Battle for Terra

Too thematically dim to hold the interest of adults, and too alienating and violent to appeal to children, "Battle for Terra" is an off-putting animated sci-fi flick for no one. The 3-D planet of Terra is inhabited by a fundamentalist-based utopic society of large-eyed tadpole-like creatures that swim and fly through their planet's atmosphere where everything resembles some form of plant life. An invasion force of earthlings are viewed as Gods until their mission of genocide becomes clear, and the Terrareans take to the skies with battle planes of their own. Mala (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) is a freethinker and plays Juliet to the crash-landed earthling astronaut Jim (Luke Wilson), whose affection for Mala might be the only thing to save her fragile planet that the would-be occupiers seek to take over. Impressive 3-D computer generated graphics are the only thing to recommend this thematically tone-deaf sci-fi disaster.
Rated PG. 85 mins. (C-)