History WesternAnimation / TitanAE

* SpaceCossacks: After a species of EnergyBeings destroys the Earth and a huge chunk of its population takes off in the ''Titan'' spacecraft, humanity is forced to scatter around the galaxy doing odd jobs and living in barely small bands. Further {{justified}} in that any group that gets too large would become a target of the Drej.

''Titan A.E.'' received mixed reviews from critics and was also a commercial disaster, leading to the closure of Fox Animation Studios, and proved to be the final nail in the coffin for [[CreatorKiller Bluth's already floundering career]], forcing him into retirement until 2015. In a case of DuelingMovies, the superficially similar ''WesternAnimation/TreasurePlanet'' released a couple of years later also flopped badly, taking [[UsefulNotes/TheRenaissanceAgeOfAnimation funding]] for traditional WesternAnimation along with it. A variety of explanations for the film's failure have been suggested:

** The JerkAss cockroach chef, [[FantasticRacism who insults Cale and calls humans "unsanitary"]] (Despite the fact that [[{{Hypocrite}} he serves]] [[FoulCafeteriaFood alien feces and living creatures]]). When the Drej attack the cafeteria, he seems to care more for the safety of himself and his food than Cale and Korso. Also, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking his voice is annoying.]] Therefore, it's hard to call it tragic when the Drej shoot and splatter him all over the wall, especially when he tried to [[DirtyCoward sell out the two humans just to save his own hide seconds before]].

** That cockroach chef, who insults Cale and calls humans "unsanitary". When the Drej attack the cafeteria, he seems to care more for the safety of himself and his food than Cale and Korso. Also, [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking his voice is annoying.]] Is it really that tragic when the Drej shoot and splatter him over the wall?
** An early conversation between Cale and [[PromotedToParent Tek]] hints that this could be why humans are TheScrappy of the galaxy. According to Tek, if Cale had bothered to read a history book like instructed, he would know that humans weren't exactly the nicest species before their planet blew up. Now that it has, most other aliens [[TakeThatScrappy aren't inclined to pity or help them]].

** There's also the Drej (unnamed) mothership, with her truly alien design and looks, technology unfathomable to human eyes (unless you're [[TechnoWizard Cale Tucker]]) apparently made of pure energy like her creators. Oh, and she carries an entire fleet of equally bizarre-looking fighters aboard and is armed with PlanetKiller-grade WaveMotionGun.
** Arguably, ''Phoenix'' qualifies as well. True to her name, she basically rose from ashes as Cale and Akima (with significant help from ''New Bangkok'' inhabitants) turned it from a decrepit hulk serving as a provisional dwelling into full-blown, spaceworthy starship. Small but fast and agile, with [[AcePilot Akima]] at its helm, it managed to catch up to larger and more powerful ''Valkyrie'' and outmaneuver her during the climactic chase in Ice Rings of Tigrin.

* CoolStarship: The ''Valkyrie'', the Drej mothership and fighters, the ''Titan'', and perhaps the ''Phoenix'' as well.

'''Korso''': You...backstabbin'...\\

** The tie-in prequel comic shows that while humans have only engaged in minor skirmishes with aliens thus far and generally lack enemies before the arrival of the Drej, some aliens do view humans' violent past and ongoing overpopulation and resource crisis with apprehension and resentment and are more than happy to turn them over to the Drej. The Titan is concocted as an attempt to alleviate these crises by creating new planets as it is viewed as inevitable that humanity will otherwise eventually resort to violent expansionism to secure habitable worlds which are already inhabited by other species.

* AnythingThatMoves: Aside from drooling all over Akima, Preed ''really'' [[NightmareFetishist gives off this vibe.]]

* TheAlcatraz: The energy-cell brig on the Drej mothership, from which [[spoiler:Cale escapes by opening a hole in the wall ''with his fingers!'' Oops! Could be a {{Justified|Trope}} WeaksauceWeakness, since they probably [[LeaveNoSurvivors aren't accustomed to taking prisoners, especially not human prisoners]]. [[AllThereInTheManual The book even explains]] that he was smart enough to figure out the patterns in the wall were actually a sort of circuitry he could manipulate]].

* KickTheSonOfABitch: Shown when the alien cook at the salvage yard is reduced to goo [[spoiler:despite offering to help the Drej]], showing that the Drej don't exclusively kill Humans, but pretty much anyone they find even mildly annoying.
-->'''[[spoiler:Cook]]:''' [[spoiler:Hi! They went down there! They came into my kitchen and-- [BAM!] Ohh... Bulls-eye...]]

* ShesGotLegs: Stith, the ship's kangaroo-like alien weapons expert.

-->'''Sam:''' Once in a great while, mankind unlocks a secret so profound that our future is altered forever: fire, electricity, splitting the atom... At the dawn of the 31st century, we unlocked another. It had the potential to change humanity's role in the universe. We called it the Titan project and it was a testament to the limitless power of the human imagination. Perhaps that's what the Drej feared most, for... it brought them down upon us without warning, and without mercy. Cale, that day, the day the Drej descend from the sky, the only thing that mattered was keeping you safe.

* SpaceCossacks: After the destruction of Earth, humans have just taken to living in scattered bands across the galaxy, doing what they can to survive. Further justified in that any group that got too large would become a target of the Drej.

* AlienLunch:
** Since the Earth blew up in the prologue, humans have to settle for alien food, which is pretty unappetizing.
--->'''Cale:''' I'd just like them to kill my food before they serve it to me. Y'know I do an honest day's work; I want already dead food. Is that too much for a fellah to ask?
** Later he learns that his lunch had been ''laced with feces'' before it was served to him. Ew.
--->'''Gune:''' ''[licks Cale's hand]'' Spaghetti derivative, meatballs - sort of, anyway - and... Caldoch droppings. Who ate it before you did?

* HypocriticalHumour: The Alien Cook refers to humans as being highly unsanitary and considers their preferred food to be disgusting. He's an alien ''cockroach'' who apparently serves alien feces and living creatures in [[AlienLunch the food]] he serves.

* MillionToOneChance: Invoked almost to the letter by Cale when he takes the express route to [[AlienLunch lunch]].

* WeirdWorldWeirdFood: During lunch break, Cale and Tec sit down to a company meal of spaghetti and meatballs. Except, being in an outer space scrapyard, the spaghetti is closer to green seaweed, and the meatballs are like small urchins with their tentacles cut off. They're not even cooked to death, as all the ones on Cale's plate hop around in a desperate bid for survival. Not helping is the chief cook, who's a man-sized temperamental cockroach.
* WhamLine: [[spoiler: When Korso and Preed have our heroes cornered, we get this:]]