{"id":39196,"date":"2015-05-19T08:00:56","date_gmt":"2015-05-19T12:00:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/?p=39196"},"modified":"2022-02-05T23:50:02","modified_gmt":"2022-02-06T04:50:02","slug":"movie-review-atlantis-lost-empire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/movie-review-atlantis-lost-empire\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review: Atlantis The Lost Empire"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Atlantis<\/a>DVD Cover Copyright Disney<\/em><\/p>\n

Atlantis: The Lost Empire<\/em> was theatrically released as the forty-first full-length animated feature in Disney history on June 15, 2001. It is based on Plato\u2019s legendary utopia and clocks in at ninety-five minutes. A direct-to-DVD sequel, Atlantis: Milo\u2019s Return<\/em>, was released on May 20, 2003.<\/p>\n

Disappointment<\/strong><\/p>\n

Atlantis<\/em> received mediocre reviews from critics and performed disappointingly at the box office. To compound Disney\u2019s troubles, the company\u2019s epic summer film for 2001, Pearl Harbor<\/em>, flopped considering that movie\u2019s expectations, and Atlantis <\/em>was overshadowed by Shrek<\/em>, the animated hit from Disney-enemy Jeffrey Katzenberg\u2019s DreamWorks. (1) Truth be told, I saw Shrek <\/em>in theatres but not Atlantis<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Plot Summary<\/strong><\/p>\n

Washington D.C. The Wilson administration. A brilliant young linguist, Milo Thatch, is preparing to give a presentation to the board of directors at the Smithsonian Institute in hope of receiving funding to locate the Shepard\u2019s Journal<\/em>, a firsthand account of Atlantis that supposedly contains the whereabouts of the utopian paradise. Thatch is disappointed, however, when the directors, tired of his Atlantis obsession, abruptly postpone the meeting so that Milo cannot present.<\/p>\n

Milo\u2019s sadness proves short lived. Upon returning home, a mysterious woman named Helga Sinclair informs Thatch that her employer, Preston Whitmore, wants to see him. Before the ensuing meeting is over, Milo is in possession of the Shepard\u2019s Journal<\/em> and is set to embark on a mission to find Atlantis itself. A submarine and a crew of specialists are provided by Whitmore.<\/p>\n

The belief of Milo\u2019s grandfather, Thaddeus Thatch, in Atlantis had made him a laughingstock, and Milo is in a similar conundrum. If the mission succeeds, he can have the last laugh. Will that happen, though?<\/p>\n

On the whole, I found the plot convoluted but exciting.<\/p>\n

Content<\/strong><\/p>\n

Atlantis<\/em> became only the third Disney animated feature to receive a \u201cPG\u201d rating, after The Black Cauldron<\/em> (1985) and Dinosaur<\/em> (2000). I would not say that Atlantis<\/em> is any more violent than The Hunchback of Notre Dame <\/em>(1996), but there are scenes of intense action, and Wilhelmina Packard, the submarine\u2019s radio operator, smokes throughout.<\/p>\n

Themes<\/strong><\/p>\n

Key themes in Atlantis: The Lost Empire <\/em>include power, knowledge, and morality.<\/p>\n

Atlantis\u2019 king, Kashekim Nedakh, abuses his power and harms his empire in the process. He realizes his mistake afterwards with the loss of his wife, but the damage had been done.<\/p>\n

One major ramification of Nedakh\u2019s greediness is the loss of the empire\u2019s knowledge. Atlantis persists, but without a means for improvement, it is just a mundane locale.<\/p>\n

As for morality, Milo and the rest of the crew must decide whether to aid Atlantis and lose any chance of fame; or to kidnap Princess Kida, let Atlantis perish, and achieve figurative immortality at home. Leadership abilities are crucial to this decision.<\/p>\n

Animation<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the most part, Atlantis<\/em> features excellent animation. Many scenes, especially those directly involving the water, and the underground mural scene in Atlantis, are breathtakingly beautiful.<\/p>\n

Action<\/strong><\/p>\n

People seeking battle scenes will probably enjoy Atlantis<\/em>. Three battle segments, including one featuring a gigantic mechanical lobster called Leviathan, are included.<\/p>\n

Music<\/strong><\/p>\n

In contrast to the films of the \u201cDisney Renaissance,\u201d Atlantis <\/em>is in no way a musical. The flick\u2019s one song, \u201cWhere the Dream Takes You,\u201d which is an upbeat yet soothing number based on the theme of following your dreams regardless of what others think, does not commence until the end credits. I found this song to be solid but not especially inspired.<\/p>\n

From an enjoyability standpoint, I do not think the dearth of music severely hurts Atlantis<\/em>, but feature songs usually augment Disney\u2019s animated movies.\u00a0 In other words, lyrical music would probably have made the film better than it is.<\/p>\n

Suspense<\/strong><\/p>\n

Without revealing any specifics, I will say that I found Atlantis <\/em>suspenseful and unpredictable. The plot did not develop as I thought it would.<\/p>\n

