Review: Titan A.E. (2000)

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Titan A.E.

Rating

Director

Don Bluth, Gary Goldman

Screenplay

Hans Bauer, Randall McCormick, Ben Edlund, John August, Joss Whedon

Length

1h 34m

Starring

Matt Damon, Janeane Garofalo, Nathan Lane, John Leguizamo, Tone-Lõc, Ron Perlman, Bill Pullman, Drew Barrymore, Jim Breuer, Ken Campbell, Jim Cummings

MPAA Rating

Review

Scientists believe that the end of the world is imminent, but scientifically, that could be nearly 1 billion years in our future. “Titan A.E.” takes the perspective that there are plenty of other things in the universe that would destroy earth and that’s not too far in the distant future.

The year is 3028 A.D. and planet Earth is under attack by a group of crystalline energy creatures known as the Drej, who are bent on destroying all humans. Cale, a boy of about nine years of age, is forced onto an escape pod while his father must serve the government in his ship, the Titan, but is not heard from again.

Several years later, Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) grows up and is working as a space repairman. No one appears to like the humans, especially Cale. However, they have a reason; Cale is cocky and doesn’t seem to care if he pisses everyone off. One evening at the lunch shack, he meets Korso (Bill Pullman), a bounty hunter. What he’s looking for is uncertain, but when the Drej invade the bar looking for the feared intelligence of the humans, the two of them flee the scene.

On the ship, we meet Cale’s eventual love interest Akima (voice of Drew Barrymore); the poor-sighted navigator Gune (voice of John Leguizamo); Stith (voice of Janeane Garofalo), a weapons specialist; and Preed (voice of Nathan Lane), the annoying first mate. From there, the action escalates as the search for the Titan begins.

As with all Don Bluth films, “Titan A.E.” has a problem with its animation. The humans aren’t very well designed, despite having improved from previous Bluth films.

The aliens don’t fall into the trap of being poorly animated, because we’ve never seen them before and therefore can’t complain that they look bad. The best animation comes in the form of the Drej alien ship and an exciting ice-field chase where all of the ships reflect off the ice, making it difficult to tell where anyone is.

Outside of Damon, the voice talents are terrific. Lane and Leguizamo are great at vocal chameleons. While it’s easier to identify Lane, he still makes the character more lifelike. Garofalo is easily identifiable for her unusual style and we’re the better for it; she’s as sassy and temperamental as we expect her to be. Barrymore and Pullman are virtually unidentifiable, a blessing in a film where Damon hams it up.

“Titan A.E.” is a classic space opera. Like “Star Wars,” the film attempts to blend romance, science, fast-paced action and surprising betrayal into a masterpiece of science fantasy. Unfortunately, the film tries a little too hard and we are let in on secrets early in the film that ruin many of the major surprises. The film is attempting to say that humans are obviously the galaxy’s most powerful race and no one wants them around.

The age-old plot of good versus evil is so standard that only the best films can warp and bend the idea into a fascinating story. “Titan A.E.” never manages to make the audience think, it tries half-heartedly to explain the inherent treachery in all living beings and the attempts to force emotional concern from the viewer fail miserably. Bluth continues to try, but his best work, the desperately sad “All Dogs Go to Heaven,” may never be duplicated.

Awards Prospects

Had the Academy announced its new Animation category this year, this would have been one of the nominees. As it stands now, the film will be completely shut out.