Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Titan
EAN: 0024543009245
Format: Animated
Label: 20th Century Fox
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: 20th Century Fox
MPN: FOXD2000924D
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Publisher: 20th Century Fox
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2000-11-07
Running Time: 94
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Theatrical Release Date: 2000

A reluctant young hero holds the key to the future of mankind in the palm of his hand in this eye-popping, sci-fi adventure. In the year 3028 the Drej, a vicious alien race, has destroyed earth. Fifteen years later a young man named Cale learns he possesses a genetically encoded map to the Titan, a spaceship that holds the secret to the salvation of the human race. With the Drej in hot pursuit, Cale blasts off with the crew of the Valkyrie in an attempt to find the Titan before the Drej destroy it - and with it, mankind's last chance for a home of their own. Featuring an all-star voice cast that includes Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore and an edgy, out of this world soundtrack, Titan A.E. is an intergalactic thrill ride for a new generation.
A visual knockout, Titan A.E. is an ambitious animated feature that combines traditional animations, computer-generated imagery, and special effects in the service of a science fiction adventure plotted with narrative conventions familiar from Star Wars and Star Trek. Credit directors Don Bluth (An American Tail, The Secret of NIMH, Anastasia) and Gary Goldman with crafting a vivid, convincing look to this deep space saga, which conjures some stunning images. A tense opening sequence climaxing in the destruction of Earth, a watery planet where delicate but deadly hydrogen trees float, joyriding in a starship while pursued by playful "space angels," and a nerve-wracking journey through a lethal maze of massive ice crystals each qualify as mesmerizing sequences in any film context.

What's visually stunning proves intermittently stunted on the narrative front, however. Orphaned when the evil Drej atomize Earth, protagonist Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) must journey across space to unlock the mystery of his late father's final project, the Titan spacecraft, in a test of faith and filial identity that echoes Star Wars. The Titan itself ultimately poses a cosmic potential familiar to admirers of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Comical sidekicks (Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, John Leguizamo), a sultry love interest (Drew Barrymore), and a roguish mentor (Bill Pullman) all verge on the generic, narrowly redeemed by dialogue from a writing team including Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon.

It's likely that Titan's target audience of young males prompted the filmmakers to walk a tightrope between softer family features and more violent, hard-edged anime. Titan's brief bloodshed and coy nudity stop short of PG-13 terrain, though younger viewers might be unsettled by the violence. Young teens will find the proceedings tamer than the video games and anime fantasies that have influenced it. --Sam Sutherland

Customer Rating:
Summary: Much Better than Anime
Comment: I assumed this was going to be anime, so I avoided it like the plague. (I've never seen an anime flick that I didn't think was extremely lame.) But this film is actually a home-grown American-style cartoon, and a fairly good one at that. Don't expect to be blown away or anything, but you can certainly look forward to being entertained for ninety minutes or so.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: TITAN A.E.: A Review; Why did it fail?
Comment: I have long been a fan of the work Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. For those of you that have never heard of them, they are two film directors/producers, who have produced classic animated films, such as The Secret of NIMH, An American Tail, The Land Before Time, All Dogs Go To Heaven, and Anastasia. Bluth has been considered one of the premier animators of his time, dating back to his days with Disney, where he worked on The Fox and The Hound, Robin Hood, The Rescuers, and Pete's Dragon. His use of the traditional hand-drawn method of animation was almost unrivaled in my opinion, and even when he chose to adhere to more modern conventional methods, he excelled. One film where he used newer technology, combining his preferred hand drawing methods with CGI, was Titan A.E, released in the summer of 2000.

In review, I would say that the film was a complete success. It was kind of a cross between Water World and Star Wars. The film took place more than a thousand years into the future, a time when the human race was on the verge extinction. The protagonist of the film, Cale, voiced by Matt Damon, is the son of a scientist who built a craft that could potentially save mankind from the forces that are attempting to extinguish it. A group of both aliens and humans whose mission is to revitalize mankind approach Cale. This group is led by the manly, Han Solo type, Korso, who is voiced by Bill Pullman. Cale is unbelieving of this, and it takes the revelation that there is a map on his hand to convince him to join in on the adventure.

