I have to give you full disclosure as a serious journalist: I absolutely adore this movie, but I won't spend any energy defending it. It's horrible in so many ways, but some of those same ways are the same ways that make this movie so great. John Travolta and Forest Whitaker are acting the hell out of this movie. It's like watching a living cartoon. They look absolutely ridiculous as well. The story behind this movie just makes it more interesting.
The story is based on one of Scientology creator L. Ron Hubbard's books. I find that very bizarre that the same guy that leads a church also wrote science fiction. Especially when the beliefs of the religion sound like science fiction. Very odd if you ask me. Being a sci-fi movie, this movie costa lot to make, which probably came out of scientologists monthly dues.