Battlefield Earth

In 3000 AD, Jonnie Goodboy Tyler lives among cave-dwellers in the Rocky Mountains who fear the 'demons' that supposedly rule Earth. He questions their legends and ventures into the lowlands to explore a desolate, overgrown city. His curiosity sets the stage for his encounter with the Psychlos.

Jonnie is captured by the alien Psychlos and taken as a slave to a base in the ruins of Denver. The base is sealed beneath a dome that shelters a breathable atmosphere for the Psychlos and their human slaves. Jonnie's capture marks the start of his struggle for freedom.

The Denver base is dominated by a massive dome that provides air and climate for the Psychlos' operation. Jonnie begins to earn the respect of other slaves while the security chief Terl takes a personal interest in him. The oppressive environment foreshadows the coming plan for revolt.

Terl learns his assignment on Earth will be extended indefinitely as punishment, and he hatches a plan with his assistant Ker. They intend to train humans to mine a recently exposed gold deposit while using part of the ore as leverage to bribe his way off the planet. The scheme leverages both psychology and subterfuge to change the humans' fate.

Terl places Jonnie in a learning machine that rapidly teaches him Psychlo language and technology. Jonnie secretly shares what he learns with other slaves, accelerating human access to forbidden knowledge. An escape attempt is made early on but is thwarted, keeping the rebellion's spark alive.

Jonnie reads the Declaration of Independence in the Denver Library, feeling inspired to reclaim Earth. Chrissy is captured while searching for him and fitted with an explosive collar, a threat Terl uses to coerce Jonnie. Sammy, another slave, is executed to intimidate the others.

Terl blackmails the planet administrator into letting him order the gold mining operation. Jonnie receives further training to pilot aircraft, expanding his capabilities for the coming revolt. The plan becomes a layered mix of deception and strategic weaponization.

Jonnie is sent to the mining site with a team. He diverts part of the effort to gather abandoned human weapons and steal gold from Fort Knox to pass off as legitimate mining production, playing both sides for leverage. The ruse amplifies the humans' odds against the Psychlos.

Ker tries to blackmail Terl for a larger share of the gold, threatening the balance of power. Terl retaliates by shooting Ker's hand, asserting his authority and threatening anyone who challenges his plan. The internal conflict raises the stakes for the impending revolt.

The slaves stage a full-scale revolt, assaulting the base with their newfound weapons and Harrier jets to counter the Psychlo air defenses. Explosives are used to rupture the dome, breaking the Psychlos' control over the environment. The uprising marks a turning point in the war for Earth's freedom.

As the revolt unfolds, Terl orders the execution of all humans and alerts the Psychlo homeworld to teleport an extermination force. The situation escalates to a desperate bid for survival as the base fights for its life and the humans push back under Jonnie's improvisation.

During the teleporter activation, Jonnie battles Terl, reattaches Chrissy's collar to his arm, and tricks Terl into detonating it. The explosive kills Terl and disables his control over the scenario, tipping the balance in favor of the humans. The triumph of the slave uprising reaches its apex here.

Mickey, Chrissy's brother, rides the teleporter to the Psychlo homeworld with a nuclear weapon. The fallout incinerates the atmosphere, causing the Psychlo planet to implode. The event marks the final defeat of the Psychlos and their control over Earth.

Back on Earth, Jonnie taunts a captive Terl at Fort Knox and asserts that the surviving Psychlos will pay the price for their defeat. Ker agrees to teach Psychlo technology to humans, signaling a new alliance and a hopeful future for Earth's recovered freedom.