La Planète au trésor

Upfront, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie beyond what I thought I would take from it. Being an animation major I can thoroughly pick apart most movies, especially what Disney puts out now-a-days. Unfortunately for their movie Treasure Planet, either it was ahead of itself ambitiously, or it was rumors that spread like wildfire (when it was being released) that killed it. Actually, that's why I didn't see this film until very recently, because of everyone's (and mine at the time) prejudice against Disney features springing up amongst way too many viewers, and especially for this film. I believed them that this film was terrible, and subsequently never got to see it until a week ago. Man, everyone was wrong.

I'll be honest, and give it its weak points: The main character (Jim) is quite blank and not very well developed. Which is bad because an audience cannot connect to a flat, central character. Secondly, the CG (although very well stylized) I think didn't mesh as well with the 2D animation as it should have. Other than that...you might pick apart a few other things about the movie (and no, the dialouge isn't that bad. it's a G rated movie...it's not supposed to be incredibly complex).

Treasure Planet keeps pretty tight in line with the original classic, "Treasure Island", even when softening it down for a younger audience. I grew up with that story, and had no problem with the adaptation in Planet. Also, this film contains two masterfully animated characters, John Silver and Dr. Dilbert Doppler (animated by two masters, Glen Keane and Sergio Pablos, respectively). If you're an animation enthusiast, these two are gold to watch (especially the pencil tests in the special features on the DVD).

This whole review is a little long-winded, but in closing, this movie is more than what was said of it. If anything dealt the killing blow in this movie failing at the box office, it was everyone's bad word for it. Not true. Please see for yourself!

Treasure Planet is the adaptation of the classic swashbuckling children's tale of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. R.L.S originally wrote Treasure Island chapter by chapter for his son, as a bed time story for each night. When the story was first published it was actually condemned by some! Claiming that such violent tales encouraged boys to become ner-do-well's such as the pirates it glorifies! Suffice to say, Disney's futuristic adaptation fails to capture the rebellious nature of the original Treasure Island. Fans and fanatics can gripe all they want if a scene is missing from the book, or if a character's been changed, but as long as the core meaning of the story remains, it's essence. Then adaptation has been successful. Treasure Planet does not capture the essence of the book entirely, in fact it lacks a lot of it's power due mainly to the protagonist. Jim Hawkins of Treasure Planet does not suffer as much as his archaic counterpart, therefore his character does not under go the same heroic journey and does not emerge as profoundly changed as R.L.S original did.

Aside from that, Treasure Planet makes for a fine adventure film for the whole family. There are moments of joy and pathos to be found throughout. And it is interesting to see a science fiction twist on a pirating classic.

Everyone show watch and buy this movie if for no other reason than to support Roy Disney against Michael Eisner!!

This poor movie suffered from political mudslinging between these two. As "Treasure Island" was one of the Disney company's first and most successful live-action pictures, Roy had always been passionate about making an animated version. Eisner, ever Roy's opponent, was in charge of the advertising budget. So, when Treasure planet was released, without any typically "Disney" fanfare, it met with unsurprisingly small attendance.

The day after it was released, Eisner held a press conference, declaring "Treasure Planet" a flop, and blaming it for Disney's poor 3rd quarter performance. Roy promptly quit the company his uncle and father had built.

As far as the movie itself goes, the controversy robbed what I think is the finest example of a "Disney" movie since Mulan. The animation is spectacular, the vocal talents are superb, and Brian Murray is one of the greatest Long John Silvers I've ever heard.

But beyond the technical qualities, "Treasure Planet" captures the spirit of Disney much better than recent Disney debacles (see Valiant, Chicken Little, Home on the Range). I think the end product came out very nicely, and, larger than that, I think Walt would have been proud to put his name on this one.

Robert Louis Stephenson's `Treasure Island' has always been one of my favorite classic stories. The tale of a teenage boy thrust into the adventure of a lifetime features pirates, swordfights, an ocean voyage, betrayals, and buried treasure among many other classic adventure-story ingredients – what's not to love?

It's been filmed countless times before, in many various incarnations, including one with the Muppets and an animated version starring the Monkees' Davy Jones; so what new way can be thought up to retell this hundred-year-old story for twenty-first century audiences?

Set it in space, of course; a brilliant idea that pays off handsomely.

To be fair, TREASURE PLANET is not the first film to set the story among the stars; that distinction belongs to the 1987 Italian live-action TV Mini-series TREASURE ISLAND IN OUTER SPACE. But that version has scarcely been seen outside of Europe, and I seriously doubt that it could hold a candle to the stunning visuals seen here.

And the key word here is VISUALS. This is arguably the most visually stunning animated film to come out of the powerhouse Disney animation factory, EVER. The canvas on which they paint here is wide and broad, and full of breathtaking color and beauty. Pirate ships with solar sails soar across a canopy of stars, and behemoths that look like whales trumpet along beside them. Alien beings both friendly and fierce populate the universe, and futuristic machinery stands side-by-side with nineteenth century technology. I've never seen anything quite like it.

Oh, and there is a story here as well; amazingly, it is quite faithful to the source material in both outline and details, only deviating from the text where necessary to transplant the action from the oceans of nineteenth century Earth to the planets and solar systems of the future.

It centers around Jim Hawkins, a fatherless boy constantly getting into trouble with the law for his rambunctious, extreme-sports ways, who gets the chance to prove himself when a dying pirate leaves him a treasure map with his dying breath. In short order he finds himself cabin boy on a stargoing vessel bound for the legendary Treasure of a Thousand Worlds; along the way path is blocked by pirates and collapsing stars and other perils of interstellar travel.

If I have any complaint at all with the film it would be that it sticks a little TOO close to the novel, some of the nineteenth century ideals just don't ring true in the futuristic setting; but that's easily forgivable compared to the wondrous images this magic film offers.

Let me start by saying that the soundtrack is great. The musical score was composed by James Newton Howard, while the songs were written and performed by John Rzeznik, frontman of the Goo Goo Dolls.

The story is a futuristic adaption of the classic book Treasure Island. The animation is sublime, it blends 2D and 3D perfectly, the steampunk design is also pretty cool. It's a rreal shame it was a box office failure. At least it was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

If you haven't watched it yet, do it now. It's worth your time.