The film combines all of the elements that you could ask for in an action movie. The animation is superb; Bluth really outdid himself in this one. The scenes with the Ice Rings are pure evidence of why animation is superior to live action is some types of film. In addition, the action sequences are suspenseful and thrilling. The alien race, the Drej, are invincible and consist of pure energy, so they make for a good battle scene. The plot is executed very well, with plenty of foreshadowing, mystery, and tragedy. Of course, there is a romance within the story, as well. Matt Damon's character falls for Akima, who is voiced by none other than Drew Barrymore. Their affections for each other throughout the film, and it is done in a very cute and flirtatious way. All in all, the movie hit all of its spots, and the voice acting was great, headlined by Damon and Pullman.

Yet despite the high quality of the movie and its immense budget, it failed to garner much attention at the box office. Internationally, it took in under 40 million dollars even though it had a budget of 75 million. I have always been perplexed as to why this was the case, but it has come into the light after a few years of thought. It was a very well-received film, with Ebert giving it a positive review. But then I think back, and I realize that I did not even go and see it in theaters. I'd say that one reason its commercial success was so underwhelming was because it failed to target the demographic that wanted to see it. Looking back, the marketing team for the film strictly sold the film as a hardcore action movie. By doing this, they lost the core younger audience, who had always adored Bluth films. It lost the kids who grew up watching A Troll In Central Park or An American Tail. All of the kids who loved Fifel did not think that this was a movie for them, so they never begged mommy and daddy to bring them to the movies. The marketers instead targeted a group of teenage boys, firmly believing that they could sell an animated action movie to a group of kids who care more about their reputations than anyone else on this planet. In doing this, Titan A.E. failed to incorporate that this quality film, possibly Bluth's magnum opus, had aspects of mystery, romance, fantasy, and even nostalgia within its plot. Instead of marketing this as family film along the lines of an Anastasia or an Aladdin, they tried to turn this movie into something it wasn't. This does not in any way lessen the quality of the film, but it does explain why it failed to be the hit it should have been. In the years since its release, Titan A.E. has become a cult classic, and it is constantly on television, and you can even watch it online on sites like Hulu. In the end, this movie may have been the commercial failure that prevents Bluth from ever producing again, yet it remains a classic. Bluth is getting up there in age now; some production company needs to bring Bluth and his team aboard and let them work their magic. Otherwise, we may never get to have another experience like the first time we saw The Land Before Time ever again.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Wrong UPC listed.
Comment: Listed UPC: 245430092458
Correct UPC: 024543009245 according to the DVD
ASIN: B00003CXDS
Titan A.E. (Special Edition)

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Embarassment to humankind
Comment: If Titan AE is our last hope then the human race is better off dying. This insipid story follows an unlikable brat and a crew of incompetents in their attempt to save humanity. The story is ham-fisted the characters unlikable. Children might like this movie but adults will need Novocaine to make it through the operation.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Good kids movie.
Comment: Titan A.E. has an interesting premise of a post-apocalyptic scenario for humankind in space. With a grunge/punk soundtrack, this appeals to a more modern generation than some other animated space films. I would say this fits in the same genre as Disney's animated Treasure Island (the one set in space). It's clean enough for small kids, and still entertaining for teens or adults, if predictable. I was really impressed by the seamless integration of both 3d generated graphics and traditional 2d animation. The plot is easy to follow, the characters realistic and engaging. I also liked that the aliens are more interesting than humans with extra features. I didn't like the hive mind villain idea, but that doesn't make the villain any less scary for younger viewers. All in all, it's a good find for light sci-fi that everyone in the family can enjoy.

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