"Titan A.E" Talkback (Spoilers)

[I.R Joey]

This was an animated movie I really enjoyed last year, and I respected the fact that someone out there had the guts to make a serious animated feature like what they do in Japan (it bombed of coarse but oh well...) I wanted to get it on DVD, but apparently they didn't have it, when my Dad asked. Oh well I want to see it now with fresh eyes.

[James Harvey]

Titan AE is a good movie that you should be able to find for pretty cheap on DVD. I got the DVD for $12.99 last November at WAL-MART - so you should be able to find it easy. It was a good movie. Sure - there are some gaping plot holes, but this is a movie to enjoy, not pick apart. It's a pretty wicked flick...which will be subject to a FUNNY QUOTE soon...

I own it and the DVD is well done - I recommend picking it up.

[Stinky Cat]

i watched it in science for some strange reason.... :confused:

[Jowy Blight]

Yes, while it bombed, I didn't find it that bad. The DVDs should be pretty cheap, I got one for $9.99 at a WAL-MART, good deal. :)

[The Mad Hatter]

I may have to try it again at some point. I remember it got a pretty big "eh" out of me the first time I saw it...

[Calhoun07]

Titan AE is one of those movies that get better and better with repeat viewings. It's a shame that movie broke the back of Fox animation. I would have loved to see what they would have done as a followup.

[Oracle]

I've never seen it but I always wanted to. I have the DVD which I won from some site online, yet I can't watch it because I don't have a DVD player. :rolleyes: Maybe Santa will bring me one for Christmas this year. :dot:

[Clayface]

Ugh. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Terrible, terrible movie. Boring, with many, many scenes stolen right out of the Star Wars flicks. Why you'd want to watch it again, I just don't know.

[James Harvey]

Different strokes for different folks. I enjoyed the movie becuase it's a great popcorn movie. Then again I know close to nothing about Star Wars so I really can't compare the movies. I liked the movie, and some people don't.

This movie broke Fox's PHOENIX animation division, but they still have the CGI movie ICE AGE coming. So Titan AE isn't 100% responsible...but they did hold a big steak in it.

[Failure]

I think Ice Age should do very well when that comes out. Almost everyone I know loved the mini-trailer.

[Trent Lane]

I think it's a great movie, and it's a shame it didn't do better in the box office. Then again, I'm an animation junkie so that would mos likely explain why I liked it so much....

[Bird Boy]

I enjoyed watching it..it was good (that whole "BOB" thing at the end cracked me up..[it's an inside joke type of thing...heh]). I was thinking of buying it..but held against it..until I heard it was around for $10..now I might just go pick it up.. ;)

I still don't get that whole "The Movie 'Star Wars' Fans have been waiting for!"...which I don't get, being a Star Wars fan, I'm waiting for the new Star Wars movies.. lol.

-BB

[Keith]

Titan A.E. is not the best animated film ever produced, but not the worst - by far. Of course, it is just another example of a film that comes from the studio "decision by committee" type of filmmaking.

I actually got a chance to talk to Don Bluth & Gary Goldman while they were in Atlanta last summer for DragonCon and they had some interesting things to say about Titan A.E.

Some of those things were told in confidence, but they did say that it wasn't a film that they would have chosen to make. For those who aren't familiar with the history of this film, it was turned over to Bluth & Goldman after another director's attempt had yielded less-than-acceptable results, at least Fox found them less-than-statisfying. Don & Gary felt more or less forced to make it and tried to do the best with what they had. With that in mind, I find it easy to accept it as a harmless popcorn movie.

Probably the biggest reason for the film being a box office dissapointment was the way that it was marketed. It's obvious that the film is targeted primarily at boys in their teens and above, but as the release date got closer you could tell that Fox got scared and started to slant the marketing more and more towards younger children. A similar argument could probably be made for how Disney marketed Atlantis this last summer. Or perhaps there isn't a market for more adult-themed animation in the US (although I certainly hope that isn't the case).

One of the most interesting things I learned while talking to these guys and sitting in on a couple of panels was that one of Don Bluth's "dream projects" is to do a totally faithful and serious adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula. Wouldn't that be something to see!

Alright - enough rambling. NEXT!

Keith Finch
Editor
Animation on DVD (http://www.animationondvd.com)

[Nightwing]

A Dracula series is Bluth's dream project? Heh, well don't that beat all. That sure could be pretty interesting.

