- Academy Award Winner FOREST WHITAKER
When the peaceful inhabitants of the beautiful planet Terra come under attack from the last surviving members of humanity adrift in an aging spaceship, the stage is set for an all-out war between the two species for control of the planet. But will an unlikely friendship between a rebellious young Terrian (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) and an injured human pilot (Luke Wilson) somehow convince their leaders that war is not the answer? Featuring the voices of Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, James Garner, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, David Cross, Justin Long, Dennis Quaid, and Luke Wilson. 'Bewitchingly animated, nicely stylized' - Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMESEarthlings are the bad guys in this animated saga, which was released to theaters in 3-D. And the good guys? That would be the Terrans, big-eyed little tadpole creatures whose planet is about to ! be invaded by human beings in search of a permanent living space--and hey, if the atmosphere of this alien planet isn't exactly fit for humans, the visitors can always blast the place with an oxygen-producing terra-forming machine that will make it habitable. The only collateral damage is that the natives will be killed off. Huh? As you can see, the allegorical undertones here are, well, overtones, all of which might seem less heavy-handed if the story were absorbing and the characters were compelling, but director Aristomenis Tsirbas concentrates on the environmental message and the non-show-offy 3D design. We mostly follow a Terran (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) who comes upon a lone astronaut (Luke Wilson), much to the confusion of her Terran quasi-boyfriend (Justin Long). In the absence of a lot of plot excitement, kids might take some enjoyment in the nerdy declarations of a cute robot (David Cross). Can the brutal intentions of the invading general (Brian Cox) be stoppe! d in time to save Terra? Will you still be awake to learn the ! answer?
--Robert Horton
Stills from Battle for Terra (Click for larger image) When the peaceful inhabitants of the beautiful planet Terra come under attack from the last surviving members of humanity adrift in an aging spaceship, the stage is set for an all-out war between the two species for control of the planet. But will an unlikely friendship between a rebellious young Terrian (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) and an injured human pilot (Luke Wilson) somehow convince their leaders that war is not the answer? Featuring the voices of Evan Rachel Wood, Brian Cox, James Garner, Chris Evans, Danny Glover, Amanda Peet, David Cross, Justin Long, Dennis Quaid, and Luke Wilson. "Bewitchingly animated, nicely stylized" - Roger Ebert, CHICAGO SUN-TIMESEart! hlings are the bad guys in this animated saga, which was relea! sed to t heaters in 3-D. And the good guys? That would be the Terrans, big-eyed little tadpole creatures whose planet is about to be invaded by human beings in search of a permanent living space--and hey, if the atmosphere of this alien planet isn't exactly fit for humans, the visitors can always blast the place with an oxygen-producing terra-forming machine that will make it habitable. The only collateral damage is that the natives will be killed off. Huh? As you can see, the allegorical undertones here are, well, overtones, all of which might seem less heavy-handed if the story were absorbing and the characters were compelling, but director Aristomenis Tsirbas concentrates on the environmental message and the non-show-offy 3D design. We mostly follow a Terran (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) who comes upon a lone astronaut (Luke Wilson), much to the confusion of her Terran quasi-boyfriend (Justin Long). In the absence of a lot of plot excitement, kids might take some enjoyment in the n! erdy declarations of a cute robot (David Cross). Can the brutal intentions of the invading general (Brian Cox) be stopped in time to save Terra? Will you still be awake to learn the answer?
--Robert Horton
Stills from Battle for Terra(Click for larger image) In the spirit of "Heavy Metal" comes this thrilling computer-animated sci-fi tale from France. As the residents of a village desperately try to stop the unexplained withering of the gigantic plant that supplies their power, a mysterious teen named Kaena becomes obsessed with the problem. Against the wishes of her people, the young woman sets off on a fantastic journey to unravel the puzzle and face her destiny. Features the voices of Kirsten Dunst, Richard Harris and Anjelica Huston. 91 min. Soundtrack: English; featurettes; theatrical trailers. Dubbe! d in English.Originally a computer-generated, animated feature presented in 3-D, the French-American
Kaena: The Prophecy still looks eye-poppingly spectacular in a regular, two-dimensional format. The post-apocalyptic tale concerns an adventurous young woman, Kaena (voiced in English by Kirsten Dunst), who is a member of a race--one of many--that inhabit an enormous tree called the Axis, rising 100 miles from Earth's surface. While her people's leader, Opaz (Richard Harris), insists his tribe's sole purpose is collecting sap and honoring the gods who provide sustenance, Kaena is more interested in exploring. Signs that the Axis might be dying sends Kaena on a mission to find out why; along the way she encounters a slavemaster race, the Selenites, and their vicious queen (Anjelica Huston). Fantastic to look at,
Kaena: The Prophecy is graphically dense, constantly moving, and truly inventive when it comes to designing creatures that appear equal parts vegetable ! and animal.
--Tom KeoghWhen Zoe meets Gwizdo and Lian-C! hu, a co uple of two-bit, fly-by-night dragon hunters, she joins them on an adventure to bring peace to the land.
