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VHS : Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001] .
Rating: 
- the worst ever Disney animation!!!
I wanted to give 0 stars, but it didn't work, this is why I give one!! But it doesn't deserve it!!!
This is simply the worst I have ever seen from Disney and in general in the cartoon section!!
The movie is set in the early 20th century, but the characters act like they would be from the 21st century!! They are also not nicely drawn and the whole story is so horrible, you better watch it yourself to understand what I talk about!!
This is a DVD I have seen only once and happily will sell it if someone is up to it!!
Rating:
- Is this really a Disney movie?
In recent reviews, I have questioned a great deal about the values and qualities of modern Disney movies. I am a little baffled in whether I am watching a typical Disney animation at all.
I remember the good old disney classics that I really enjoyed watching for its endless humour and cherfulness. Unfortunately, Atlantis- The Lost Empire paints a different picture. It is sinister and darker, with the Disney magic totally abscence. The characters are gloomy and seldomly smile.
On certain fronts it must be praised highly such as the storyline of the lost city Atlantis is quite interesting and fascinating. The animation is superb with top classic animation of the Atlantic ocean and ship line cruisers.
The major blunder is Disney appears to be maturing into a new market with the modern day animations. This strategy will backire at one certain point. For a long tradion, Disney animations continues to appeal to a family generation with its colorful characters and distinguish humour, but question marks needs to be raised in this case. The Atlantis- The Lost Empire is admittely interesting material, but it is historical showpiece with an emotional story and teriible tradegy to unfold. It is incompactible with the Disney principles. A few Disney fans will be disspointed with Atlantis- The Lost Empire like myself to a large degree.
Rating:
- A bit more thoughtful than your usual Disney
I liked this. But it's not saccharine-sweet, the square-cut animation is distinctive (but I think adds to the attempt to firmly place the film historically) and it requires some leaps of faith to buy-in to the sci-fi stuff about Atlantis' crystal. I do think the makers pushed Disney's boundaries and ought to be supported for trying to do somethig a bit different with the brand. The other reviews on this page raise some intereting points, but come on guys - it's only a movie!! It would indeed have been interesting to see what Dreamworks would have done with the project. BTW, my kids love it too.
Rating: - Interesting stuff
It was with some trepidation I purchased "Atlantis". It is preceded by its own bad reputation, of course, and, after a recent negative experience featuring "Brother Bear" and the repeated phrase, "Why, God, why?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to subject myself to a similar disheartening Disney experience. Surprisingly, "Atlantis" is...not all that bad. Of course, the decision to set the film in 1914 is frankly bizarre (the only real explanation I can come up with is to tie it in with other adventure stories from the late nineteenth century through to the 1920s - Haggard's "She", Conan-Doyle's "Lost World", Rice-Burrough's "Tarzan", etc.). Once the film is on its way, however, it becomes clear that there are some good ideas in there and, to Disney's credit, "Atlantis" viewed as a story in the "lost city" vein isn't bad at all. There's a good cast of characters in the crew (if somewhat unbelievably ethnically-diverse for 1914), and they probably contribute to the best parts of the overall film.
The music is great - full marks there. I felt at first that it would have been improved by the addition of some songs, but I realised as the film went on that this would have been a mistake - they'd have been laughably misplaced, as "Atlantis" really is a drama rather than a comedy or a romance. I really enjoyed the artwork as well. The DVD extras are very good. There's a quite fascinating alternative prologue - Disney does the Vikings - as well as two brilliant featurettes on the film's development. The directors seem genuinely knowledgeable about the history of studies on Atlantis and, had I watched them before seeing the film, I would have expected something witty and intelligent to come across.
Flaws? Perhaps the most obvious one is the science fiction element, particularly given that far more attention is given to the latter word than the former. Disney, to be quite frank, can't do sci-fi. It was ridiculous of them to try, *especially* given the 1914 setting. Giving the Atlanteans advanced technology was a terrible decision, worthy of a shoddy, second-rate production, *not* a Disney film. It's not as though Disney are incapable of creating an undersea civilisation which doesn't rely on modern technology: "The Little Mermaid" manages perfectly without. Perhaps worst of all, Milo isn't much of a lead, and it is only because of my loyalty towards Michael J Fox that I don't write him off altogether. While it's nice to see a geek in the lead (especially in a Disney film), Milo just isn't interesting enough to care about. This in turn makes his romantic relationship with Kida yawn-worthy - it probably would have made a better film to scrap it altogether or at least only hint at it. The villain, predictable and generally uninspiring, isn't much to write home about either, although to be fair his sidekick is an interesting character, and one who deserved more attention.
