Science fiction is never easy, but to do sci-fi animation, now that's a gamble. Japanese anime has made a science of it and an almost perfect one at that. Now Don Bluth and Gary Goldman have entered the fray, combining 2-D and 3-D graphics in often glorious, but sometimes awkward Titan A.E.. Part philosophy and part wild ride, this summer animation flick stumbles a bit, but its inherent humanity and gee-whiz effects win out in the end.

Let's start with a typical sci-fi set-up: It's humans versus nasty aliens, once again. In the year 3028, pure energy beings known as the Drej have decided to blow up our planet and vowed to destroy every last human being. Who said we should all get along? Luckily, some of us escape and, among them is Cale (as a boy; Alex D. Linz, as an adult: Matt Damon), who is sent off on a transport ship by his scientist father, a man with a mission of his own. With Cale safe, Dad launches the space ship Titan, earth's last great hope, that will someday reclaim humanity's remnants, who are scattered about the galaxy like peas out of their pods (very Battlestar Galactica).

Now, let's jump ahead a few years. Meet now-grown orphan Cale, chip firmly on shoulder because dad never came back, who works on a mining colony with a bunch of weird aliens and feels a little left out since he's the only human there. He's bored, he's hungry for adventure -- sounds a little like Luke Skywalker, right? You got it. Then, along comes Han Solo (down to the thigh-strapped gun and cocky swagger) in the form of Korso (Bill Pullman), Cale's dad's ex-war buddy. Korso says that Cale is mankind's last hope. It's all in the gold ring his dad gave him as a boy; inside the ring are the genetically-encoded coordinates to find Titan and give the human race a second chance. Little does he know that the Drej are well aware of humanity's potential savior and they want him D-E-A-D. So, Cale hops aboard Korso's ship, quickly gets smitten with navigator Akima (Drew Barrymore) and sets his sights, reluctantly, on saving mankind.

Thus begins Cale's great adventure, which includes everything a great adventure needs -- romance and danger, deceit and epiphany. Plus plenty of cool action sequences, something that is a bit of a surprise in an animated film. But then, this isn't like most animated movies. It is the first to combine truly cutting-edge 3-D animation with 2-D characters. The 3-D stuff, which is seen in 80% of the film, is mesmerizing. One sequence in particular -- the space ship chase through the Ice Rings of Tigrin -- is sure to have everyone talking. Engineered by Phantom Menace CGI veterans Paul Martin Smith and David Dozoretz, it is a glorious house of mirrors that would be at home in any live-action film.

Where the film stumbles is in the 2-D animation, which recalls the flat, old-fashioned stylings of 70's Saturday morning cartoons. Nor does it help that the plot is cluttered up with Bluth's typical collection of talking animals, this time transmogrified into vague sci-fi beasties like the absurdly butch, kangaroo-ish Stith (Janeane Garofolo), who could give Jar-Jar a run for the "Worst Conceived Creature" Award in sci-fi lore. It's the contrast between the majestic CGI imagery and these simplistic, often out-of-place character renderings that is the film's biggest downfall, always jarring (or is it Jar-Jarring?), never quite meshing to create a cohesive visual element. Indeed, you might find yourself wondering why TitanA.E. wasn't made as a live-action film. (Answer: Because Don Bluth wanted to make a sci-fi movie.)

Luckily, the voice actors and the script help imbue these two-dimensional figures with humanity, humor and energy. Korso's resident scientist, the E.T.-esque Gune (John Leguiziamo) engenders many giggles with his silly posturing, while Cale, Korso and Akima easily quip their often snide and clever lines, courtesy of hipster writers Ben Edlund ( The Tick), John August (Go) and Mr. Tongue-In-Cheek himself Joss Whedon ( Buffy the Vampire Slayer). These three writers aren't quite up to the task of turning fluff into philosophy, but they give it the old college try, offering up a plot line that focuses on the power of the human spirit and our ability to survive against all odds. It's classic sci-fi stuff and the writers have mined it pretty well.

As the plot thickens, purists will notice lots of sci-fi references, with distinct -- and perhaps intentional -- nods going to Star Wars, Star Trek: The Next Generation and a clear borrowing of Japanese anime tradition. Cry foul if you must, but if you can, ignore the similarities and simply enjoy the ride. With its pounding score courtesy of Graeme Revell, its intentionally more adult subject matter and the remarkable CGI visuals, Titan A.E. goes where no animation has gone before.