A Series of Battles for Kids, What Are These Writers Thinking?

The Battle For Terra is an aimated 3D film with a futuristic setting. The film’s look is dark, due to the darkening effects of 3D. (It’s hard enough to take notes in the theater, with this film it was nearly impossible.) I can’t for the life of me figure out the targeted audience. One would surmise by the PG rating that it is meant for kids. Well, I’m here to tell you that any kid viewing the film would be totally bored to tears.

The main character Mala (voiced by Evan Rachel Wood) is a precocious ‘tadpole alien girl’ living on the beautiful planet Terra. Her father (Dennis Quaid) is kidnapped in the first 10 minutes of the film by the last inhabitants of planet Earth. The Earthlings have a secret; they have exhausted all of the resources of their planet and those of three others and are looking for a new place to call home. The other part of the secret is that in order for Earthlings to live on Terra they must change the atmosphere to suit themselves. The changing of the atmosphere will ultimately poison the aliens on Terra including little Mala.

Mala, a child without a mother or father battles her way through the film in non-stop action. At times she actually has guns and shoots them at the Earthlings and believe me, they try relentlessly to shoot her. She’s in danger throughout the entire film. Is this the type of entertainment we’d like our children to be viewing, one in which the main character (a child) is searching for her kidnapped father and constantly being shot at? I don’t think so.

Mala is a resourceful child as she manages to hide a crashed human pilot named Jim (Luke Wilson). She nurses Jim back to health; the two create a friendship and a plan that might save both the human race and the planet of Terra. This plan is met with major resistance and again little Mala is in danger.

Peace will not be secured unless the duo can combat both the big bad general and the dark political forces that will stop at nothing in their drive to achieve power for power's sake. This is a violent film with guns, explosions and non-stop warfare. Again, who is the targeted audience here?

One scene on the Earth compound is an experiment to see if Jim would save his brother or little Mala. He is to choose between them, one will die and the other will live. OK, I’m really not liking this film for kids at this point. I was totally shocked. The scene is frightening, little Mala is coughing and gasping for air. Parents need to know that all animated films are NOT suitable for kids and this one is right up there with –Stay Away!

If the intended audience is adults, I would still say stay away; I guarantee you will be bored out of your mind. Remember, there is no texting or reading emails in the theater your only choice will be to leave and grab a bag of popcorn.

Sarah Adamson © 2009