There are a myriad of minor problems as well. The film spends far too much time in getting the characters to Atlantis: forty minutes are spent on-land and in the water, which is frankly ridiculous. The explanation for the Atlantans' ability to speak English makes no logical sense whatsoever. The script is average at best: it provides no laughs and no real urgency or drama, things which one comes to expect from Disney films. That actually might be the heart of the problem: "Atlantis" just doesn't *feel* like a Disney film, in terms of either design or story. Perhaps a different company - Dreamworks, perhaps - would have done a better job with it.
The flaws I've listed outnumber the positive points by far, and I can certainly see why the film performed badly at the box office. And yet somehow, I found myself enjoying what was going on. I'm glad I decided to give it a go and I hope that I'm not entirely alone in feeling this way. Certainly anyone who holds a passing interest in "lost civilisation" stories should find something to like about this one. "The Road to El Dorado" does it much better, but I still feel that "Atlantis" has been treated unfairly. Three stars. *I* had fun, anyway.
Rating: - disney matures...
Yes, it's a cartoon. Yes, it's Disney. But Atlantis is also an impressive science fiction film in its own right, and refreshingly different from the standard Disney fare. Disney have made some excellent cartoons in the past, notably Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King but recently have been failing to deliver that standard. Here we see a departure from the cute sidekicks and sugary songs, and are offered a darker action film which kids can still enjoy.
Milo Thatch [Michael J. Fox], a linguistics expert working as a museum boiler room attendent, has been continuing the work of his grandfather and has finally solved the puzzle of the location of Atlantis. With the aid of an eccentric billionaire, he and a team of intrepid explorers set out to find the fabled lost city and its power source, the Heart of Atlantis. When they arrive, however, Milo discovers from Princess Kida [Cree Summer] that the Atlanteans' power is slowly waning, and realises he might be the key to saving their way of life.
Disney have pushed the boundaries considerably with this film, earning it a PG rating in the USA. Ferocious battles, including realistic gun use, abound as well as gigantic robot monsters defending the city. The characters are also darker, but equally characterised in greater depth, than usual, with the team including pyromaniacs, chain smokers, and a dirt-obsessed frenchman (Mole is the least impressive of the character designs, providing a rather bland variety of slapstick comic relief). Most impressively, the romantic connection between Milo and Kida is neither love at first sight, nor filled with longing gazes. Instead it is subtly infused in their relationship, and develops in a sweet and mature fashion.
The computer aided artwork and cell shaded animation varies in quality throughout the film. Atlantis features some top notch underwater sequences and a brilliantly creative portrayal of an entirely new civilisation. However, at times backdrops lack the detail of some of the previously mentioned Disney greats. While the animation of those films looked virtually identical, Atlantis utilises a distinctive and unique style, a dramatic departure for a Disney film. Indeed influences can be seen from Japanese anime, with the wide-eyed characters and especially in the sharp hair of the Atlanteans, who look genuinely attractive! The more squared-off adventurers contrast the lithe Atlanteans, utilising different artistic styles to highlight the differences between the two cultures. Other influences come from the comicbook style of drawing, but these sources are not being copied or exploited, but instead are infused with Disney's own design skills to produce something new and innovative.
The plot is hugely flawed, with many holes or threads that are not developed. The film runs are almost a quarter of an hour longer than any previous animated Disney release, in order to allow its story to develop at a slower pace, and yet there are a still a few scenes which appear rushed. Disney shot high in trying to weave a truly epic tale with this cartoon, and the tangled plot just misses the mark. The voice acting talent is excellent, and rarely can such a cast be brought together. Older sci-fi fans will love having Fox, Nimoy and also Claudia Christian (Ivanova from Babylon 5) in a single film.
Atlantis is not a perfect Disney film, but it is delightfully original in both its content and execution. It maintains a Jules Verne-esque epic quality throughout, and it may have gained more commercial success as a live-action film, we are instead offered some of the most stunningly ambitious animation in a Disney movie yet. Having hit the peak of cutesy sing-along cartoons more than once, and probably achieving all they can in that area, surely the future of Disney lies in this more mature direction.
