Film Review - Titan A.E.

While exiting the theatre, a woman behind me said, "That could have been good!"

Oh, how right she was.

Titan A.E. handed us much in promise in the its trailer. In the beginning, the Earth is destroyed because we've become a threat to someone. Humanity is spread across the cosmos. Only one boy has the power to find the Titan and save the human race. Okay, that's the normal drivel you get in trailers. It's when the movie has to pay up that there is much hell to pay.

Titan A.E. does pay off on many items. This being a Don Bluth animation, the art work is very good. Unfortunately, the animation is uneven. The hand drawn work does not meld well to the computer generated images. (I've commented about Disney films having this weakness in the past.) All in all, the animation is above average.

What doesn't work at all is the story. Okay, some aliens came by to blow up the Earth. They just happen to have a space station with a Death Star-like prime weapon for this very purpose. (Do you think they do this often?) My big question is WHY! This is never really explained. We're some sort of threat because we have built the Titan. Your guess is as good as mine about why Titan is a threat requiring everyone and their grandmother to be snuffed. Honestly, you leave the theatre just as the woman behind me wondering what went wrong.

Oh, and did I mention the snot-nosed, jerk of a hero they sold us? No I haven't, all you need to know is, he ain't Luke Skywalker, the young man on a quest. He's more of the Gen-X slacker with a big chip on his shoulder. As far as I'm concerned, you can flush him out the nearest air lock.

After this movie, the vacuum needs a new bag.

Dust Bag Full

Film Facts

Directed by
Don Bluth
Gary Goldman
Art Vitello

Released in 2000

MPAA Rating: PG

Reviewed by Mongo