Atlantis: The Lost Empire 2001
Along with most everyone else, I didn’t see this when it came out. Now it is remembered as a box office bomb, one of the movies that put an end to the Disney Renaissance. The plot and characters aren’t great, and Michael J. Fox who voices the main character, was well past his peak in popularity at this point. But it has some great elements, most obviously some amazing visuals, with a unique style, and lots of computer aided graphics. In fact, it kind of seems like the whole movie was based on some fantastic concept artwork that they just knew would make a great movie. There is some good voice talent there, with a neat role for Don Novello, plus James Garner, Leonard Nimoy, Jim Varney, and the lawyer in Seinfeld, Phil Morris. The story has a lot of science fiction stuff in it, made less probable by being set in 1914. However, that year means there are some cool steampunk designs at play, but then they have drones, which seems way too soon. There is an encoded book with a lot of instructions and a bunch of magical powers at work that seems to go in whatever direction is needed, except maybe what would be most helpful. There are a lot of side characters, mostly without much development, with a weird contrast between the overt comic book sultriness of two of the female characters while a third has a cute cartoony look that makes her look like a monster compared to the other two.
While the story and characters aren’t great, there is enough eye candy to recommend the movie to anyone who wants to see some great animation. And the rest of the movie is harmless enough and easy to sit through. As much as anything I think hand drawn animation was just losing appeal when compared to 3D computer animation from box office smashes Shrek and Monsters, Inc., not to mention the first Harry Potter movie, all of which came out the same year and topped the box office.
Written: 01 Mar 2020
Owned on: Digital