- the worst ever Disney animation!!!I wanted to give 0 stars, but it didn't work, this is why I give one!! But it doesn't deserve it!!!
This is simply the worst I have ever seen from Disney and in general in the cartoon section!!
The movie is set in the early 20th century, but the characters act like they would be from the 21st century!! They are also not nicely drawn and the whole story is so horrible, you better watch it yourself to understand what I talk about!!
This is a DVD I have seen only once and happily will sell it if someone is up to it!!
Rating:
- Is this really a Disney movie?In recent reviews, I have questioned a great deal about the values and qualities of modern Disney movies. I am a little baffled in whether I am watching a typical Disney animation at all.
I remember the good old disney classics that I really enjoyed watching for its endless humour and cherfulness. Unfortunately, Atlantis- The Lost Empire paints a different picture. It is sinister and darker, with the Disney magic totally abscence. The characters are gloomy and seldomly smile.
On certain fronts it must be praised highly such as the storyline of the lost city Atlantis is quite interesting and fascinating. The animation is superb with top classic animation of the Atlantic ocean and ship line cruisers.
The major blunder is Disney appears to be maturing into a new market with the modern day animations. This strategy will backire at one certain point. For a long tradion, Disney animations continues to appeal to a family generation with its colorful characters and distinguish humour, but question marks needs to be raised in this case. The Atlantis- The Lost Empire is admittely interesting material, but it is historical showpiece with an emotional story and teriible tradegy to unfold. It is incompactible with the Disney principles. A few Disney fans will be disspointed with Atlantis- The Lost Empire like myself to a large degree.
Rating:
- A bit more thoughtful than your usual DisneyI liked this. But it's not saccharine-sweet, the square-cut animation is distinctive (but I think adds to the attempt to firmly place the film historically) and it requires some leaps of faith to buy-in to the sci-fi stuff about Atlantis' crystal. I do think the makers pushed Disney's boundaries and ought to be supported for trying to do somethig a bit different with the brand. The other reviews on this page raise some intereting points, but come on guys - it's only a movie!! It would indeed have been interesting to see what Dreamworks would have done with the project. BTW, my kids love it too.
Rating:
- Interesting stuffIt was with some trepidation I purchased "Atlantis". It is preceded by its own bad reputation, of course, and, after a recent negative experience featuring "Brother Bear" and the repeated phrase, "Why, God, why?" I wasn't sure if I wanted to subject myself to a similar disheartening Disney experience. Surprisingly, "Atlantis" is...not all that bad. Of course, the decision to set the film in 1914 is frankly bizarre (the only real explanation I can come up with is to tie it in with other adventure stories from the late nineteenth century through to the 1920s - Haggard's "She", Conan-Doyle's "Lost World", Rice-Burrough's "Tarzan", etc.). Once the film is on its way, however, it becomes clear that there are some good ideas in there and, to Disney's credit, "Atlantis" viewed as a story in the "lost city" vein isn't bad at all. There's a good cast of characters in the crew (if somewhat unbelievably ethnically-diverse for 1914), and they probably contribute to the best parts of the overall film.
The music is great - full marks there. I felt at first that it would have been improved by the addition of some songs, but I realised as the film went on that this would have been a mistake - they'd have been laughably misplaced, as "Atlantis" really is a drama rather than a comedy or a romance. I really enjoyed the artwork as well. The DVD extras are very good. There's a quite fascinating alternative prologue - Disney does the Vikings - as well as two brilliant featurettes on the film's development. The directors seem genuinely knowledgeable about the history of studies on Atlantis and, had I watched them before seeing the film, I would have expected something witty and intelligent to come across.
Flaws? Perhaps the most obvious one is the science fiction element, particularly given that far more attention is given to the latter word than the former. Disney, to be quite frank, can't do sci-fi. It was ridiculous of them to try, *especially* given the 1914 setting. Giving the Atlanteans advanced technology was a terrible decision, worthy of a shoddy, second-rate production, *not* a Disney film. It's not as though Disney are incapable of creating an undersea civilisation which doesn't rely on modern technology: "The Little Mermaid" manages perfectly without. Perhaps worst of all, Milo isn't much of a lead, and it is only because of my loyalty towards Michael J Fox that I don't write him off altogether. While it's nice to see a geek in the lead (especially in a Disney film), Milo just isn't interesting enough to care about. This in turn makes his romantic relationship with Kida yawn-worthy - it probably would have made a better film to scrap it altogether or at least only hint at it. The villain, predictable and generally uninspiring, isn't much to write home about either, although to be fair his sidekick is an interesting character, and one who deserved more attention.
