BATTLEGROUND - The Pit Of Horror Review Critics often say that a movie works on multiple levels, and never has this been more true than with Brian Henson’s "Battleground," a veritable treasure-trove of in-jokes and sly humor from the insane mind of Stephen King. Of course, missing that aspect of the film won't prevent anyone from enjoying the action/adventure and special effects elements. A sort of Evil Dead-meets-Small Soldiers, this mini-picture investigates what might happen if a group of homicidal, xenophobic commando action figures were able to move around on their own and take revenge. As absurd as the premise might seem, "Battleground" works for two primary reasons: the visual effects are entirely convincing and the script (from genre fave Richard Christian Matheson) never takes its tongue out of its cheek. Battleground stars William Hurt as John Renshaw, a professional hit man who's exceedingly good at what he does. Renshaw returns to his apartment after completing a hit on the owner of a big toy store company, where he soon receives an unexpected package from said toy company. Upon opening the package, he finds he's fighting for his life against foes he'd never faced before. There is a lot of Gremlins and Child’s Play in this short as well -- a seemingly-innocent object turns into a source of mayhem. As a result, the tone is kept playful, with a lightweight musical score, a jokey screenplay, and a distinct amount of blood and harsh violence... for TV that is. Also, you will be amazed by when watching this, that there is little to no dialogue what-so-ever. Even a television broadcast shown is silent in an airport, with Renshaw reading the subtitles. Cleverly done. Also, keep an eye out for cameos from the Zuni doll in Trilogy Of Terror and Bruce Spence from The Road Warrior. Although "Battleground" lacks the simple brilliance and magic of King’s short story (10 pages from Night Shift), it works for many of the same reasons, chief of which is what goes around comes around. The film treads a fine line between cartoonish and excessive violence, and finds the best compromise by limiting the most graphic images to the bloodless dismemberment and evisceration of plastic action figures. Through it all, Henson maintains a sense of humor that is nothing short of original. The result is a fine piece of entertainment for all genre fans. Nightmares And Dreamscapes premiers on TNT July 12th. OFFICIAL SITE UMNEY'S LAST STAND REVIEW DISCUSS ON OUR FORUMS Review by John Gray, for Pitofhorror.com << Back Home