Battle For Terra (Lionsgate)
It Isnt Terra-ble
Battle For Terra is a nice stab at inventive animation with an ecological message to sell. The fact that it isnt terra-ble is a real accomplishment, since this is not a Pixar masterpiece or anything close to it. It is just a mildly entertaining movie the kids can watch and enjoy.
The story concerns the planet Terra which is located far, far away in another galaxy. It is a peaceful place where Mala (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) lives. She is a very bright person and she and her friend Senn (Justin Long) like to explore their planet.
One day there is an invasion by earthlings. They have burned up their planet and are looking for a new home. Malas father is captured in the battle and she decides to go and try to find him. She meets a man named Stanton (Chris Pine) who agrees to help her.
The movie makes its points about who are the good guys and who are the bad guys, and what we have to do in order for everyone to get along. It is simplistic storytelling at most but it does make some good points.
The animation in the movie is inventive as it creates a whole different planet and unique characters to inhabit the place. Mala and those like her swim through space like fish in the sea. It is fluid and seamless as they move from one locale to another.
The movie is rated PG for some violence.
The movie is not long and its story wraps up quickly and conclusively with the good guys on both sides coming out ahead. Battle For Terra may find a larger audience once it reaches DVD. In movie houses where blockbusters are all around it will tend to be ignored.
I scored Battle For Terra a war-scarred 5 out of 10.
