Critics Split on Battle for Terra

Battle for Terra has a nifty twist of a premise—it’s an alien movie in which humans are the evil invaders—but critics are split on how well it works. Here’s what they’re saying:

• It’s a “work of art,” writes John Anderson in Variety, as “original and convincing a feature as the better Japanese animes.” Animation acolytes will love it, but beware: this isn’t at all sugar-coated, and won’t be “the feel good movie of 2009.”

• Ethan Gilsdorf, writing in the Boston Globe, was less impressed: “If you find the plot predictable, as a distraction we present an arsenal of 3-D visuals.” It’s a Star Wars rip-off designed to sell Happy Meals.
• It’s “a curious preachment yarn for peace” that suffers from a heavy hand and some unnecessary padding, writes Michael Phillips in the Chicago Tribune. The result? It’s “almost good.”

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