Ben 10: Race Against Time

Ben 10: Race Against Time
Promotional poster.
Directed by	Alex Winter
Produced by	Alex Winter
Written by	Mitch Watson
Story by	Tom Pugsley Greg Klein
Based on	Ben 10 by Duncan Rouleau Joe Casey Joe Kelly Steven T. Seagle
Starring	Graham Phillips Haley Ramm Lee Majors Christien Anholt Beth Littleford Robert Picardo
Cinematography	Morgan Susser
Editing by	Suzanne Hines
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Cartoon Network
Release date(s)	United States: November 21, 2007 United Kingdom: February 11, 2008 Canada
Running time	67 minutes
Country	United States Canada
Language	English
Budget	US$18 million

Ben 10: Race Against Time is a live-action adaptation of the animated television series Ben 10 created by Man of Action. The working title was previously Ben 10 in the Hands of Armageddon. Directed by Alex Winter, it premiered on November 21, 2007, in the US as a Cartoon Network original film.

Plot

Taking place after the series, the story opens in Bellwood as a mysterious figure appears and immediately starts destroying things. Ben Tennyson (Graham Phillips), in the form of Heatblast (voiced by David Franklin), confronts him. After a short battle, Ben seemingly obliterates the villain.

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 (Tyler Patrick Jones) and JT (Tyler Foden) and two girls he tried to flirt with earlier in the movie resulting in Greymatter (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui) causing complete chaos at a diner where Ms. Dalton (Aloma Wright) works. Later he and Gwen Tennyson (Haley Ramm) go over and reveals the same villain Ben defeated earlier. Max Tennyson (Lee Majors) identifies him as Eon (Christien Anholt), an alien 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 time rift to the alien's 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 guardian aged to near-death.

Traveling back to Bellwood, Max takes Ben and Gwen to the location of the Hands of Armageddon, guarded by the few remaining Plumbers ranging from Ms. Dalton, Mr. Hawkins the Postman (Jeff Jensen), Fire Chief Whittington (Michael Runyard), Principal White (Robert Picardo), Mrs. Carlay the Plant Caregiver, Mr. Jenyx the Telephone Company Worker, and Mr. Enguells the Sanitation Worker. Eon has followed them and breaks into the facility, but cannot activate the device. When Ben attempts to use the Omnitrix, it malfunctions, glowing purple and refusing to activate. 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 old man (Sab Shimono) who happens to be another 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 Plumber in disguise.

The Plumbers, all around town, guard Ben around the clock. When Ben goes to the school gym to be alone, Principal White attempts to calm Ben's fears just when Eon arrives again and shoves White out of the way. This time, Ben is able to become Diamondhead (voiced by Daran Norris) and fight him off. Later on that day, 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 after the Rustbucket is destroyed.

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 failsafe to prevent them from overwhelming his personality. Eon knows how to deactivate the failsafe, and in doing so can resurrect himself through the Omnitrix. He does so, and Ben is transformed into a younger version of Eon. The older one retreats since there are now two of him. Reborn, Eon activates the Hands of Armageddon. 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 and work to stop him. While Max tries to disable the time rift, potentially at the cost of his own life, Gwen appeals to Ben inside Eon. Ben successfully overcomes Eon, and with the help of the other Plumbers manages to save Max and disable 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. Ben transforms into Wildmutt (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker) and fights him off, eventually knocking him into the Hands of Armageddon, destroying both the Hands and Eon. After doing an impromptu magic trick for the school talent show, using Wildmutt's timely de-transformation and a well placed stage curtain, Ben finally accepts being just Ben for a while. However, Max points out that aliens are persistent, and as the film ends, an alien ship flies towards Earth.

Cast

• Graham Phillips as Ben Tennyson
• Haley Ramm as Gwen Tennyson
• Lee Majors as Max Tennyson
• Christien Anholt as Eon
• Don McManus as Carl Tennyson
• Beth Littleford as Sandra Tennyson
• Robert Picardo as Principal White
• Tranequa Griffin as Mrs. Dalton
• Tyler Patrick Jones as Cash
• Tyler Foden as JT
• Jeff Jensen as Mr. Hawkins the Postman
• Michael Runyard as Fire Chief Whittington
• Sab Shimono as Old Man
• Alex Winter as Constantine Jacobs
• Mitch Watson as Stage Manager

Voice cast

• David Franklin as Heatblast
• Carlos Alazraqui as Grey Matter
• Daran Norris as Diamondhead
• Dee Bradley Baker as Wildmutt

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."

Reception

The film received positive reviews upon its release, viewers praised the film for its special effects and keeping its lighthearted tone like the cartoon series.

Awards and nominations

Ben 10: Race Against Time was nominated for two Visual Effects Society Awards: Outstanding Visual Effects in a Broadcast Miniseries, Movie or Special - Dina Benadon, Evan Jacobs, Brent Young, Chris Christman; and Outstanding Animated Character in a Live Action Broadcast Program or Commercial - Brent Young, Michael Smith.

Sequel

• The sequel to Ben 10: Race Against Time is Ben 10: Alien Swarm, which released on November 25, 2009.
• An animated sequel was made, and aired as the 30th episode of Ben 10: Ultimate Alien.

The following plot refers to Ben 10: Ultimate Alien, and Ben 10: Race Against Time.

Following a visit from Paradox after a fight with Eon, Ben 10,000 arrives 20 years from the future to seek the aid of his past counterpart in tracking down Eon. It is revealed that Eon is actually alternate reality Ben, and he wanted to destroy all the other Ben's, to become the one and only Ben Tennyson. It was also revealed that the Ben in Ben 10: Race Against Time is an alternate Ben, who isn't the Ben in Ben 10: Ultimate Alien. Plus, the Ben 10,000 that Gwen and Ben met when they were 10 isn't the same Ben 10,000 they meet in the episode, this Ben 10,000 is actually Ben, in 20 years.

External links

• Official website
• Ben 10: Race Against Time at the Internet Movie Database