Titan A.E.

	Review by Howard Anderson © 2000 Howard Anderson

Story

The year is 3028. Mankind has conquered space, and even though it was routine to travel to the farthest galaxies, humans always thought that Earth would be home. However, with mankind's new freedom comes new enemies, forcing Earth to prepare for an attack by the Drej, a vicious alien race. In little more than an instant, Earth is gone. The human race barely escapes with its greatest treasure, a magnificent ship christened the Titan. Fifteen years later, in a hostile universe where humans are looked upon with disdain, the rebellious Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) toils unhappily on a grungy salvage station in space. Cale is a cynical young man with a big chip on his shoulder: He believes that his father, a brilliant scientist who invented the Titan, had broken an important promise. Consequently, Cale has no emotional connection with his fellow humans. Cale's attitude changes when he learns that his father has left him a genetically encoded ring containing a map to the Titan, a spaceship that holds the secret to the salvation of the human race. With this new knowledge, Cale reluctantly embarks on an incredible adventure, led by Korso (Bill Pullman), Akima (Drew Barrymore) and their alien crew of the Valkyrie. With the Drej close behind and betrayal from within, Cale makes new discoveries about himself and the human race. While completing his mission to find a New World, Cale must become a renegade warrior and a new kind of hero.

Review

Sometimes animation can take you to a place far beyond the limitations of any other medium, and that is something directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (along with their incredible team of animators) were able to achieve with " Titan A.E." This is hands-down the most spectacularly animated feature film that I have ever seen, and in addition to the awe-inspiring visuals and the cool-as-hell music that accompany it, this one's also got a genuinely decent story, inhabited by some well fleshed out characters. Now, some critics have claimed the story to be kind of void, that it is a rip-off of other sci-fi classics and what not. But that is so not the case. I guess you could say that this is an old story told in a new way, but to say that it is a weak story is completely off the mark. Like "Star Wars" before it, "Titan A.E." is also heavily influenced by the great space operas and sci-fi classics of the 40´s, 50´s and 60´s, and it was during that time that the standard was set. "Star Wars" too, borrowed unabashed from that same source (in addition to Akira Kurosawa's "The Hidden Fortress"), and so I feel it is impossible to praise one while condemning the other. Here's a quote from movie critic Roger Ebert: 'Don Bluth's "Titan AE" creates the kinds of feelings I had as a teenager, paging eagerly through Asimov and Heinlein. There are moments when it even stirs a little awe.' I couldn't agree more.

Like I said, the animation is the best I have ever seen, and the mix of traditional and CGI animation opens up the universe in a way that otherwise couldn't have been done, and it really takes the story to a whole new level. The three main characters of this story are Cale, Akima and Korso, and the voices provided by Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore and Bill Pullman respectively, work amazingly well. All three are able to make their characters feel... well, in lack of a better word - real, and that is something that is also greatly aided by the fact that Cale, Akima and Korso all bear a close resemblance to their vocal origins. They are joined by John Leguizamo, Nathan Lane and Janeane Garofalo, that together make up the crew of the coolest space ship since the Millennium Falcon - the Valkyrie. To make a long story short, I thought "Titan A.E." was the most fantastic and fun cinematic ride through the universe since the original "Star Wars", and since I'm also a great fan of Japanese Anime, to which "Titan A.E." owes a great debt, I couldn't be more pleased.

Image

The best-looking animated feature DVD yet. Well, in addition to Disney's "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2", that is. This anamorphic image in its 2.35:1 aspect ratio is flawless. At least my eyes could not detect a single flaw anywhere in this amazing transfer by 20th Century Fox. The colors were rich and vibrant, the blacks were dead-on, and the sense of depth that the marriage of traditional 2-cell animation and CGI was able to convey here is just astounding.

Sound

Okay, let me just make one thing perfectly clear: I worship DTS, and this DTS track is no exception. The incredible use of the surrounds, the earth-shattering bass (no pun intended), the crystal clear dialogue, the elimination of the phantom zones, and the very broad sense of the mix - this DTS soundtrack is perfect in every way. And at times, the amount of bass that was fed to all six channels felt like it was gonna pulverize me, so full range speakers all round is recommended for the best audio experience. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound is also extremely good, and is easily reference quality, but the improved dynamics and the overall better mix of the DTS track just gives it that extra edge. "Titan A.E." also comes with English and French Dolby Surround tracks, so whatever your preference is, just crank up the volume and blast off...

Features

There are some really nice bonus features to be found on "Titan A.E.", like an Audio Commentary with directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (where they, among other things, shed some light on the somewhat arduous process of creating this movie), a perfectly okay "The Quest for Titan" Featurette made for the Fox Kids TV Special, four Deleted Scenes in varying degrees of completion, an extensive Still Gallery, the Music Video for "Over My Head" by Lit, as well as 2 Theatrical Trailers and 2 TV Spots. Overall this is a very nice package, and this DVD has rightful earned its Special Edition label.

Overall Opinion

"Titan A.E." did a great job of transporting me 1038 years into the future, and, during its intergalactic thrill ride, showing me the magic and marvels of the universe. As a lover of both animation and science fiction on a grand scale, "Titan A.E" blew my expectations right out of the atmosphere, and with such an amazing DVD presentation, this is an adventure well worth taking.