# Titan A.E. (2000)

### reviewed by
Shay Casey

    ** out of ****

Year: 2000. Starring the voices of Matt Damon, Drew Barrymore, Bill Pullman, Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, John Leguizamo, Tone Loc, Jim Breuer, Alex D. Linz, Ron Perlman. Story by Hans Bauer and Randall McCormick. Screenplay by Ben Edlund, John August, and Joss Whedon. Directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman. Rated PG.

"Titan A.E." is a frustrating movie. You watch it, and you get the idea that it's trying really, really hard to be a great film, a modern classic. But then you come up with an unshakable feeling that the movie just isn't working, and no matter how many stops it pulls out, you just can't shake that feeling. That's what happened to me while watching "Titan A.E." It's an ambitious film, but it's nowhere close to greatness. And the more I think about it, the more its failures stand out.

The film takes place roughly a thousand years in the future, where an evil race made of pure energy called the Drej has destroyed Earth. Humans now exist as an "orphan" species, drifting from outpost to outpost without finding any real home. Cale (voice of Alex D. Linz) was a young boy when Earth was destroyed, and his father was one of the principal officials in charge of evacuating the planet. But Cale's father disappeared after Earth's destruction, never to be heard from again. Now a cynical survivor (and now voiced by Matt Damon), Cale stumbles upon a ship with a partially human crew at a space dock. He's startled to find that the captain of the ship, gruff Commander Korso (Bill Pullman), has actually been looking for him. Korso, a friend of Cale's father, reveals that Cale actually holds the key to the humans' last hope at finding a new home: His father left him a genetically-encoded map pinpointing the whereabouts of the Titan, a planet-sized space station hidden somewhere in outer space. Unfortunately, the Drej are interested in finding the Titan as well, and they are hunting Cale down in order to pry the information from him. Not allowed much of a choice after the Drej attack his current residence, Cale agrees to go with Korso.

The story sounds fine, like a pretty good opportunity for an exciting space adventure. It's derivative, sure, but most movies of this kind are, and "Titan A.E." can hardly be faulted for cribbing ideas when the films it's cribbing from ("Star Wars," "Star Trek") would have to plead guilty to the same charge. But that doesn't let it off the hook for getting its premise all wrong. "Star Wars" took place in a consistent, expansive universe; you always felt that what made it to the screen was only a small fraction of what was floating around inside George Lucas' head. "Titan A.E." presents no such depth, because the writers haven't paid much attention to the details of their own plot. For example, it's established that the Drej want to destroy the human race, but we never find out why they want to do that. What threat do the humans pose to them? Who knows? Supporting characters are introduced without any reason given for them to be there. How did Commander Korso put together such a diverse crew? Who knows? Korso remarks that he's been looking for Cale "for many years," so he can find the Titan, for which he's also been searching "for many years." A single person is easier to find in the vast expanse of space than a planet-sized spaceship? Why not just look for the Titan itself? Who knows?

The script fails at proper characterization, too. The heroes in a space opera don't have to be deep, but they should at least be likeable. "Titan A.E." fails on both counts. The apparent good guys are only good in the sense that they don't wish anyone else any specific harm. Cale may be blond and fresh-faced, but he's so bland, and so self-pitying, it's hard to really root for him. Japanese space-punk Akima (Drew Barrymore) serves as Cale's love interest, and she's not very interesting either. Nor is her character consistent: Sometimes she's tough, sometimes she's helpless, depending on what the rote story demands. Korso comes off as equally subject to the whims of the script. His motivations change back and forth without much conviction; by the end, you're wondering if this guy believes in anything at all. It doesn't help that the big-name cast turns in mostly uninspiring voice performances. Damon, Barrymore, Pullman, and Janeane Garofalo sound bored. Nathan Lane and John Leguizamo (as the ostensibly "colorful" sidekicks) are at least enthusiastic, but still unfocused. Most of the actors' dialogue is horribly concocted: The "funny" lines induce cringing, the serious ones occasional giggling.

"Titan A.E." does contain some breathtaking imagery. Visuals, not surprisingly, are the film's saving grace. Two action set-pieces, one during the Earth's destruction and another in a field of ice crystals, are about as exciting as anything you're going to see this year. But they're oases in a desert, because "Titan A.E." doesn't make these or any other scenes feel necessary. A plot-driven film's narrative ought to be a fast-paced, naturally flowing progression to a satisfying climax, but "Titan A.E." feels more like a series of individual scenes slammed together in chronological order. It doesn't move.

What "Titan A.E." forgets about making a fun space adventure is that the adventure is supposed to be *fun*. Almost every plot point is treated with such grim portentousness that any and all vitality is sucked right out of the production. Obviously, a film of this nature can't goof its way through the story, and some things need to be treated seriously (like the Force, for example). But there also needs to be a sense of giddy enthusiasm, an indication that the filmmakers were having as much fun making their movie as they expect the audience to have watching it. This film gives no such indication. Instead of being a "Star Wars"-like joyous romp, "Titan A.E." is a somber march towards a predictable conclusion. This is not the stuff of a modern classic.

    -reviewed by Shay Casey

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