Atlantis - The Lost Empire

Rating:
Summary: Visually Satisfying/Older Kids Fare
Review: Don't write off "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" as Disney's attempt to make an epic adventure tale. Instead, think of it as a modern-day telling of a story that could have easily been written in the late 1800's or early 1900's. It reminded me a lot of the dime-store novels about cowboys and fantastic voyages into outer space. It also reminded me of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." It plays out exactly like those old sci-fi movies from the 50's and 60's. The story is somewhat formulaic: Whiz takes up where Gramps left off on an adventure to find a lost civilization. Along the way, he escapes dangers and perils with the odds unusually stacked against him. So-called allies are enemies, etc.(you get the idea).

There is nothing terribly amazing about this movie(excepting the animation, which I thought was rather lovely). There is no great moral issue pressed upon you as in most other Disney flicks of this stature. The characters won't stick in your mind and there isn't a breathtaking musical score. What there is, however, is a rather intelligently written(though formulaic) script with a few fun lines and a really fun story. If you like movies like "The Rocketeer" and the Indiana Jones trilogy, you'll find this movie rather good to watch. If you don't like adventure flicks, keep away.

This movie will not appeal to the youngsters in your house. My two-year old enjoyed some of the brighter scenes in this movie, but it didn't hold her attention to the degree of "Lion King" or "Alice in Wonderland." Older children(between 9 and 14) will probably like this movie. I rather enjoyed it myself.

It's a fun, intelligent film that won't surprise you in any way, but will leave you satisfied.

Rating:
Summary: A nice departure from the usual Disney fare
Review: For the most part, Atlantis is a fun, popcorn-munching movie that's a real treat, and takes some refreshing steps away from Disney's usual formula of dancing teacups and ambitious orphans. However, it is not without problems.

First off, the good: This movie is beautiful. There seems to be an attitude with some moviegoing audiences that movies with a lot of visual effects are "just a bunch of CGI" or concentrated too deeply on special effects. True, Atlantis has plenty of computer-generated images, but they blend seamlessly with the animation and make for a visually stunning movie. I know the words "visually stunning" get bandied about a lot, but this movie had some serious eye-candy -- enough to make me want to see it again.

The story, while not revolutionary (the mythical and mostly nonexistent "original plot" is highly overrated in my book anyway), is refreshing and not painfully post-modern, as too many movies of this type seem to be. No one says "don't go there," or "talk to the hand," which I fully expected to happen. There were no cute animal sidekicks, which I found almost impossible to believe, especially in a Disney film. For the most part, this is a movie that can appeal to adults as well as kids -- that is, seldom insulting the intelligence of either.

There are some great, exciting action scenes, with hot air balloons, flying mechanical shark-ships (not as stupid as it sounds), high-speed chases, and huge underwater monsters.

Now for the not-so-good. The movie rushes through its material so fast it can barely get out of its own way. Characters almost trip over one another in their mad dash to blurt out expository dialogue. Moments of characterization go by so hastily, you'll miss them if you blink. Presumably, this is some sort of pandering to the Pokemon generation who can't keep their attention focused on anything for more than three or four seconds, but I feel this movie would have been much improved by extending it, if only by about fifteen minutes.

This mad-dash school of filmmaking applies to the middle act of the film as well. In one scene, the main character gushes over a beautiful and ancient stone pillar -- seconds before the demolitions expert blows it to bits. A funny moment, but Atlantis almost slides into self-parody in this regard; the whole movie spends a few short seconds establishing the beautiful setting of Atlantis, and then promptly sets off a chain of explosions or another chase scene. The biggest annoyance for me was the incredible, Nautilus-like submarine that get smashed to pieces before we even get to really see how cool it is. Disappointing. I just wish they could have slowed down for a couple of scenes.

I went into this movie expecting a lot less than what I got. It starts out a little clumsily, and (as previously mentioned) whips through the exposition entirely too fast. But the story is engaging, and the finale satisfying.

The movie does contain some material that might be a little strong for kids -- there is a rather high body count, though all the death takes place "off-screen" -- you don't really see anyone getting killed, at least not directly. As violent content goes, kids have probably seen much worse on network TV.

