Rating: Summary: despite protests, it's a huge step Review: Disney took a huge step in helping animation become a genre for all ages with Atlantis. Admitedly, this is not one of the Disney traditional fill-in-the-blank movies, and that's why it's great. Since Walt Disney died, very few Disney movies have had any original thought, or creative animation, both of which Disney was famous for. I've heard several complaints, and let address them individually. I've seen complaints that it's too much like anime, and I've seen two different anime movies sited. I'd like to point out that The Lion King was "borrowed as well" and everyone hailed that as Disney's greatest Success at the time. (If you are curious, find a copy of Kimba the White Lion) As for the stylized look, I'd state that it really does not look very anime-like in quality. In fact, it reminds me more of the angular Pocahontes animation than anything else. Additionally, the use of beautiful computer animation only enhanced the movie (I will admit, the giant guardians at the end look somewhat reminiscent of the Mecha from Big O, but again, I will point out that Disney has been known to borrow from anime before) I read in these reviews that this movie had little to no plot. I'd like to ask when plot was a requirement for a good Disney movie? All disney movies have the same general plot; Boy meets girl, boy or girl save the world, boy and girl live happily ever after. While Atlantis fills those requirements, this movie holds a collection of sub-plots that keep some of us from dying of boredom. There was action, intrigue, hints of sci-fi, romance, betrayal, royalty, and exotic people. I really feel that this movie is getting hit hard, not because it's a movie, but because it's Disney. If Lucasfilms had made this as a live-action, people would be lining up around the block to get it. For those who complained of the violence, I'd like to know if you let your kids watch Loony toons, because I don't think Atlantis had any more violence than that. And for those parents that complain that it's too violent for Disney, did you even bother to note the PG rating and find out why? No, I didn't think so. Disney is free to make animated features for older audiences, and in fact, I encourage them to do so. There are more than enough Disney movies to keep your young children busy, including the slew of sequals that Disney has been putting directly to video.
Rating: Summary: Movie is great, but DVD authoring horrible Review: This is a great movie. My 4 year old, my wife and I enjoyed it very much. The problem, and the reason for my low rating is the quality of the DVD itself. It crashes all three Macintosh DVD players in our house at exactly the same spots. The video freezes and it locks the machines up. I just got copy number two thinking it was just a manufacturing flaw, but copy number two does the same things in the same places. These same computers run mountains of DVDs we've aquired over the years without a single hiccup. Another annoying aspect of it's poor authoring is that upon every single showing, one must choose the screen format (wide or full screen) and you must turn closed captioning off EVERY SINGLE TIME it's played! It is a an exclusive problem with this DVD as all others we've played remember (or store in a preference file) the settings you initially chose. It's a sad thing to see a good movie like this mutilated by technology. Technology that was supposed to enhance a movies entertainment value.
Rating: Summary: ATLANTIS THE LOST EMPIRE Review: Atlantis is one of my top ten favorite Disney movies. The Collector's Edition is the best to get. It comes with two C.D.'s. The first one is the movie, the set-up, and bonus features and the second disc is how they made the movie and all the art work. It's a very good movie with beautiful scenes and cool characters too. It's a must have!
Rating: Summary: Atlantis Review: Atlantis is a wonderfull movie. It is about a man who dreams of finding te lost city of Atlants. He doesn't just sit around he really finds Atantis. This movie is bout floowing your dreams
Rating: Summary: A good old fashioned adventure! Review: Disney takes a vein from Indiana Jones in this enjoyable treasure hunt for the BIG ONE. The characters are beautiful taking a page (and artist) from Batman: The Animated Series. Storytelling that keeps us interested while making a subtle comment on the consequences of greed. The only reason I give this a four is because there where elements of the movie that I felt where aimed at the wrong audience. Mainly I'm talking about the disturbing Mole Man put in for comic relief. This character seemed just frightening to me, not cute. Exactly the type of stranger you should keep your kids away from. I think that's where most younger kids get lost while watching Atlantis. The story is more mature and aimed at a slightly older crowd than usual, and it's gritty themes warrant Parental Discretion when viewing. eg. It's fine, but watch it with them the first time at least.
Rating: Summary: Not bad, but not great either Review: I'd like to start out saying that I did not dislike this movie. I thought that the voice acting was done very well, and the animation, as usual for Disney, is top-notch. However, I did feel that the plot was rushed. I also felt that once the main characters reached Atlantis, most of the real action was over. It was a refreshing change from the stock Disney films with fuzzy animal sidekicks who break out in song at strange moments, but I felt that they could have done better. I bought the DVD of this when it came out for my daughter, but she hasn't been able to sit through it yet. She loses interest after about 10 minutes. I recommend this movie for older kids and for adults, it is entertaining, but not quite up to Disney's usually excellent standards.
Rating: Summary: another great movie Review: Once again they have done a great job. Story line easy to follow. Great movie for kids or adults. This is worth getting and keeping!!
Rating: Summary: Some DVD players will not run this DVD Review: Go to Google.com and put in "Atlantis, dvd, menu, problem" and read the issues related to this problem. The DVD just cycles thru the previews without allowing you to watch the feature Atlantis. The Lost Empire is really lost to me. Steve
Rating: Summary: I had low expections, but was thoroughly enjoyed Atlantis. Review: I did not expect much of Atlantis: The Lost Empire... the trailers for the movie just didn't stick out in my mind, but to my own surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. As other reviews have stated, the plot is a bit hard to understand and so it helps to watch it more than once so that you can fully appreciate the story (which has some twists that I did not expect from Disney). As result, young children may not understand or appreciate the film (although I disagree that it would only appeal to boys, my younger sister likes it just fine). It also helps that the moved was digitally transferred onto the DVD from a digital source resulting in pristine images and powerful THX sound. Along with Star Wars Episode I, this is definitely a DVD you'll want to add to your "show-off" collection (especially if you have a surround system).
Rating: Summary: Kudos to the Disney design team. This is a beautiful DVD. Review: Awesome. This DVD offers much more of what I really enjoyed about the movie: great design. A unique window into Disney's design process, and a more detailed explanation of the movie's aesthetic language... digitized design documents, storyboards, 3D models (some not used in the movie). Disc 2 uses the bridge of the Ulysses Submarine as a user interface, which is very well-executed, not at all hokey. The movie itself will probably appeal more to comic book enthusiasts than to kids, and I would same the same about the DVD's supplemental content. This is the best recent example of what made Disney's design team so legendary back in the days of Walt. A very nice change from the cheesy merchandise and gaudy architecture that has typified the Disney universe over the past 5 years. Nicely done.
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