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Battle for Terra
Metascore
54 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 19
  3. Negative: 4 out of 19
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  1. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Justin Berton
    100
    The plot is an obvious parable for modern dilemmas, yet in the hands of the film's creators, and with their graceful use of 3-D, viewers feel as if they're watching how the future might actually unfold, glimpsing a conflict that's destined to take place 300 years from now.
  2. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    75
    The animation is nicely stylized and the color palette well-chosen, although the humans are so square-jawed, they make Dick Tracy look like Andy Gump. The voice performances are persuasive. The obvious drawback is that the film is in 3-D. If you can find a theater showing it in 2-D, seek it out.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Scott Tobias
    75
    On one level, it's a down-market Star Wars-inspired shoot-'em-up for kiddies; on another, it's a radical alien invasion story where the HUMANS are the aliens.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    70
    The animation is splendid on what must have been, since this is not a studio film, a modest budget.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Robert Abele
    70
    Director/co-writer Aristomenis Tsirbas, expanding his own short film, unveils a classically devised invasion yarn à la H.G. Wells, but with the twist that humans are the aggressors.
  6. Variety
    Reviewed by: John Anderson
    70
    As original and convincing a feature as the better Japanese animes of recent years --"Tekkonkinkreet" comes to mind, along with the slightly older "Metropolis."
  7. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marc Savlov
    67
    Battle for Terra boasts impressively executed battle sequences that, frankly, are light-years beyond anything found in the recent Star Wars animated add-ons.
  8. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Lisa Schwarzbaum
    67
    Tentle, dreamy animated sci-fi tale.
  9. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Tracie Cooper
    63
    The good news is that Battle for Terra's moments of unbalance ultimately right themselves into a surprisingly earnest, engaging film.
  10. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    63
    It's an unconventional premise: that aliens live in harmony and humans are the warmonger invaders. But it's not that simple.
  11. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    58
    A tiresome, didactic and, once the novelty of the graphics has worn off, charmless film.
  12. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Phillips
    50
    All in all? A curious preachment yarn for peace, one which makes you wonder if the filmmakers couldn't wait to get to the climactic aerial dogfights.
  13. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Neil Genzlinger
    50
    The movie's messages are delivered with a heavy hand, but some of the scenes are eye-popping, especially -- sorry, peace-loving Terrians -- the battle sequences.
  14. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Dan Kois
    50
    It doesn't do much for the film's pacifist message that, as spacecraft zip across the screen and fire lasers into your popcorn, you may find yourself wishing that Tsirbas had replaced the movie's poorly written dialogue and implausible plot with more battle scenes. War! What is it good for? Awesome animation!
  15. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Andrea Gronvall
    40
    The exotic plant and animal life is enhanced by the 3D process--which makes the two-dimensional screenplay all the more disappointing. With its weighty dialogue the movie becomes depressing well before the final violent showdown.
  16. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ethan Gilsdorf
    38
    Please, moviegoers, time is running out for us. Our civilization (and bottom line) depend on fast-food kiddie meals stuffed with toys. In this way, we conquer the solar system.
  17. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Roger Moore
    38
    Naive but ambitious, it comes across as a "Battlestar Galactica" vetted by pacifists, "Clone Wars" neutered for Saturday morning kids' TV.
  18. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Vadim Rizov
    30
    Terra, to be fair, looks fairly clean, and the 3-D is totally passable, but watching it will be no fun for either kids or adults.
  19. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    25
    Aggressively ugly and intergalactically boring, the dismal sci-fi kiddie cartoon Battle for Terra is too weak to be shown anywhere except maybe on the next flight to Saturn.
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User Reviews

All reviews »
User Score
7.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
  1. ElvisK
    10
    Excellent movie. This is a pretty good animated movie. The story is interesting and pulls you in. The characters are uniformly interesting, Jim and Mala are very good and well developed.… Full Review »
  2. Brent
    9
    I found this to be quite an excellent film. I wasn't expecting much when I first saw the trailer. But even though I only saw it because it was the best movie currently playing when my friends wanted to go, I was in a rapt stare at this film's kiddy, but surprisingly beautiful visuals and all the other cool things it did. We found the movie to be very relatable to people of this day and age since I could easily see something like this happening years and years from now. I also loved the idea to make humans the bad guys for once and to look at things from a realistic angle. It's plot line was very engagin and I had a blast with this movie. I won't go down as a masterpiece, but it's still an awesome film.… Full Review »
  3. JayH
    6
    Very imaginative and the story is quite good. Very creative. Although the animation is good, it was not overly impressive. i enjoyed it.
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