Chinese. Film focuses on the task force fighting the Chinese, the other wars are the equivalent of 'the Enterprise is the only ship in the quadrant' - a handwave to explain why this battle is more even than it should be.
3. Don't like any of the above? Fine. Cunning first strike! A task force is taken unawares by a superior fleet. Perhaps all the American fleets against all the Chinese fleets would be a piece of cake, but a small taskforce against a much bigger taksforce? That's something else.
1. Throw plausibility out the window. Chinese navy isn't a match for the American navy? So what? Battleships are obsolescent. A realistic depiction of a warfare scenario has never been your agenda here. So for the purposes of this movie your target nation - even North Korea or let's say Madagascar - can go toe to toe with the American task force. Roll film.
2. Okay, not satisfied with that idea? How's this? America goes to war with more than one country. A lot of America's fleets are tied up fighting the Russians and the Indians and now they also have to deal with the Chinese. Film focuses on the task force fighting the Chinese, the other wars are the equivalent of 'the Enterprise is the only ship in the quadrant' - a handwave to explain why this battle is more even than it should be.
3. Don't like any of the above? Fine. Cunning first strike! A task force is taken unawares by a superior fleet. Perhaps all the American fleets against all the Chinese fleets would be a piece of cake, but a small taskforce against a much bigger taksforce? That's something else.
That's a good point but not true. During Operation Iraqi Freedom, there were 3 carrier task forces in the Persian gulf.
Correction you are talking about a minimum of 2 carrier task forces. One from Japan and one from Pearl Harbor. Within a month the Navy could deploy up to 6 carrier task force groups in the area if it wanted. Also Korea, Thailand and Japan may contribute destroyer groups if the situation is serious enough.
I think you're missing the point. Armies are cheap compared to Navies and aircraft carriers are the most expensive part. China won't have one until the late 2010's. Also China has a bigger problem with deployment than the US has.
That's more reasonable but you have the problem with marketing within the US (unless James Bond is attached to it).
You've missed my point. The Chinese want to root for the home team not someone else. That being said, if it's a big enough spectacle they'll watch it.
That's an option but if you're movie is not based on well known IP (and the game Battleship does not count). Then you're going to be more vulnerable to critics especially if your marketing fails. That's what happened to Michael Bay's "Pearl Harbor"
When it come to ships and aircraft, America has more than the entire planet combined. Plus if it ever got that bad, America would certainly deploy nukes.
You'll be roasted for exploiting 9/11 and/or Pearl Harbor. BTW why would you even attempt this when they already made "Tora! Tora! Tora!"
That actually looks pretty good in a "turn your brain off at the door" kinda way. I'm sure I'll see it if only because of the possible promise of showing an Iowa Class kicking ass again, ALIEN ASS at that!
I dragged my girlfriend 10 hours, from Ontario to Philadelphia (Camden, NJ actually. but who wants to admit they've been there) to see this beauty in real life. Truly an awesome sight to see and step inside of. All hail the USS New Jersey!
I dragged my girlfriend 10 hours, from Ontario to Philadelphia (Camden, NJ actually. but who wants to admit they've been there) to see this beauty in real life. Truly an awesome sight to see and step inside of. All hail the USS New Jersey!
What if it were an Ace Combat game transitioned to film perfectly?As an Air Force brat, I'd rather not have that movie associated with that particular branch of the military, thank you very much.
Holy shit, this is absolutely hilarious. I don't want to spend any money to see it but I want to see it.
Also, damned if I don't love Iowa Class Battleships too. Those babies and Enterprise nearly singlehandedly won the Pacific Naval War.
I've been on one of those Iowa classes once, one of the ones which are naval museums now. Fun to poke around.
Simply deciding for the purposes of your movie that a naval power equivalent to the United States exists is actually more plausible than throwing in an alien invasion. And films which aren't even based on properties throw plausibility ouit the window all the time - for example, most action films.
So? Have it fight three naval wars and you've got a situation where naval battles the United States could lose could possibly happen. It's a big planet and you can't mantain superiority all over it. All the film really needs to work is a fair-ish fight, or even better one where the heroes are underdogs.
