Rating of
4/4
A Battle Worth Fighting For
GeminiSixty6 - wrote on 05/03/09
I didn’t know much about Battle for Terra walking into the theater. I knew the gist of plot: Earthlings fleeing ecological disaster and civil war descend on a peaceful but politically stifled plant called Terra. That alone made me want to see it, but then I learned it was not a Disney, Pixar, or DreamWorks release but rather a Lionsgate release! Yay for the underdogs!!
From the opening credit to the last frame I was hooked. The film opens with stunning visuals and a moving soundtrack, and immediately gets the audience caring about these peaceful CG characters. The film is geared towards children with a message that boils down to sustainability. With Earth growing more and more unsustainable humans colonize Venus and Mars. Well, the colonies want their independence from Earth, and a civil war ensues. The war leaves all three planets ravaged and decaying.
The remaining survivors of the human race set out on a two generation long journey to the nearest planet that is capable of sustaining life, Terra. The film follows the journey of Mala (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood), a young “Terrian” whose free spirited ways don’t always meet with society’s approval. During a scout mission Mala tricks one of the fighters into and wind tunnel, effectively downing the craft. In Mala’s good nature she ends up helping the down pilot Lt. Jim Stanton (voiced by Luke Wilson). Mala with the help of Giddy (voiced by David Cross), a robotic aid to Stanton construct an oxygen bubble so Stanton will not die. Mala has a natural gift for mechanics, and in exchange for helping Stanton repair his ship he will take her to get her father who was taken during the scout mission.
Back aboard the ship Mala finds her father only to have it end in tragedy, and Stanton is faced with some tough decisions. General Hemmer (voiced by Brian Cox) has overthrown what remains of the Earth government, and decided to proceed with an invasion of Terra instead of peaceful cohabitation. The Terrians aren’t as easy to push over as the humans think, and Stanton must decided just who’s side he is on.
Battle for Terra has a simplistic message but is very ambitious. For once I am happy to see a 3-D film that wasn’t made just because someone could make a 3-D film. It takes advantage of the 3-D at the most opportunist of times, and I think that is a major payoff. The plot is not over complicated for children, and the visuals make it appeal to more than just that younger ago group. It’s not an original idea, but it sure as hell is a nice refresher that feels polished and clean. I highly recommend this film giving it a nice Terra breathing four out of four stars.
