WARNING! This following review contains spoilers for Atlantis: The Lost Empire.
From the directors of Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame comes Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Disney's first animated sci-fi adventure. The film tells the story of a young man named Milo James Thatch (Michael James Fox), who wants to prove that the lost city of Atlantis did exist. Everyone thinks he's crazy, but when Milo meets Professor Whitmore, he plans an expedition to find Atlantis, lead by Commander Rourke (James Garner) and his first-mate lieutenant Helga Sinclair (Claudia Christian), as well as other crew members with different tasks. When the team and Milo finally reach Atlantis, they meet the King of Atlantis (Leonard Nimoy, who now rests in peace) and his daughter Kidagakash (Cree Summer). However, Rourke and his team have plans to betray Milo and steal the fabled 'Heart of Atlantis', so they can make a profit.
Now what do I think Atlantis? I honestly don't enjoy it as much as other people do. While the character animation and special effects are suitable for its time, the story and designs doesn't feel like a Disney feature. In fact, it almost looks like Brad Bird's The Iron Giant! However, I do find some of Rourke's crew members funny and diverse.
Like Hiro's classmates in Big Hero 6 and Lincoln's sisters in The Loud House, each of Rourke's crew (except for Helga) can be described in a few words each: Joshua Sweet is a kindly doctor, Mole is a French excavator, Vinny is a demolitions expert, Mrs. Packard is a pessimistic secretary who has a habit for smoking, Cookie is a cooky gourmet, and Audrey is a young African-American mechanic. As enjoyable as they are, I don't like how they treat Milo in the beginning. I also don't like how they betray Milo when they get to Atlantis. But at least they redeem themselves. Well, except for Rourke and Helga.
Kida is another enjoyable character in the film. If Atlantis did better at the box-office, maybe she would've become an official Disney Princess. There's also a sequence I find visually fantastic involving Kida, in which she bonds with the Heart of Atlantis, the life source for the Atlantians.
Keep in mind that this movie premiered BEFORE Steven Universe, which also had characters fusing with one another through the power of gemstones.
In conclusion, I personally think Atlantis appeals more to girls, while Treasure Planet appeals more to boys. However, I do enjoy Atlantis more than James Cameron's Avatar, as the latter nearly bored me half to death. I find Avatar to be a knockoff of Atlantis, as they both have similar plots, characters, and themes.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5.
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