You hear it all the time. "I don't read reviews; I make up my own mind." Well, a lot of good that does. If more people took the time to read reviews from critics, they would discover films like this. A box office bomb but a critical success, "Titan A.E." is a magical ride, on par with most of the stuff Disney has pumped out over the years. Actually, it's probably better.
When the Earth is blown up by an alien species called the Drej, the few human escapees left are struggling to survive fifteen years later. One young man named Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) holds the key to restoring the race, totally unbeknownst to him. A mysterious stranger named Korso (Bill Pullman) finally finds him to reveal the truth to Cale. The Drej are determined to stop them from discovering the Titan, the machine that holds the secret the human race has been waiting for.
Likely because of a darker, edgier tone that prevented kids from getting involved, "Titan A.E." just couldn't find the right audience. It should not have been aimed at kids so much, but the sci-fi fan looking for a great ride with a completely unique look. A mix of gorgeous hand drawn and CG imagery, the two styles blend beautifully, creating incredible worlds filled with color, totally unlike anything you've ever seen. Most of the film will stick in your mind for a long time to come.
At the helm are Don Bluth and his co-director and Gary Goldman. They've worked together for years, fondly remembered for taking video games in an entirely new direction with "Dragon's Lair." They bring their impeccable and realistic style of animation to the film with great results.
Of course, you can make a film look as great as you want nowadays. The story here is admittedly weak, sort of strewn together from parts. Barring a rather nifty plot twist, there's not much to it. The movie is saved, and made really, by its ambitious visuals.
That's fine for most people and certainly the draw for kids. As long as a movie has the all-important "hook," you're in. Whether it's great action, acting, drama, or just a great look, a movie just needs something to draw you into its world. "Titan A.E." clearly has one all its own. You'll never see anything else like it. (**** out of *****)
It has been said that DVD just isn't a format for animated films. In all honesty, that's true. There are two major issues plaguing this disc: Aliasing and compression, the usual suspects. The compression is probably the bigger issue of the two as most of the film is set in red tones that show every little nasty block. That in turn causes some edge enhancement. It's a beautiful movie and you can still see that, just not as much as you would hope. (***)
Article comments
1 - Scott Pepper
Really surprised to hear you beat up on the video on this disc, Matt. I've always considered it near reference quality.
2 - Matt Paprocki
I always thought that too. I remember bringing this disc home before and just sitting there in awe. Now I have a HDTV and things just really show up. That, and discs have just improved dramatically over the past few years.
The scene to really look at in this one is when they hit the planet with the bat-like things and the gas bubbles. I've seen discs handle red pretty well. This disc fails miserably. Things start off right, but then everything just sort of falls apart as the movie moves on.
3 - The Theory
i love this movie. very good.
4 - Chris Beaumont
This is a wonderful movie. I was one of the few that saw it theatrically and loved it. I always thought it deserved much, much more.