The peaceful inhabitants of Terra must defend themselves when humans who have destroyed Earth attempt to take over their planet.
This CG-animated sci-fi flick twists the "War of the Worlds" story so the aliens are the innocent victims and we become the bad guys. It's an interesting premise for older kids, but the visuals just don't match up. The 3-D serves little purpose, the colors, and scenery are drab and the animation itself seems pretty low-tech. Although the movie's anti-war message is pervasive, young audiences may turn away from its preachiness just like Terrian teens Mala (Evan Rachel Wood) and Senn (Justin Long) rebel against their own world.
This movie is intended for older children.
This movie is intended for older children.
The long battles may be too intense for younger children, especially in 3-D where they're literally in the audience's face. Older kids may be intrigued by the wide-eyed, tadpole-like creatures who reside on Terra, a planet described as "a jewel in space." They'll admire Mala for taking care of an injured human pilot (Luke Wilson), and will realize that, for all our differences, we're all very much the same.
The movie offers lots of food for thought, and tweens will get the idea that we'd better start taking care of Earth and its people before we really do destroy it. They'll find it disillusioning that even Terra--a planet that eschews violence--must go to war in order to defend itself, and they'll agree with the pilot who asserts, "There has to be another way," when a general states, "It's us or them."