There are a myriad of minor problems as well. The film spends far too much time in getting the characters to Atlantis: forty minutes are spent on-land and in the water, which is frankly ridiculous. The explanation for the Atlantans' ability to speak English makes no logical sense whatsoever. The script is average at best: it provides no laughs and no real urgency or drama, things which one comes to expect from Disney films. That actually might be the heart of the problem: "Atlantis" just doesn't *feel* like a Disney film, in terms of either design or story. Perhaps a different company - Dreamworks, perhaps - would have done a better job with it.
The flaws I've listed outnumber the positive points by far, and I can certainly see why the film performed badly at the box office. And yet somehow, I found myself enjoying what was going on. I'm glad I decided to give it a go and I hope that I'm not entirely alone in feeling this way. Certainly anyone who holds a passing interest in "lost civilisation" stories should find something to like about this one. "The Road to El Dorado" does it much better, but I still feel that "Atlantis" has been treated unfairly. Three stars. *I* had fun, anyway.
Rating:
- disney matures...Yes, it's a cartoon. Yes, it's Disney. But Atlantis is also an impressive science fiction film in its own right, and refreshingly different from the standard Disney fare. Disney have made some excellent cartoons in the past, notably Aladdin, The Little Mermaid, and The Lion King but recently have been failing to deliver that standard. Here we see a departure from the cute sidekicks and sugary songs, and are offered a darker action film which kids can still enjoy.
Milo Thatch [Michael J. Fox], a linguistics expert working as a museum boiler room attendent, has been continuing the work of his grandfather and has finally solved the puzzle of the location of Atlantis. With the aid of an eccentric billionaire, he and a team of intrepid explorers set out to find the fabled lost city and its power source, the Heart of Atlantis. When they arrive, however, Milo discovers from Princess Kida [Cree Summer] that the Atlanteans' power is slowly waning, and realises he might be the key to saving their way of life.
Disney have pushed the boundaries considerably with this film, earning it a PG rating in the USA. Ferocious battles, including realistic gun use, abound as well as gigantic robot monsters defending the city. The characters are also darker, but equally characterised in greater depth, than usual, with the team including pyromaniacs, chain smokers, and a dirt-obsessed frenchman (Mole is the least impressive of the character designs, providing a rather bland variety of slapstick comic relief). Most impressively, the romantic connection between Milo and Kida is neither love at first sight, nor filled with longing gazes. Instead it is subtly infused in their relationship, and develops in a sweet and mature fashion.
The computer aided artwork and cell shaded animation varies in quality throughout the film. Atlantis features some top notch underwater sequences and a brilliantly creative portrayal of an entirely new civilisation. However, at times backdrops lack the detail of some of the previously mentioned Disney greats. While the animation of those films looked virtually identical, Atlantis utilises a distinctive and unique style, a dramatic departure for a Disney film. Indeed influences can be seen from Japanese anime, with the wide-eyed characters and especially in the sharp hair of the Atlanteans, who look genuinely attractive! The more squared-off adventurers contrast the lithe Atlanteans, utilising different artistic styles to highlight the differences between the two cultures. Other influences come from the comicbook style of drawing, but these sources are not being copied or exploited, but instead are infused with Disney's own design skills to produce something new and innovative.
The plot is hugely flawed, with many holes or threads that are not developed. The film runs are almost a quarter of an hour longer than any previous animated Disney release, in order to allow its story to develop at a slower pace, and yet there are a still a few scenes which appear rushed. Disney shot high in trying to weave a truly epic tale with this cartoon, and the tangled plot just misses the mark. The voice acting talent is excellent, and rarely can such a cast be brought together. Older sci-fi fans will love having Fox, Nimoy and also Claudia Christian (Ivanova from Babylon 5) in a single film.
Atlantis is not a perfect Disney film, but it is delightfully original in both its content and execution. It maintains a Jules Verne-esque epic quality throughout, and it may have gained more commercial success as a live-action film, we are instead offered some of the most stunningly ambitious animation in a Disney movie yet. Having hit the peak of cutesy sing-along cartoons more than once, and probably achieving all they can in that area, surely the future of Disney lies in this more mature direction.
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