Battle for Terra, has intestinal fortitude fortified by steel brass and titanium, or distributor Lionsgate has the worst marketing and scheduling department ever assembled.

“Battle for Terra“you say? Yeah, that’s the other movie (besides Ghosts of Girlfriends Past— which is also going to be torn asunder) opening up against Wolverine. The one that’s about humans coming to kick alien trash up and down a hospitable planet so they can live on it– the one that’s actually being mostly well-reviewed.

While this kind of release date counter-programming isn’t uncommon (a studio decides to release a film to suck up the audience not 100% targeted by a a major release), Terra‘s makes no sense in the dollar-sucking vortex that will be Wolverine. It’s no secret Wolverine is targeted at the lucrative dude market, but the whole phenom easily takes in kids who love X-Men and the women who love Hugh Jackman. Even if the ladies don’t like Hugh, most will kindly be attending Wolverine as a sidekick to their spectacle loving significant other.

So where does that leave Battle for Terra, which is kind of heavy for kids, but will almost certainly be brushed aside by adults thanks to its weekend competition and its existence as an animated film (and 3D to boot)? Circling the drain, that’s where. Regardless, now you know it’s out there and, should you see two movies this weekend, you might consider seeing this, which is being reviewed as a “work of art” (Variety) and “a dreamy sci-fi tale” (Entertainment Weekly).

Of course, despite it’s sincerity, Terra is still being faulted for bumpy storytelling and eco-bible thumping preachiness. Oh, well. Terra can always console itself for beating Wolverine up…as far as reviews go. anyway.