Titan A.E.

     The year is 3028. Powerful extraterrestrials known as the Dredge are on a mission to exterminate mankind. At the time of Earth's destruction, Kale, the hero of the story was too young to realize how dangerous the Dredge are and how important he is to the salvation of mankind. In a desperate attempt to seal the hope for humanities survival, Kale's father blasts off into deep space in a special ship called the Titan, while Kale escapes in an escape pod. Fifteen years later, a man who once knew his father approaches Kale and talks to him about the true purpose of the Titan project. Using a genetically encoded map instilled within Kale's ring, Kale embarks on a dangerous mission to revive a dying race.

     The animation in Titan AE is very slick, computer rendered and very sharp. Granted, the animation isn't from Japan, but there are very few American produced animation with this type of quality. The colors and transitions are very fluent compared to most standard Japanese anime, so I consider Titan AE a breath of fresh air. The 90-minute movie has a lot going for it, but the quality of the animation itself can really be classified as eye candy.

     I think the length was perfect for the title. Nothing was rushed or cut out (and that's probably because the movie originated here) but I think they could have added more to the story (even though it was pretty good).

     The plot was excellent. There must have been a scientist or some sort of a biological engineer working with the directors and producers on this movie. The way the directors use the scenery and planet resources to push the story line is amazing. I've seen a lot of apocalyptic movies, but I haven't seen too many films that focus on the life of humans after they have been nearly wiped out. The movie focuses on a rather unique subject; reviving the human race! Not only is the plot and animation outstanding; the music is pretty cool as well.

     I think the music has an alternative/techno feel to it. The song "Castaway" couldn't have played a better role in the movie, and the rejuvenating beat of "Come back down to Earth" was pretty neat. I can't help but notice there is a small but keen presence of Japanimation in every aspect of this film. The techno beats definitely remind me of a toned down cyber-punk track.

     With a cast of Matt Damon, Bill Pullman, Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofolo, Drew Barrymore and Tone-Loc, Titan A.E. probably has the most impressive voice acting out on the market. You won't be disappointed with the character development in this story and the script flows just as well.

     Over all, any hard core anime fan might now enjoy this movie. You might view it as being too softhearted, but I think the majority of people out there will enjoy this film. You can purchase this film at any video retailer, rent it from Blockbuster or order it online by going to Http://www.titanae.com.