Historical References<\/strong><\/p>\n

Numerous historical figures and groups are mentioned throughout the movie, including Plato, Jefferson Davis, the Rough Riders, and P.T. Barnum.<\/p>\n

Humor<\/strong><\/p>\n

Atlantis <\/em>is hysterical at times.<\/p>\n

Milo wears oversized hats, enjoys playing with horns, and can hold in neither his excitement nor his carrots. Lunch overboard!<\/p>\n

While we are discussing food, Mrs. Packard\u2019s meatloaf is apparently unpopular, but I would rather eat that than the concoctions of Cookie, the expedition\u2019s chef. His Caesar salad and escargot look kind of slimy. Eww! For better or worse, Cookie seems to be scared of vegetables.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Packard is an interesting character. Her monotone voice notwithstanding, she is frequently bizarre in both her words and her actions.<\/p>\n

Gaetan Moli\u00e9re, the expedition\u2019s mineralogist, enjoys dirt, stuffed animals, and volunteering for assignments he is not qualified for.<\/p>\n

Relationship to Other Disney Films<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Little Mermaid<\/em> (1989) also features an underwater kingdom.<\/p>\n

An expedition theme is also found in Tarzan<\/em> (1999).<\/p>\n

A sub-aqueous adventure occurs in the live-action 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea<\/em> (1954).<\/p>\n

Upon her entrance, Helga Sinclair reminded me of Jessica Rabbit from Who Framed Roger Rabbit <\/em>(1988) because of her somewhat sleazy demeanor.<\/p>\n

Moli\u00e9re is similar to Stitch from Lilo and Stitch<\/em> (2002) in his eccentric mannerisms.<\/p>\n

The flickering crystals that appear prior to the nighttime fire scene are similar in effect to the fairies in The Black Cauldron<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Finally, the physical appearance of Commander Lyle Rourke reminded me of Professor Robert Callaghan from Big Hero 6<\/em> (2014).<\/p>\n

In the Parks<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although no attractions or regular character meets directly concerning Atlantis: The Lost Empire<\/em> are featured at Disney parks, several attractions based on adventure and the ocean are offered.<\/p>\n

At Disneyland Park in California, guests can experience a submarine journey on \u201cFinding Nemo Submarine Voyage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AtlantisPhoto copyright Pam Forrester<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Atlantis<\/a>Photo Copyright Pam Forrester<\/em><\/p>\n

\"AtlantisPhoto Copyright Rikki Niblett<\/em><\/p>\n

Tokyo DisneySea features \u201cAquatopia,\u201d a water-based attraction where riders guide trackless vehicles through a lagoon.<\/p>\n

Attractions based on another academic explorer, the famed Indiana Jones, are housed at Disney parks across the globe: \u201cIndiana Jones Adventure\u201d at both Disneyland Park in California and Tokyo DisneySea, \u201cIndiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!\u201d at Florida\u2019s Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios theme park, and \u201cIndiana Jones et le Temple du P\u00e9ril\u201d at Disneyland Park Paris. These attractions are a bucking bronco-like motion simulator, a stunt show, and a roller coaster, respectively. \u201cIndiana Jones et le Temple du P\u00e9ril\u201d became Disney\u2019s first looping coaster upon its 1993 debut.<\/p>\n

The interactive \u201c50\u2019s Primetime Caf\u00e9\u201d at Disney\u2019s Hollywood Studios serves Mrs. Packard\u2019s favorite food, meatloaf. You will probably not find Cookie at this restaurant because the servers, who are known to \u201cplay\u201d with the diners, force you to eat your vegetables.<\/p>\n

Overall<\/strong><\/p>\n

The suspense, humor, and action of Atlantis: The Lost Empire<\/em> almost atone for the movie\u2019s confusing story and dearth of music. The film is not a classic, but it is an enjoyable watch.<\/p>\n

Notes<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) Stewart, J. (2005). Disenchanted Kingdom. In Disney War<\/em> (pp. 362-63). New York: Simon & Schuster.<\/p>\n

What do you think of Atlantis: The Lost Empire? Let me know in the comments!<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sponsored Ad:<\/strong>\u00a0 Would you like to help support The Mouse For Less website in continuing their mission of being THE Disney vacation planning resource?\u00a0 You can do so by purchasing Atlantis – The Lost Empire<\/a> from our Affiliate Link through Amazon. Thanks so much for your support!<\/p>\n

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    DVD Cover Copyright Disney Atlantis: The Lost Empire was theatrically released as the forty-first full-length animated feature in Disney history on June 15, 2001. It is based on Plato\u2019s legendary utopia and clocks in at ninety-five minutes. A direct-to-DVD sequel, Atlantis: Milo\u2019s Return, was released on May 20, 2003. Disappointment Atlantis received mediocre reviews from…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":67,"featured_media":39197,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[73],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-39196","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-disney-movies"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39196","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/67"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=39196"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39196\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":82594,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/39196\/revisions\/82594"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39197"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=39196"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=39196"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=39196"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}