Overall, I really recommend you see this movie on the big screen, with the full sound and picture -- this is one movie that pays off well in Dolby Digital.

Rating:
Summary: Great Movie, a must see...
Review: This is a great DVD. Sound is excellent. Exciting and keeps you on your seat thru the whole movie. Great for kids of all ages.

Rating:
Summary: Stargate meets Princess Mononoke
Review: Disney takes a rather daring step in an animated film with Atlantis, but was it such a good idea? While watching this, I got the feeling of deja vu quite frequently. Sveral movie scenes, characters, and even plot lines were borrowed once more for this film. Everyone recalls the whole Simba/Kimba problem that came up with the Lion King a while back. Now it seems that more movies were cut up and pasted together to make another Disney film. The biggest most blaring thefts came right out of Stargate and Princess Mononoke. I'll explain:
Stargate plot: We've got the skinny nerdy linguist, Milo Thatch (anyone remember Daniel?) who is suffering from a poor job, no money, and a distinct lack of funding. Enter the one "mysterious" person who pops up and provides funding for a massive project. Instead of hopping through a ring linked to another planet, Milo will be sent in a giant submarine to the depths of the ocean. He's forced to travel with military acting as a translater (again, a la Stargate). He meets a beautiful girl who can't read or write. It's never explained why this is so, but it is the dead same plot! Please, Disney! If you're going to borrow a movie, you really should change SOMETHING.
Princess Mononoke?: Well, you be the judge on this, but I found a couple of scenes that seemed very close to this Japanese animated film (which was excellent, I highly suggest watching it). The first time you see the Atlantians, they are dressed up in giant masks and furry-type clothing, running around like a certain "San" in the forests of Japan. The tatoos, clothing, even the small details like the earings gave me that wierd sense of deja vu.
Other movies: Well, I noticed quite a few scenes that rang a few bells in my mind. At one point, I had the compelling urge to shout, "We are kings of the world!" Other parts just seemed to shout it themselves. Other notable movies included, but probably are not limited to, Das Boot, Tron, and the Dark Crystal. Anyway, my general thoughts are that Disney really needs to put less money into advertising and into writing.
Ok, there are a few saving features to this film, which is why I'm giving it as high a rating as I am. The animation and special effects are absolutely breathtaking! The background paintings and attention to visual detail is where this movie really shines. If you love animation and special effects, this is something you should really check into. The Atlantean language may give some people headaches, but I do give kudos for that in the fact that it does sound authentic. The DVD options were nice, including CG model tours, audio commentary, and even a deleted scene.
Overall, Atlantis really was too big for Disney to tackle. The beginning felt very rushed and the plot was stolen (but I'm beginning to expect this from Disney). The animation and design was outstanding. My best suggestion is that, if you can't decide on a number of movies, this one is the one to pick up. You'll be able to watch all at once! Check it out at a rental place before you go buying it.

Rating:
Summary: A brilliant animated feast
Review: Disney has indeed released a flock of good movies recently. Dinosaur, The Emperor's New Groove and now Atlantis: The Lost Empire have all been fantastic. I went into Atlantis expecting to like it. I loved the mysterious trailer and the Disney studio, as I said before, is doing excellently at the current time. Well, I was indeed blown away by this film. The visuals are some of the best in any cartoon; the zoom-back scenes are particularly eye-catching. The script and story are surprisingly intelligent and well explained. The script especially brings out the adventure in the film with humour, suspense and intrigue. I enjoyed the film's many ideas and thought the direction and animation were both very focused. One scene I particularly liked in this movie was the one where all the characters are about to bunk and they look back on one another's history. It develops these characters and brings them to life. However, I would've liked to have heard the story of the hilarious Mole, but it never came up. I think children will not enjoy this movie as much as adults will. They may not be able to understand the ending very well but adults will no doubt love this movie. It is a lot more complex than some of the recent animated movies and a lot more likeable, but it still doesn't surpass the 2nd best movie of the year so far, Shrek. But I'll tell you this, it definitely isn't far behind. All in all, this animated adventure was stunning and well made with a mysterious story and a wonderfully passionate, romantic, humorous and action-packed story. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: Visually Satisfying/Older Kids Fare
Review: Don't write off "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" as Disney's attempt to make an epic adventure tale. Instead, think of it as a modern-day telling of a story that could have easily been written in the late 1800's or early 1900's. It reminded me a lot of the dime-store novels about cowboys and fantastic voyages into outer space. It also reminded me of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea." It plays out exactly like those old sci-fi movies from the 50's and 60's. The story is somewhat formulaic: Whiz takes up where Gramps left off on an adventure to find a lost civilization. Along the way, he escapes dangers and perils with the odds unusually stacked against him. So-called allies are enemies, etc.(you get the idea).

