Aerotroopers is a cute, interesting fantasy which takes place on a planet without a solid surface. People live in tree villages floating in the sky and a giant beast (Nemeclous) is wreaking havoc on everybody and everything. The only thing as dangerous as Nemeclous himself is the slipstream - a raging torrent of air which destroys everything is its path.
Young Joshua wants to fly very badly and invents a glider early in his life. Nemeclous comes along and destroys his village, but his glider allows him to escape. He is eventually saved by an aerotrooper (Qyun) who takes him back to his airship (a fantastic dirigible) and recruits him as an aerocadet.
The story that follows is epic in nature, as it takes Joshua through his training, up to his young adulthood and the beginnings of a sweet and innocent romance, all with Nemeclous hovering nearby waiting to strike. In order to keep the story clear and to tie together many of the tangential scenes, a voice-over is provided. I don't usually enjoy voice-overs, but this one works.
The only weak links in this charming little story are the human animations and the soundtrack - both of which are a little painful. The ships look great, the back-story is surprisingly interesting, and the action sequences are fun.
The film is definitely appropriate for kids, though there is plenty of non-graphic violence, and the story does involve the death of a couple of the major characters - so be careful if you have a young one who is likely to be sensitive to this.