Maybe they will, or would have if not for Our Heroes really winning the big battle in the movie.
The solution? Well, spoiler alert, Pearl Harbor may have involved an aerial attack.
As far as exploiting goes; it's some isolated convoy of American battleships fighting a sudden enemy fleet. A plot contrivance but not one likely to beat one over the head with Pearl Harbor analogies.
Simply deciding for the purposes of your movie that a naval power equivalent to the United States exists is actually more plausible than throwing in an alien invasion. And films which aren't even based on properties throw plausibility ouit the window all the time - for example, most action films.
So? Have it fight three naval wars and you've got a situation where naval battles the United States could lose could possibly happen. It's a big planet and you can't mantain superiority all over it. All the film really needs to work is a fair-ish fight, or even better one where the heroes are underdogs.
Maybe they will, or would have if not for Our Heroes really winning the big battle in the movie.
Tora! Tora! Tora! is pretty good, but even that film includes the obsolescence of battleships as a plot point (specifically the scene of Japanese admiralty debating the respective merits of air power versus building even bigger battleships).
The solution? Well, spoiler alert, Pearl Harbor may have involved an aerial attack.
As far as exploiting goes; it's some isolated convoy of American battleships fighting a sudden enemy fleet. A plot contrivance but not one likely to beat one over the head with Pearl Harbor analogies.
Well I'll have to politely disagree with you. I think it's more plausible that aliens invade earth than some unknown terresterial power challenging the US Navy. As for action films they don't do as well as movies based on well know IP's
Even if you had a 10 front war, I still think the US Navy would win. It's just that powerful.
Or you could just make a movie about the Battle of Leyte Gulf especially the epic Battle of Surigao Strait and Samar.
Honestly this goes back to why this project is so wrong. They're hundreds of great navel battles that you could make into a movie. You don't need to make up crazy BS like Aliens or North Korea. I don't know what to call it. A failure of imagination or a lack of courage.
Yes, but I said battle. All we need is a specific pitched battleship engagement that could go either way. Whether or not America will eventually win the war even if our heroes all die is a moot point for the drama, just like the way World War II was already won before D-Day - which doesn't stop films set around the Anglo-American invasion of France have suspense and the threat of battles that could actually be lost.
Oh true. It's a bit like when I read something about a film about Risk being considered a contemporary Tom Clancy-esque film... honestly, as silly as a film Risk may be, shedding the clearly Napoleonic trappings is doubly so.
So at the end of the movie, Taylor Kitsch should sacrifice the battleship to destroy the alien ship, so that Liam Neeson can yell "You sunk my battleship!"
Big-budget scifi action movie set at sea with a strong emphasis on weapon/military-porn? I am absolutely on board with that, even if it is stupid.
As to the weapons and tactics in the movie, there is a line in the trailer about the alien ship not showing up on radar and other sensors. So suddenly battles are line-of-sight affairs once more, and who is king of those close range slugfests? Yeah, battleships and unguided shells the size of washing machines.
Assuming the aliens have beam weapons of some sort that can deal with atmospheric distortion they could sweep the skies clear of aircraft and drones with ease. Surface ships and submarines would be back on top.
As to the weapons and tactics in the movie, there is a line in the trailer about the alien ship not showing up on radar and other sensors. So suddenly battles are line-of-sight affairs once more, and who is king of those close range slugfests? Yeah, battleships and unguided shells the size of washing machines.
Assuming the aliens have beam weapons of some sort that can deal with atmospheric distortion they could sweep the skies clear of aircraft and drones with ease. Surface ships and submarines would be back on top.
A movie about the game 'Battleship'? Really? I suppose it would be doable, but I have a hard time seeing how. I don't think I'll be se.....
Wait! Was that Liam Neeson in the trailer?
Is Liam Neeson going to have a somewhat substantial role in it?
*sigh* Son of a bitch. Never mind, I guess I'll probably go in that case.
Wait! Was that Liam Neeson in the trailer?
Is Liam Neeson going to have a somewhat substantial role in it?
*sigh* Son of a bitch. Never mind, I guess I'll probably go in that case.
Similar threads
