First Look: Rihanna makes debut in ‘Battleship

When: Opening Friday at local theaters

Cast: Liam Neeson, Alexander Skarsgard, Taylor Kitsch, Rihanna, Brooklyn Decker

Director: Peter Berg

The story: During naval war games, an international fleet confronts an alien armada, triggering massive combat on land, in the air – and at sea.

The buzz: After “Transformers” stormed multiplexes multiple times, another playtime favorite, the board game “Battleship,” inspires a cinematic adaptation that reunites Kitsch with Berg, executive producer of TV’s “Friday Night Lights.” Chart-topper Rihanna, meanwhile, makes her big-screen debut, while former model Brooklyn Decker has two movies opening Friday; she’s also in “What to Expect When You’re Expecting.”

– CAROL CLING