Years after Earth is destroyed by a hostile alien race (when aren’t they
hostile?) a strapping young buck named Cale (Matt Damon) is recruited
for a mission to locate a spaceship that holds the key to human
survival. With the alien baddies on their tail Cale and company are in
a race against time to secure a new home for the Earthlings who have
been left homeless by the Drej.
This brilliant animated sci-fi adventure has the added benefit of a
stellar cast. Other than John Leguizamo who renders a whimsical voice
for the nonhuman navigator Gune the cast refrains from altering their
normal voices instead injecting their regular speech with the type of
emotion sincerity and charm you’d expect from a live-action feature. In
addition to Damon Drew Barrymore is Akima the pilot who catches Cale’s
eye; Bill Pullman is the authoritative captain; Nathan Lane is the
suspicious first mate; and Janeane Garofalo is a weapons specialist with
(surprise!) a bad attitude.
In addition to producing “Anastasia ” veteran animators Don Bluth and
Gary Goldman are known for creating some of the most popular laser disc
interactive video games and it shows in “Titan A.E.” The brilliant
graphics and sophisticated animation here will prompt more than one
double take as you wonder whether what you’re seeing is real or
animated. The tapestry that surrounds the characters — particularly in
the final moments of Earth — is nothing short of the best animation
ever to hit the big screen. Just one question: What’s up with Cale’s
naked butt scene and Akima’s shower sequence? We haven’t seen this much
animated skin since Shelley Winters evacuated the Poseidon.
