Titan A.E.

After Earth is destroyed by a hostile alien race, humanity is scattered. Young Cale Tucker is sent to find the Titan, his father's ship, lost years earlier and capable of creating a new planet. Don Bluth and Gary Goldman directed. The film combines hand-drawn animation with extensive computer-generated imagery. The project began as a live-action film and was converted to animation by Fox Animation Studios in 1997. Joss Whedon was among the writers. When Bluth and Goldman took over in 1998 they had nineteen months and 55 million dollars, with 30 million already spent on pre-production. During production more than 300 animation staff were laid off from the studio in 1999 and much of the work was outsourced to independent studios. The box office was a disaster: 36.8 million dollars against a budget of 75 to 90 million. One former Fox executive said it lost the studio 100 million. Fox Animation Studios closed ten days after release. Reviews split, praising the visuals and calling the story derivative. Roger Ebert liked it. Audiences gave it an A minus CinemaScore. It later became a cult film. Who it is for: viewers who like science fiction animation from the turn of the century and visual experiment. Who it is not for: anyone wanting character depth. The story is a familiar hero's journey and the film puts its attention into the images.