Titan A.E.
(2000)

Rated: PG
Runtime: 1 Hour and 34 Minutes

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Reviewer: Dale
Grade: C+

One almost feels tempted to reward the movie just for its vision. It is, after all, trying to do something unique...at least for an animated film made in the United States. Japan has understood for years that the animated feature need not be the exclusive province of the childhood set, but we are a little slower to catch on. "Titan A.E.", however, begins with the destruction of our entire planet by a sinister alien race that means to destroy us before we can threaten their superiority. Disney, this ain't. At one point we even get to see Matt Damon's animated tushie.

But alas, its ambition is not quite matched by the strength of the film itself. Which is not to say that it doesn't have its moments. There are moments of wit and ingenuity here, not to mention some truly gorgeous animation. There is a good deal of imagination on display here also.
There are a couple planets we see in this movie that are more dazzling than anything we've seen in a Star Wars or Star Trek movie. This movie also brings some delicate and downright whimsical touches to the realm of Outer Space. There is a planet where the trees are large bubbles of hydrogen. There are dolphin-like apparitions which cluster before ships, daring them to a race almost. There are some wonderful moments here, stuff that we really have not seen before.

How is it, then, that the movie is hampered by a rather routine feel? The heart never quite soars the way that we feel it should. The pulse never beats as quickly as we suspect that the filmmakers meant it to. Maybe it is because, although some of the animation is truly breathtaking, some of it seems very average. Maybe it is because none of the characters are rich enough to divert our interest from the beautiful landscapes of the planets they are on.
Maybe it is because much of the dialogue just isn't that great. Maybe it is because the movie still felt a Disney-ish need to populate its gorgeous universe with cute supporting creatures (some of which aren't as cuddly as they look). Yes, I suspect that all these things are to blame.

"Titan A.E." has a great idea and some wonderful visuals. It has some moments of true wonder, some moments that serve up a sort of otherworldly spectacle that has been sadly lacking in the cinema these days. It's a pity that they didn't work a little harder to make the rest of the movie live up to those moments. It's a pity that more time wasn't spent making the characters live and breathe for us rather than look pretty. Ultimately, the film is overwhelmed by the bigness of its own ideas and collapses under its own weight.

Though one has to give it points just for trying.