There is nothing terribly amazing about this movie(excepting the animation, which I thought was rather lovely). There is no great moral issue pressed upon you as in most other Disney flicks of this stature. The characters won't stick in your mind and there isn't a breathtaking musical score. What there is, however, is a rather intelligently written(though formulaic) script with a few fun lines and a really fun story. If you like movies like "The Rocketeer" and the Indiana Jones trilogy, you'll find this movie rather good to watch. If you don't like adventure flicks, keep away.

This movie will not appeal to the youngsters in your house. My two-year old enjoyed some of the brighter scenes in this movie, but it didn't hold her attention to the degree of "Lion King" or "Alice in Wonderland." Older children(between 9 and 14) will probably like this movie. I rather enjoyed it myself.

It's a fun, intelligent film that won't surprise you in any way, but will leave you satisfied.

Rating:
Summary: Reviewed by PeaceKeeper
Review: This is one of the best Disney movies I have EVER seen!!! It should be destined to join the Lion King, as one of Disney's classics!! I would recomend it to anyone who is willing to watch it!! Watch this movie and have fun. If you like it, see the sequel. Do not judge a movie from what another person has said, see it and judge it for yourself. And of all things, enjoy yourself.

Rating:
Summary: Disney's attempt at Titan A.E.?
Review: A kid lost his father at a very young age. Said father was working on a very important yet conveniently vague project at the time. A gruff military commando type with a colorful crew of purely comic relief characters shows up a decade later to recruit said kid in a mission to continue the father's work. After some pretty explosions and whatnot, the military commando guy's secret agenda is revealed, he betrays the main character, then he is betrayed by one of his own crew et cetera. Skip to the dogfight on the exterior of a large spherical craft, the good guys win, a whole race gets saved by unlocking some hidden power or another, boy gets girl... sound familiar? It should. Not only is it the entire plot of Atlantis, but it's also part of the plot of Titan A.E., another animated movie that preceeded Atlantis by two years. The big difference was that Titan's plot was a lot more complex and involving, and didn't take a backseat during the action sequences.

The story is fine, the animation is fine, Michael J's performance is great etc. etc., but the one thing that bugs me is the disturbing number of parallels between this movie and Titan. If the plot hadn't been such a total ripoff, then I think this movie would deserve five stars. However, I have to take one off for blatant lack of creativity.

Rating:
Summary: Great movie
Review: If you love the disney's "Atlantis", I think you would like to visit the original, Gainax's "Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water".
If you can not get satisfaction with disney's "Atlantis", I recommend Gainax's "Nadia, The Secret of Blue Water", the original of disney's "Atlantis".

Rating:
Summary: good film, decent features
Review: An amateur adventurer named Milo is obsessed with finding Atlantis, and after he is financed by an eccentric to become part of a team going there, Milo meets the Atlanteans and finds happiness with them. As one would expect, the animation is gorgeous and the designs are phenomenal, but there were also problems with pacing and plot. I don't think the explorers get to Atlantic until halfway through the film. Also, there is a lot of gunplay and a very long climactic battle. Boring. As for plot points ... well, that would spoil things, but don't use this film to teach your kids logic. We enjoyed the film, but neither adults nor kids wanted to re-watch the film. The voice cast was excellent. There are fewer dvd extras here than are usually found on Disney disks -- commentary and some info about the "real" Atlantis. Audio is in English or French, while subtitles are available only in English.