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Titan A.E., the first American animated film aimed at the teenage set, didn't connect with either its target audience or with critics. Many reviewers, like Michael Elliott of Crosswalk.com, simply found the animation too distracting to engage the film. "The voices of Titan A.E. did not blend with the animated drawings to which they were attached. … A combination of 3-D technology and 2-D animation was used, [but the] two styles that don't blend well [and] make for a disappointing film." The plot—which sees the Earth destroyed at the film's start and follows a group of surviving humans searching for a spaceship rumored to hold their species' only hope for survival—also drew few kudos. "Sci-fi buffs have pretty much seen all this again and again, [in] Star Wars and Battlestar Galatica," writes the Dove Foundation. Some critics debated the symbolism of the Titan spaceship the characters seek. Movieguide calls the Titan "a type of Noah's Ark" since it houses humanity's hope for regeneration, concluding that Titan A.E. is a "redemptive movie that includes only a couple moderately questionable elements." The U.S. Catholic Conference questions it, though: "The ludicrous premise that humans will have power [that belongs to God] is somewhat problematic." The issue came down to whether biblical imagery was valid in a film that neglects God. "God is only mentioned once, in an exclamation," notes Paul Bicking of Preview, but the ending is "reminiscent of a biblical picture." (A word of caution: Nearly every Christian review gave away the ending in order to address it, so be prepared for spoilers if you follow our links.) But for Bob Smithouser of Focus on the Family the visual, narrative, and theological hang-ups weren't enough to spoil the movie: "It's a rollicking, PG-rated space fantasy that avoids profanity, sexual situations and Force-like spiritual counterfeits."

Also crash-landing at the box office is Boys and Girls, starring Claire Forlani and Freddie Prinze Jr. (in his third straight flop) as two friends who bicker throughout high school and college before realizing they're meant for each other. "[It's] a sloppy, teen-ized retread of the 1989 R-rated comedy When Harry Met Sally," points out Steven Isaac of Focus on the Family, rejecting it as "nonsensical depictions of brainless collegians banging their empty romantic heads against life's immovable walls." The U.S. Catholic Conference echoes these comments, saying the movie "draws out the obvious as the two argue over commitment, sex and friendship until the cliched final clinch." Movieguide sticks up for the movie to a certain degree, calling it a "funny story," but feels it's marred by the many sexual scenes and the "plastic" acting of Forlani, who "delivers some of her lines as though she were reading from an obscured cue card."Fantastia 2000 entered wide release for a four-week engagement, after four months exclusively on large-format IMAX screens. The animated Disney film failed to make the top ten, collecting only $2.9 million this weekend, but nevertheless remains a hit with over $50 million in ticket sales this year. Read our earlier coverage of the movie here.

Fantasia 2000 isn't the only IMAX movie to perform well recently. Thanks to its high-profile release and the word-of-mouth hit Everest, the large format is becoming big business. Two Christian sites recently profiled some current IMAX releases: the new dramatic release Cirque Du Soleil: Journey of Man, the long-running and profitable documentary The Mysteries of Egypt, and the little-seen Wolves. Mary Draughon of Preview calls Cirque Du Soleil "visually magnificent." The film, narrated by Ian McKellen, depicts each stage of life through interpretive acrobatic acts. "While young children will not understand the metaphoric Journey of Man," Draughon writes, "they will be completely absorbed by the [acrobats'] unbelievable beautiful, graceful movements." The illustrative segments leave quite a bit open for debate, however. "It provides a humanist endorsement of imagination, youth and love," Movieguide says. "No God is present or implied. Man is unexplainably dumped into the world to begin his journey with no reference to the Creator." But Draughon disagrees, noting the scene in which "a baby begins life in the fluid of the mother's womb. So controversial theories are left to personal belief and choice of interpretation since none is verbalized."Draughon also recommends The Mysteries of Egypt, which focuses on the construction of the pyramids and the discovery of King Tut's tomb in 1922. It manages to be "wholesome, entertaining and educational" as it takes viewers "on a fascinating armchair journey through the mysterious land of the beautiful Nile River." While Egyptian religious beliefs are implied by the pharaohs' preparations for the afterlife, Draughon says the movie "deals with historical facts. … The Egyptians' ingenuity in building and maintaining a sophisticated civilization—and the beautifully designed works of art uncovered after thousands of years—boggles the mind."The documentary Wolves didn't have as much bite. Movieguide enjoyed the portion that "takes the viewer through the life cycle of a wolf family" but not the half focused on whether wolves should be allowed back into their natural habitat of Yellowstone National Park. "It is unnecessary to use a 40-minute movie, which costs full price to attend, as a soapbox for environmentalist arm-twisting." John Adair of Preview likewise lamented that "much of the interesting footage and scientific information seems jettisoned in favor of stories involving several 'wolf activists.'" But he still recommends the film as "an interesting, educational good time," and for its beautiful photography.

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June (Web-only) 2000, Vol. 44