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Ben 10: Race Against Time
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox film
| name = Ben 10: Race Against Time
| image = Ben 10 race against time poster.jpg
| caption = Promotional poster
| director = Alex Winter
| producer =
| screenplay = Mitch Watson
| story = Thomas Pugsley
Greg Klein
| based_on =
| starring = Graham Phillips
Christien Anholt
Haley Ramm
Beth Littleford
Don McManus
Sab Shimono
Aloma Wright
Robert Picardo
Lee Majors
| music = Andy Sturmer
| cinematography = Morgan Pierre Susser
| editing = Suzanne Hines
| studio = Alive and Kicking, Inc.
Cartoon Network
| distributor = Warner Home Video
| released = November 21, 2007 (US)
February 11, 2008 (UK)
| runtime = 67 minutes
| country = United States
Canada
| language = English
| budget = US$5 million
}}
'Ben 10: Race Against Time' (also known as 'Ben 10: The Movie') is a 2007 superhero film based on the animated television series 'Ben 10', created by Man of Action.
The working title was 'Ben 10 in the Hands of Armageddon'. Directed by Alex Winter, it premiered on November 21, 2007, in the United States as a Cartoon Network original film.
Plot
The story opens in an alternate Bellwood as a mysterious black figure appears on the towns main street and immediately starts destroying things around him. Ten-year-old Benjamin Kirby Tennyson, in the form of the pyronite Heatblast, confronts and obliterates him after a short battle.
The next day, Ben goes back to school, and has trouble adjusting to normal life again. After a bad day, he gets bullied by Cash, and J.T., and two girls he had tried to flirt with earlier, resulting in transforming into Grey Matter, which he attempted to transform into Four Arms by getting his revenge on the four bullies by causing chaos at the diner into a little food fight where Ms. Dalton works. Later, he and his ten-year-old first cousin Gwendolyn Catherine Tennyson come across the same villain Ben defeated earlier. Max Tennyson identifies him as Eon, a member of a time-controlling alien species from an unknown dimension known as the Chronians, whom the Plumbers captured almost two centuries ago. When he arrived, he was half dead and brought a device with him called the Hands of Armageddon, which would open a gateway to his home dimension and unleash his race upon Earth if activated. They travel to the containment facility where Eon is supposed to be kept in suspended animation, only to find it empty and his guard aged to near-death. The guard tells Max not to let Eon find the hardware store, where the Hands were kept. Before he dies, the Plumber warns Ben that Eon is after him.
Traveling back to Bellwood, Max takes his grandchildren Ben and Gwen to the location of the Hands of Armageddon, guarded by the few remaining Plumbers. Eon follows them and breaks into the facility, but cannot activate the device. When Ben attempts to use the Omnitrix, it malfunctions, glowing bright purple and giving Ben an intense burning pain. Eon attempts to kidnap Ben, claiming it to be a rescue, but Ben escapes. Eon manages to corner Ben, explaining that his race learned to control time itself, but trapped themselves by misusing their power. He claims that his fate is intertwined with Ben's. Eon is scared off by an elderly Plumber before he can elaborate. Grandpa Max decides it would be best for Ben to leave Bellwood so that Eon won't find him, but Ben bravely refuses and they both come to a deal where Ben will be monitored daily by a disguised Plumber. When Ben goes to the school gym to be alone, Principal White attempts to calm Ben's fears just when Eon freezes then reverses time as he throws White out of the way. Eon then tries to show Ben his future by disabling the Omnitrix immense power. However, Ben sets off the fire alarm, strikes Eon in the side, and breaks out of his grasp. This time, Ben is able to become Diamondhead and fights him off. Later that night, Ben decides to lure Eon into a trap by purposefully leaving himself open, but this backfires and he is captured along with Gwen and Max.
At the Plumber facility storing the Hands of Armageddon, Eon explains some of the background of the Omnitrix: Ben can only remain in his alien forms for ten minutes at a time, a fail-safe to prevent them from overwhelming his human self and personality with the form's own. He also reveals that he is an evil version of Ben from an alternate timeline, which Max admits he never wanted Ben to find out. Eon knows how to deactivate the fail safe, and in doing so, can turn Ben into a mindless Chronian under his control alone. This is because the Hands need the energy of a young Chronian, which is why he had abducted Ben. Eon presses the Omnitrix that is glowing bright purple and turns Ben into a younger evil clone of him. Meanwhile, Principal White has gotten out of the nurse's office and finds the imprisoned Plumbers. When trying to find the key to that room, they point to the button near the door, which freed them all. Gwen and Max manage to free themselves. While Max tries to disable the Hands of Armageddon at the cost of his own life, Gwen reaches to Ben inside young Eon. Ben successfully overcomes Eon and turns back to normal, and with the help of the other Plumbers, manages to save Max and disables the time rift, sending Eon's race back to their own dimension.
Just when it seems like they've won, time stops for everyone but Ben. The older Eon reappears, angered at Ben's victory. After Ben points out that the Hands and Eon's world is gone, Eon throws Ben across the room in fury. Ben transforms into Wildmutt and fights him off, eventually knocking him into the Hands of Armageddon, destroying both the Hands and Eon. Time then resumes, and Gwen takes Wildmutt to a talent show that the school is having, where they perform a magic trick and win second place. After the show, Grandpa Max recommends that it is time to give the Omnitrix a much-needed rest for a while and he, Ben and Gwen go for pizza. Ben admits that he will miss it. Suddenly, in space, an alien armada assembles, hinting that Ben and Max's longtime archenemy Vilgax has returned.
Cast
* Graham Phillips as Ben Tennyson
* Lee Majors as Max Tennyson
* Christien Anholt as Eon/Ben Eon
* Haley Ramm as Gwen Tennyson
* Beth Littleford as Sandra Tennyson
* Don McManus as Carl Tennyson
* Sab Shimono as Old Man
* Aloma Wright as Mrs. Dalton
* Robert Picardo as Principal White
* Tyler Patrick Jones as Cash Murray
* Tyler Foden as J.T.
* Paige Hurd as Stephanie
* Bianca Ruiz Brocki as Candace
* David Franklin as Heatblast (voice)
* Carlos Alazraqui as Grey Matter (voice)
* Daran Norris as Diamondhead (voice)
* Dee Bradley Baker as Wildmutt (voice)
* Jeff Jensen as Mr. Hawkins The Postman
* Michael Runyard as Fire Chief Whittington
* Alex Winter as Constantine Jacobs
Production
'Ben 10: Race Against Time' featured CGI effects and characters, including four of the aliens from the TV series: Diamondhead, Grey Matter, Heatblast, and Wildmutt. Winter stated at the 2007 upfront presentation that he wanted 'Ben 10: Race Against Time' "to look like 'X-Men'," an epic adventure that is "more cinematic than cartoony" and appeal to all ages. Winter also promised the film will feature "no Jar Jar." In a behind-the-scenes video played on Cartoon Network's video service, Winter describes the film as "everything you've ever seen in 'Ben 10' come to life." It was filmed using Panavision Remote Systems.
Reception
The film received generally positive reviews from critics, but was panned by audiences. Brian Lowry of 'Variety' called the film "breezy, brisk, and surprisingly fun", and complimented the film's "clever casting". Emily Ashby of 'Common Sense Media' awarded the film 3 out of 5 stars, whilst David Cornelius of 'DVD Talk' called the film "thrilling" and "energetic".
Sequel
A sequel, titled 'Ben 10: Alien Swarm' premiered on Cartoon Network on November 25, 2009, taking place during 'Ben 10: Alien Force'.
References
Notes
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