"...in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea." -- Plato, 360 B.C. [text displayed at the beginning of the movie]
Initial thoughts before viewing: I had seen this one a few times, but it never made a big impact on me either way.
If you have never seen Atlantis: The Lost Empire or need a refresher, here is a link to the movie's Disney Wiki page where you can read the plot summary.
Highlights:
-Atlantis is a little bit of an experiment, and hey, that's appreciated. This movie is often cited as Disney animation's first foray into science fiction. It has some compelling and well integrated computer graphics that compliment the movie's strong graphic, angular visual style. The storyline is fairly unique and contains a surprisingly diverse cast of main characters. Notably, Atlantis was the first animated Disney feature since 1995 to have a black character, Dr. Sweet, in the roster of main characters. And hey, any Disney movie that is *not* a musical is always an appreciated gamble.
-Michael J. Fox as Milo Thatch is *chef's kiss*. Milo Thatch can be called an underappreciated Disney protagonist. It's very refreshing to see a skinny sort of geek as the hero of a film. And I don't think anyone can project youthful exuberance quite like Michael J. Fox, an actor who seems to have been tailor made to voice this quirky animated hero.
Disliked:
-The mystery of the "Heart of Atlantis". Is this a power source? Is this a living thing? Is this a deity? Physically, the Heart of Atlantis is shown to be a gigantic glowing crystal with a sort of consciousness of its own. Later, it's revealed that the current King of Atlantis abused the power of the crystal and so the Heart of Atlantis DESTROYED ITS OWN CITY AND PEOPLE. What?! Isn't that a little harsh? But wait...a huge part of Atlantis was also saved by the crystal? It's all very confusing and leaves major plot holes.
-You know nothing, Atlanteans. Kida tells Milo that no one in Atlantis can read the written Atlantean language. Additionally, the people seem to have forgotten their basic ways of life, like how to activate their flying stone fish vehicles. Considering that these exact Atlanteans have been alive for thousands of years, it's confusing as to why exactly their culture is dying. It's not as if they've had outsider influences to contend with. Which leads me to to my next point...
-Atlantis has a "white savior" complex. The native Atlanteans (minus Kida and the King) are all just background characters. Outsider Milo, endearing as he is, should not be the one saving this indigenous society. Kida seems to be the only Atlantean who is proactive, but she gets sidelined when the Heart of Atlantis chooses her as a host. Thus, enter Milo, the white savior, who is basically ordered by the dying King to SAVE EVERYONE AND EVERYTHING. Help me Milo Thatch, you're (apparently) our only hope.
Closing Thoughts:
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is the rare Disney animated feature that was clearly made for an older audience. Critics at the time felt that the movie was pretty mediocre (and perhaps a little too geared towards adults). The film disappointed at the box office, and plans for a sequel and even an Atlantis-themed attraction at Disneyland were scrapped. And thus Atlantis sunk into the depths of the Disney canon, never to be heard from again.
Except that...Atlantis: The Lost Empire is not really a bad movie.
While it gets high points for creativity and uniqueness, the movie's main problem is that it's not memorable. It's a perfectly passable movie, and it really doesn't deserve to be considered a failure (except at the box office, where it, well, failed).
The bottom line: Atlantis is an ambitious endeavor that deserves a watch, but mind the plot holes and the whole white-savior thing.
My Rating: 5/10
