Titan A.E. Parent Guide

If your children were raised on Don Bluth’s Land Before Time, they might be ready for his latest animated feature, Titan A.E.

Before the title credits finish, the planet Earth of the year 3028 is completely destroyed with only a few moments notice, by the Drej. The attack of this alien race upon humanity appears to have been sparked by the Titan Project—a mammoth spaceship that has been developed under the direction of Professor Sam Tucker (Ron Perlman).

The Professor and his son Cale (Matt Damon) were among the few inhabitants able to escape the surface before the explosion. Hoping to save the Titan, the Professor piloted the craft into space, but concern for his son’s safety prompted him to place Cale on board another ship. Now, after fifteen years of separation, Cale has given up hope of ever seeing his father again, until Kroso (Bill Pullman) an assistant on the Titan project, finds him. Kroso tells Cale he literally holds the key to saving the human species. At first suspicious, Cale only decides to joins Kroso’s team with pilot Akima (Drew Barrymore) and their human-friendly alien assistants when the Drej, who are also searching for him, threaten his life.

Making the move from prehistoric to futuristic, Bluth provides a science fiction story with spectacular animation that many parents may consider sharing with their children. Containing only four minor profanities, a moment of rear male nudity during a medical exam, and a brief silhouette of a woman getting dressed (all animated of course), parents’ greatest concern will likely lie with the violent premise. After all, billions of deaths have transpired before you’ve even put your drink in the cup-holder.

Some may also object to the film’s assertion that man is the primary intelligence of the universe. However, watching these heroes work to save our world, reminds audiences that what we have is worth fighting for, instead of fighting over. If your family tolerates Star Wars type violence and action, they may be ready to enter Titan A.E. and leave the dinosaurs behind.

About author

Rod Gustafson

Rod Gustafson has worked in various media industries since 1977. He founded Parent Previews in 1993, and today continues to write and broadcast the reviews in newspapers, on radio and (of course) on the Internet. His efforts also include writing and researching media in all its forms and observing how it effects society and culture. He and his wife Donna have four children.