Anyway, really loved TITAN AE despite the fact I had some problems with it.

I just don't get the whole Star Wars Coalition that's against TITAN AE. I'm not as big a SW fan as those who are devoted, but I still am, and there wasn't much if anything that bothered me in TITAN, let alone would make me hate it.

But on the other hand, I really thought the movie was a bit too short and rushed. Batman Beyond Return of The Joker was 70 minutes, and it didn't have to introduce any characters. TITAN AE was 70 minutes and it had to introduce characters and a whole sci fi world. Plus throughout I wasn't completely sure what the Titan was supposed to do until I actually saw it do it's job.

That's small potatoes for me though. I don't let that get to me, but what does get to me is how every interview with a cast member on the movie says something along the lines of "it's great to have a cartoon movie or show that has action and drama instead of just song and dance." Meanwhile these people have no clue in their minds that this wasn't the first of these types of movies! :eek:

You know what? I love Yakko!! :yakko:

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Keith
Probably the biggest reason for the film being a box office dissapointment was the way that it was marketed. It's obvious that the film is targeted primarily at boys in their teens and above, but as the release date got closer you could tell that Fox got scared and started to slant the marketing more and more towards younger children. A similar argument could probably be made for how Disney marketed Atlantis this last summer. Or perhaps there isn't a market for more adult-themed animation in the US (although I certainly hope that isn't the case).

Keith Finch
Editor
Animation on DVD (http://www.animationondvd.com)

Actually, I don't think that's the case, that there isn't a market for these movies. If we have learned anything from Iron Giant, Titan AE, and we will soon see with Atlantis, is that these movies often see success in big numbers on home video. There IS a market out there, there is an audience who wants to see these movies, it's just the movie companies don't know how to market them. What I'd like to see is more broad marketing done, different styles of commercials created for different markets and different demographics. I've seen Iron Giant and Titan AE embraced by all walks of people, even among people who don't generally see animation, but it's on home video, after the movie bombed at the theater and the animation studio had to lay off employees or shut down.

If there was cross-demographic marketing, these movies would more than likely see bigger numbers at the box office. These movies are appealing to a cross demographic as it is, not just teen age boys or what have you. But movie companies will want to narrow it down, they will want to figure out where their advertising dollars are better spent, and IMO, they are better spent marketing the movies to a broader range of people. They need to get out the happy toy meal mentality and see that there are adults who will watch this stuff on home video so they need to learn to reach those people as well and not be so narrow minded with their marketing.

[Calhoun07]

Originally posted by Clayface
Ugh. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Terrible, terrible movie. Boring, with many, many scenes stolen right out of the Star Wars flicks. Why you'd want to watch it again, I just don't know.

I hated this movie when I first saw it in the theater, but once I watched it again on DVD, I think I found it to be much more enjoyable. I really came to see this movie thru different eyes. I guess if you're looking for something groundbreaking and original, this movie isn't for you, but for what it set out to do, I think it did it very well.

One more thing:

I thought Ice Age Dreamworks. Dreamworks and Fox are the same?

[Clayface]

Originally posted by calhoun07


I hated this movie when I first saw it in the theater, but once I watched it again on DVD, I think I found it to be much more enjoyable.

Well, you're a much more patient man than I! I could barely sit through it once - don't plan on doing it again. Some of my friends tried to watch it and gave up half way through because it was so boring and so much of it was ripped off. Think I'll stay away from watching it a second time! ;)

[PlopKat]

Wasn't Bed Edlund, creator of The Tick, involved with Titan A.E. at an early stage. Didn't he write an early script? Would his version have been more of a satire/spoof than the film that was made?

-PlopKat

[killercroc]

Originally posted by Stinky Cat
i watched it in science for some strange reason.... :confused:
Cool science teacher, maybe?

[The Mad Hatter]

Oh yeah, I had forgotten about the Bob thing. Grrrr! Just one more defamation against those blessed with the name Bob! We are not all whimsical fools to be laughed at! We are proud, passionate men with intelligence and honor! Even if a lot of us do dig bowling, like the stereotype!

(hint: I'm kidding.)

(And yes, I'm a Bob, who has had previously interested women refuse to date me once they find out that I'm named Bob.)