Battle for Terra (2007)

Originally known as Terra, Battle for Terra (2007) is an American animated film from 2007 that tells the story of a planet under threat. The peaceful and advanced inhabitants of Terra, a star system in the Milky Way galaxy, are faced with destruction when humans, displaced from their own planet, attempt to colonize it. Mala and her friend Senn belong to this alien race and live on the near Earth-like planet. When a large object blocks the sun, Mala’s curiosity leads her to go beyond the boundaries set by the ruling council and create a telescope. From outside the city walls, she uses it to investigate further. Soon after, reconnaissance ships emerge from the object and begin abducting Terrians. Some of Mala’s fellow creatures mistakenly see them as their new ‘gods’ and willingly offer themselves up.

After Mala’s father, Roven, is taken, she tricks a passing ship and causes it to crash. She manages to rescue the pilot, Lieutenant James ‘Jim’ Stanton, who is human. Mala learns from Jim’s robot assistant, Giddy, that he needs oxygen to survive on her planet. She gathers suitable plants and constructs a makeshift shelter for him. As payment for her help, Giddy teaches Mala how to communicate in human language. When Jim wakes up, he discovers that his ship cannot be fixed. Giddy informs Mala about the reason for the humans’ presence on their planet: they had previously colonized Mars and Venus for resources but were still under the control of Earth after 200 years of independence attempts.