The formulas is well known: disaffected soldier gets posted to an isolated billet, "goes native" and tries to intervene in the inevitable conflict between two cultures on the extremes of a technological divide. I find it compelling, time after time. I am a sucker for the underdog and cheer as loudly as anyone when they prevail. What makes this NOT just an exercise in applying that formula is the incredible quality of the animation, coherence of the story's universe and the flawless narrative pace. If only all CGI spectacles adhered to such tight editorial practices the genre would deserve more critical respect.