Anthony's Film Review - Titan A.E. (2000)

Very exciting sci-fi animated adventure, despite a non-Disney production...

Up until the mid-2000s, Disney was THE name associated with feature-length animated films. Any animation not by Disney was either not viewed or viewed with skepticism. When I heard of Titan A.E., a Fox Animation project that would ultimately be a financial disappointment and shut down the animation studio, I went to see it just because it looked interesting enough. Turns out that it was a very good movie, and I wonder why not many other people bothered to see it.

Think about it. You have a movie that starts with characters urgently boarding spacecraft, including a young boy named Cale, who is given something that is imprinted in the palm of his hand. They get on board and fly away from Earth. And it's clear why. The planet is soon destroyed with a single blast from an alien spacecraft. Already, the first several minutes of the film involve a little suspense and many questions afterward.

Years later, Cale and the remaining Earthlings struggle to survive in remote parts of the universe. He soon finds himself on a quest to find something called the Titan. His allies include Captain Korso, the beautiful Akima, and various friendly alien beings. The crew travel to various planets in search of the Titan, using Cale's palm as a guide, for the imprint is a map leading to it.

The film is a fun-filled ride with an exciting plot and a few twists. It has plenty of good action scenes, including shootouts, chases, and hand-to-hand combat. The characters are likable, especially the principal human characters. The voice actors behind them, including Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore, do a fine job.

It's been years since I've seen this movie, but I still remember how much I enjoyed it. This is one of those quality animated films that tends to be overlooked. Given that Fox Animation no longer exists, this movie might be forgotten forever. It would be a shame since I do think it really rocks. If you happen to find a copy of this movie, give it a chance. You might like it, too.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Titan A.E., visit the Internet Movie Database.