Rating
-
Sci-Fi/Animated
(US); 2000; Rated PG; 94 Minutes
Cast
Matt Damon: Cale
Drew Barrymore: Akima
Bill Pullman: Korso
Nathan Lane: Preed
Tone Loc: Tek
Jim Breuer: The Cook
Jim Cummings: Chowquin
Janeane Garofalo: Stith
David L. Lander: The Mayor
John Leguizamo: Gune
Ron Perlman: Sam Tucker
Produced by Don Bluth, Paul Gertz, Gary Goldman and
David Kirschner; Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman
(additional scenes feature directing from Art Vitello);
Screenwritten by Ben Edlund, John August and Joss
Whedon; based on the story by Randall McCormick and
Hans Bauer
Review Uploaded
6/23/00 |
Written
by DAVID KEYES With
theater ticket prices on the hike again, many a moviegoer
are beginning to utilize foresight in the choices they make
regarding what movies to see. Since no one wants to regret
losing all that money on something dismal and unrewarding,
their approach to most films is weary, and understandably
so, given the fact that 2000 is already one of the worst
years for movies in ages. Few pictures have offered a significant
and rewarding experience (the best exceptions being “American
Psycho” and “Gladiator”), while most have given us reason
to question the existence of God (the evident choices being
“Battlefield Earth” and “Next Friday.”). Now that the summer
season is underway at the cinema, hope for is rising for
something more stable than the typical junk of previous
months.
As
usual, animated films provoke a strong inquisitiveness in
the eyes of viewers because of their immense freedom, and
“Titan A.E.,” the new endeavor from 20th Century Fox team
Don Bluth and Gary Goldman, finally demolishes any doubts
audiences might have in thinking the genre is simply designated
for kids. A new bold step in reinventing the animated formula
and testing the turnout for adult viewers, “Titan A.E.”
also proves to be one of the finest achievements seen this
year, so elaborate in its visual concept and exciting in
its narrative potency that, in brief instances, we practically
forget that we are even observing a movie. The intricate
story is enhanced in ways that most live action science
fiction films are not: by a style of bright colors, amusing
personas, strong and focused pacing and startling plot twists.
Likewise, the impressive vision of the Earth’s demise, which
occurs on screen with jolting impact, is something that
live action movies such as “Independence Day” and “Armageddon”
could only dream of pulling off.
Taking
another dissimilar approach from sci-fi, “Titan A.E.” tells
its story in the post-apocalyptic scope. At the epicenter
is Cale (Matt Damon), a human born on Earth but raised in
the stars, whose father was responsible for the creation
of a vast storage vessel called Titan to preserve the genetic
codes of Earth’s creatures. Fearing that the perseverance
in this project would give humans immense power, an alien
race called the Drej moved into the atmosphere and destroyed
our planet to preserve their universal superiority (the
Drej are made of pure energy and illuminated from other
races by their distinctive blue glow).
15
years have passed since that incident, and mankind is now
a species sparsely populated and on the decline. Their only
hope for further survival is the Titan ship itself, which
is now lost deep in space, and being anxiously searched
for by the fearful Drej. Humanity’s only hope is (not surprisingly)
Cole himself, the son of the ship’s creator; during their
final moments together, Cole’s father handed his son a ring
as a symbol of their relationship, encouraging him to keep
it close to his heart whenever he thinks of his father.
As it turns out, the ring’s intricate chip system, when
activated and placed on his finger, reveals a star map on
his palm that marks the spot where Titan has been buried.
Enlisted by a ship containing humans and talking evolved
animals, Cole sets out to discover the secrets of Titan,
and rectify the tragedy spawned by the Drej.
Sweeping
us up in all of this are some of the most vivid and memorable
characters of any recent animated film. Janeane Garofalo
provides the voice of an oversized kangaroo (of sorts) named
Stith, who throws tantrums at the thought of not living
up to her potential and blasts her team members when they
slack in their duties (“What were you doing when the Drej
arrived? Taking a nap?!”). John Leguizamo provides similar
comic relief as Gune, a creature who cowers at loud voices
and orders, but is the space equivalent of Albert Einstein.
Meanwhile, the Drej, while not distinguished by personalities,
give the film a sense of unnerving tension with their ominous
blue hues and cyborg-esque voices and dialects. What is
most surprising (but relieving) is the depth given to the
main character Cole; few wannabe-heroes in movies (particularly
animated films) are written with multidimensional personalities,
probably because their existence only serves as a ruse to
lure in young male teens who share similar dreams of heroism.
Matt Damon’s voice is appropriately cast, too, for Cole
not only looks like him, but essentially acts like him.
The
visuals are some of the most amazing I have ever seen in
feature cartoons—some scenes even outdo the lavish swooping
shots of Disney’s “Tarzan.” Of the fulfilling series of
spectacular action sequences provided, three of them define
the infinite possibilities of animation: 1) the opening
sequence depicting the destruction of Earth; 2) a deadly
navigation threw swamps thriving with menacing hydrogen
trees; and 3) a game of cat-and-mouse that takes place in
crevices of large reflective ice crystals. The scenes provide
further proof that filmmakers are gradually getting their
inspiration from Japanese anime rather than mainstream feature
cartoons.
In
recent memory, the movies have turned the sight of our vast
universe into a spectacle of drab and depressing tones,
further tarnishing the effect by the confinements of live
action and gravity. Only a handful of films, such as George
Lucas’ “Star Wars Episode One: The Phantom Menace,” help
to remedy this obstinate problem, but none quite achieve
absolute splendor. At last, here is a film that doesn’t
squabble in clichés and formulas, and imagines the universe
from fresh and plausible perspective. Rousing achievements
like “Titan A.E.” are what summer movies should be all about.
©
2000,
David Keyes, Cinemaphile.org.
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