The plot was ambitious. I don't necessarily know if there were plot holes, but there were definitely a few things that were tough to figure out - exactly how much time has passed since Atlantis disappeared? Why do they have this energy crystal that is basically their life force? It was a unique take on the Atlantis legend, and though hard to follow at times, I found it very interesting. We also noticed that it was perhaps a bit more violent than many other Disney films. After the first half hour or so I remarked, "Wow, a lot of people have died already!" Granted, they were nameless people, but it was still a lot more (human) death than I'm used to.
The characters were fun, but aside from Milo,Princess Kida, and maybe a few others, they were pretty much complete caricatures - almost bordering on stereotypes. Really over the top, and while it's fun to have a few side characters like that, it maybe started to become a bit too much. I really liked Milo though, and Michael J. Fox's voice work is of course wonderful. Jason says: "It's biggest strength was its diverse characters. But as entertaining as they are, they still seem sort of one-dimensional, more fun than real."
And - spoiler alert - I thought the ending was well done. While it certainly wasn't revolutionary to have that sort of twist, I admit that I didn't see it coming from the beginning. So it was a nice surprise not only to have the leader be in it for the money, but then also to have his crew turn their backs on him in the end and do the right thing.
The Music
In the early 2000's Disney produced a number of animated movies that were not musicals, like the ones preceding them (Hercules, Hunchback, etc.). If you've read other reviews on this blog you know I love a good musical, and I often feel that the animated Disney films without the characters singing just aren't as good (Pixar aside). That being said, the soundtrack was fine for this and worked well with the film.
The Villain
Rourke fits the villain mold pretty darn well. He's a tough guy, deceiving, and manages to trick Milo completely. He's completely blind in the sense that all he cares about is himself and gaining money, and doesn't care about the people that he's murdering and the culture he's destroying. After he reveals himself as the villain he definitely seems pretty insane, which is a fitting villain trait. Definitely up there on the evil scale.
The WDW Connection
Is there anything about Atlantis is Disney World? I know a lot about Disney but I certainly can't think of anything off of the top of my head. If you know of anything please comment so I can add it here! It wasn't particularly popular or well loved, so it doesn't really surprise me that the theme parks ignore it.
Becky's rating: 7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating: 7 out of 10
