Based on the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Planet is an outer space/Steampunk adventure about a troublemaking teenager named Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt). When a ship crashes near Mrs. Hawkins' hotel/home, a reptilian alien pirate named Billy Bones comes out of the ship and gives Jim a special orb. When twisted, it would reveal a 3D map of the entire universe, including the fabled Treasure Planet. Dog-like alien Dr. Delbert Doppler (David Hyde Pierce) plans an expedition to find Treasure Planet, lead by the feline-like Captain Amelia (Emma Thompson). Jim is partnered with cyborg chef John Silver (Brian Murray) and his shape-shifting alien blob named Morph. Together, they all set sail on an epic adventure to find Treasure Planet. However, John Silver, along with his cutthroat crew, have other plans: They want to keep the treasure to themselves, even if the lives of Jim, Delbert, and Amelia are on the line.
Now what do I think of this film? While it's darker and more mature than previous Disney films, it makes up for it with eye-popping animation, a brilliant score from James Newton Howard, and some likable characters. Many people pick Captain Amelia as their favorite, but my personal favorite is Dr. Delbert Doppler because I think he has some funny lines. This is my favorite.
(A frog girl eats Delbert's spoonful of breakfast)
Mrs. Hawkins: Aren't they adorable at that age?
Delbert: Deplorable. I mean adorable.
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Also, I think Jim Hawkins shares traits to real teenagers: He gets into trouble, flunks academic classes, speaks sarcastically, and has to do chores he doesn't want to. Also, his song 'I'm Still Here' touches my heart. In fact, when I first heard it many years ago (but not in this film), I cried because it was so sad.
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Another character I find funny, though some might find him annoying, is BEN the robot, voiced by the great Martin Short. He takes the place of Ben Gunn, who was stranded on Treasure Island in the original book. BEN is brilliantly animated by Oskar Urretabizkaia, blending 2D and 3D animation perfectly in the same character.
Another reason I have respect for Treasure Planet is because this film is directed by Disney legends John Musker and Ron Clements, the same directors of The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. These two know how a Disney movie works. In fact, I think Treasure Planet feels more like a Disney film compared to Walt Disney's Treasure Island in 1950. I think it's the only film Walt was involved with to have absolutely no singing, which is something that normally wouldn't happen during Walt's life time.
In conclusion, if you enjoyed How To Train Your Dragon 2, which also had some mature themes and tones, then you might embrace Treasure Planet.
Rating: 3.25 stars out of 5
PS. I will review Treasure Planet's sister film, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, on September 15th.
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