Atlantis (2001)

Sometimes it's good to subvert expectations and try something new. Alas, in the case of Disney, whenever the studio tries something new or different, audiences don't seem to flock to it as much as they actually should.

Case and point: 'Atlantis'. This animated feature tried something different, succeeds for the most part, yet did not perform as well at the box office because audiences were thrown off by it. It was too different. 

Talk about bad luck, ey?

'Atlantis' is the story of Milo Thatch, a young linguist who is convinced that the lost continent really exists somewhere. He was spurred on by his now deceased grandfather, but no one wants to believe him. It's even worse: he is being ridiculed. However, a wealthy magnate and friend of Milo's grandfather is funding an expedition to see if it all is true and Milo is invited, seeing as the team needed a linguist as well. There's already a geologist, engineer, explosives expert and some shady military people who in no way, shape or form are going to turn out to be the bad guys here. Nooo way, José. Nope. Not going to happen. Absolutely nothing foreshadows this. 

Except their design, voice acting and demeanour. But apart from that: nothing.

Of course, because Milo and his grandfather were right all along, they do find Atlantis. But the remnants of this once great civilization are beginning to wither, their culture disappearing. The people themselves have almost eternal life, as we discover when the princess reveals to be roughly 9,000 years old. 

She still looks very good for her age. I'm sure I won't look nearly as good as her by even a tenth of that number. I'd most definitely not have her shapely hips, that's for sure. 

It turns out the entire city is powered by a crystal that actually is alive and sentient. But of course, the military people want this to sell to the highest bidder and don't care if they condemn a civilization to extinction. So now it's a race against time to stop them and restore what remains of this mythical place. 

So granted, as far as storylines go, this one isn't that spectacular. It's well done and well written, but it's nothing really new. But what apparently put a lot of people off, was the lack of songs and especially the more adult themes and tone of this film. Not that it's suddenly gone all NC-17 on us all, but it is a lot more violent and brutal than you would expect. It's the tone of the thing that gives it that more mature feel. 

Oh, and don't get me going on how wholesome other Disney-films are. Have you seen them? Brutal death is part of their diet, or have you forgotten Mufasa (just to give one example)?

'Atlantis' is a lot more focused on the action adventure, and here's where there is a small problem: the film rushes by in just 90 minutes, where it could have used a little more to ease off the throttle a little. The first 15 minutes is rushed exposition, after which it's straight into the adventure. Sure, it doesn't have the time to get boring, but it feels rushed. 

Other minor point of malcontent is that obvious evildoers are obvious from the start, even if they begin in a sort of 'nice' way. Except for Helga. Helga is a grade A bitch right from the start. Her design doesn't do much to endear us to her. Fuck Helga. 

But other than that? This is a wonderful adventure romp. The voice acting is pretty sweet, with Michael J Fox being a wonderful Milo, Leonard Nimoy is great as the aged Atlanean king and the side characters are funny. Phil Morris as the team's medic is a little too manic for my taste, but that isn't too much of an issue. The film has to speed through it all. 

What really sets 'Atlantis' apart, are the visuals. And by golly, they are stunning. The colours and hues are wonderful to look at, the environments are highly detailed and exotic and wondrous. Hell, I love what they did with the Atlantean culture, how it has elements of ancient cultures and yet feels familiar, as if they truly went for the one where it all started. This film also uses CG to add to the hand drawn animation, like the ballroom scene in 'Beauty and the Beast', only here used way more often for the machinery that is employed, which makes a whole lot of sense. The action scenes are clear and exhilarating and certain chase scenes and the final battle are exciting to watch. 

This is one of those films that is sorely in need of more appreciation. Granted, at times it feels a little rushed, but the action is top notch, the story engaging, the characters memorable and the visuals above all are wonderful. Check it out if you haven't seen it yet.