Today’s quick review: Titan A.E.. Fifteen years after the destruction of Earth by the alien Drej, Cale (Matt Damon), one of the last surviving humans, leads a mundane life as a scrapper. But the monotony is interrupted when Captain Korso (Bill Pullman) recruits him to help find the Titan, a hidden ship that could offer humanity new hope. Following a map Cale’s father left him, Korso and his crew set out in search of the Titan with the Drej on their heels.
Titan A.E. is an animated science fiction adventure movie. Titan A.E. offers a glimpse at a future where humanity is on the verge of extinction and the few survivors are adrift in a galaxy full of aliens. The movie gets the basics of its plot right, and its detailed animation, celebrity cast, and well-developed universe are enough to give it some appeal. However, weak writing and a peculiar aesthetic keep Titan A.E. from reaching its full potential.
Titan A.E.’s flaws are minor but pervasive. The art style combines realistic character designs and exaggerated motions with mixed results. The use of CGI is ambitious but clumsy. The soundtrack is an out-of-place playlist of rock songs. The tone walks an awkward line between kid-friendly adventure and serious space drama. None of these issues are significant on their own, but taken together they push the movie in the wrong direction.
Titan A.E. does have a few points in its favor. The plot resembles a number of other sci-fi films, but its skeleton is perfectly viable. The dialogue never sparkles, but it gets the job done. The supporting cast includes Drew Barrymore, John Leguizamo, Nathan Lane, and Janeane Garofalo. The camerawork indulges in rotating shots that would be difficult to pull off without the use of CGI. Finally, the movie does have a few good action sequences.
Ultimately, Titan A.E. aims at the right place but falls short of the mark. It’s a fine watch for a sci-fi fan looking for something light and a little tacky, but most viewers would be better off watching one of the many similar sci-fi films instead, such as Captain Harlock, Treasure Planet, and Guardians of the Galaxy. For animated sci-fi of a similar caliber, check out Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within or Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
6.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for modest quality offset by various mistakes.