Atlantis: The Lost Empire
3/4
Starring (voices): Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Claudia Christian, Cree Summer, Leonard Nimoy, John Mahoney
Rated PG for Action Violence
With directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and producer Don Hahn, who were all behind the making of Disney's masterpiece "Beauty and the Beast," one can rightly expect something amazing. The truth, however, is that "Atlantis" is kind of a letdown, at least compared to the 1991 Best Picture nominee. Don't get me wrong, this is a great movie and a lot of fun, but it's not incredible.
Milo Thatch (Fox) is the much put-upon linguist/cartographer at the Smithsonian in 1914. Groomed with a passion for adventure by his late grandfather, Thaddeus, Milo is convinced that the mythical city of Atlantis exists. Of course, no one at the Smithsonian takes him seriously, so he's stuck in the boiler room. One day, after failing to even pitch a quest for an expedition to the higher ups, he finds a sultry woman in his apartment. This woman, Helga Sinclair(Christian), works for a mysterious man with an interesting proposition. This man turns out to be Preston Whitmore (Mahoney), a wealthy philanthropist who was a close friend of Milo's grandfather. As a result of a bet, he is funding an expedition to search for the lost city with Milo at the helm. Also along for the trip is the commander, a man named Rourke (Garner), a doctor named Sweet (Phil Morris), Vinny (Don Novello), an expert with explosives (and a love of flowers), a feisty mechanic named Audrey (Jacqueline Obradors) and a strange little man obsessed with digging and dirt, whose rightfully called Mole (Corey Burton). Finally, there's the monotonous radio operator, Packard (Florence Stanley) and Cookie the cook (Jim Varney in his last role).
This is a steampunk (a subgenre I love) adventure (a genre I adore). Being a history buff, the thought of going on an adventure to find a new civilization is salivating, so this is right up my alley. I love this stuff, and for me this movie really delivers (and I think it will deliver for everyone else too). It's got action and adventure, humor and an inventive culture.
The voice acting is effective. Michael J. Fox makes Milo into a lovable nerd; he's a geek times ten. James Garner makes for a powerful yet laid back commander. Claudia Christian adds some sex appeal as the femme fatale, as does Cree Summer (who plays the obligatory local love interest, Kida). Also very good is Leonard Nimoy, who voices the Atlantean king with wisdom and power. The rest are on board for comic relief (my favorites are Audrey, Mole, and Packard).
Because "Beauty and the Beast" had top-notch animation, one would think that Trousdale, Wise and Hahn would take more care with the film's appearance. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The animation is terrible; it looks like a Saturday morning cartoon, despite having a budget that's four times larger than "Beauty and the Beast" (inflation notwithstanding). With such a great story and talent behind it, we deserve more. I will admit that the images are vividly imagined, but that only makes it so much more of a waste.
Still, I recommend the movie without a moment's hesitation. It's a lot of fun, despite the crappy animation.
Starring (voices): Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Claudia Christian, Cree Summer, Leonard Nimoy, John Mahoney
Rated PG for Action Violence
With directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and producer Don Hahn, who were all behind the making of Disney's masterpiece "Beauty and the Beast," one can rightly expect something amazing. The truth, however, is that "Atlantis" is kind of a letdown, at least compared to the 1991 Best Picture nominee. Don't get me wrong, this is a great movie and a lot of fun, but it's not incredible.
Milo Thatch (Fox) is the much put-upon linguist/cartographer at the Smithsonian in 1914. Groomed with a passion for adventure by his late grandfather, Thaddeus, Milo is convinced that the mythical city of Atlantis exists. Of course, no one at the Smithsonian takes him seriously, so he's stuck in the boiler room. One day, after failing to even pitch a quest for an expedition to the higher ups, he finds a sultry woman in his apartment. This woman, Helga Sinclair(Christian), works for a mysterious man with an interesting proposition. This man turns out to be Preston Whitmore (Mahoney), a wealthy philanthropist who was a close friend of Milo's grandfather. As a result of a bet, he is funding an expedition to search for the lost city with Milo at the helm. Also along for the trip is the commander, a man named Rourke (Garner), a doctor named Sweet (Phil Morris), Vinny (Don Novello), an expert with explosives (and a love of flowers), a feisty mechanic named Audrey (Jacqueline Obradors) and a strange little man obsessed with digging and dirt, whose rightfully called Mole (Corey Burton). Finally, there's the monotonous radio operator, Packard (Florence Stanley) and Cookie the cook (Jim Varney in his last role).
This is a steampunk (a subgenre I love) adventure (a genre I adore). Being a history buff, the thought of going on an adventure to find a new civilization is salivating, so this is right up my alley. I love this stuff, and for me this movie really delivers (and I think it will deliver for everyone else too). It's got action and adventure, humor and an inventive culture.
The voice acting is effective. Michael J. Fox makes Milo into a lovable nerd; he's a geek times ten. James Garner makes for a powerful yet laid back commander. Claudia Christian adds some sex appeal as the femme fatale, as does Cree Summer (who plays the obligatory local love interest, Kida). Also very good is Leonard Nimoy, who voices the Atlantean king with wisdom and power. The rest are on board for comic relief (my favorites are Audrey, Mole, and Packard).
Because "Beauty and the Beast" had top-notch animation, one would think that Trousdale, Wise and Hahn would take more care with the film's appearance. Unfortunately, that's not the case. The animation is terrible; it looks like a Saturday morning cartoon, despite having a budget that's four times larger than "Beauty and the Beast" (inflation notwithstanding). With such a great story and talent behind it, we deserve more. I will admit that the images are vividly imagined, but that only makes it so much more of a waste.
Still, I recommend the movie without a moment's hesitation. It's a lot of fun, despite the crappy animation.
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