Atlantis: O Reino Perdido

So I had the privilege of attending last night's New York City premiere of Disney's new feature lenght film "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". It was my first premiere and I loved it! It was such a thrill.

Now, onto the review. Disney is taking a huge chance on this movie for a number of reasons. First of all, it is NOT a musical. Much of the Disney name is based on the legendary soundtracks. Initially, I thought that the lack of music would make the movie seem a bit longer and not so Disney. But after seeing it, I thought that the absence of music was a great move. Even though I love such classic songs as "Under the Sea" and "A Friend Like Me", music might have made it a bit too kiddy. Nice job Disney.

Secondly, this movie is PG. It is NOT G and with good reason. There is a good deal of action (and those scenes are better than any part of "Pearl Harbor"). The partially CG, partially animated "Star Wars"-esque dogfights and chases truly are breathtaking, even to an adult. Yes, this movie might frighten some small kids, especially the scene with Leviathan and some of the climactic rumble(s). But overall, the kids in the audience weren't too frightened. The nice mix of humor for kids (and some for the adults too) helped to keep the balance of intense action and light hearted fun.

Lastly, this movie is not "Sleeping Beauty". This is not "Snow White". It isn't "Beauty and the Beast" or "Aladdin". But this is not nessesarily a bad thing. This is like the dark side of "The Little Mermaid." Disney pulled out a couple of the stops but for a reason. Yes, there is a bit of blood. It's not a gauging like the over pretentious "Gladiator", it's enough to convey real emotion. (Milo Thatch, "Atlantis'" main character, has more dimension as a 2-D cartoon than any scene involving Russell Crowe in "Gladiator"). This movie isn't the vibrant end of "Be Our Guest". The darker nature almost made you forget that this was an animated feature. It was very effective and finally someone at Disney realized it isn't all about selling t-shirts and plush toys. Bravo Disney, "Atlantis" surely won't sink

BTW, I got to meet Marty McFly himself, Mr. Michael J. Fox. Great guy, and the premiere did benefit his Parkinson's reasearch Center. Again, bravo to Disney, this was an incredibly generous move on their part.

Here's what I knew about "Atlantis" before watching it:

* - It's officially Disney's first animated sci-fi adventure. I'm not sure how accurate that is (I like to nitpick) but it made me curious first time I heard it described.

* - The preview looked, for the most part, damn cool. Evidently, it was also "too cryptic" according to some critics after the fact.

* - It apparently did SO badly that Disney said, "Screw it, let's re-release 'Spy Kids'".

So, with all that said, how is the movie?

Hella-cool.

I'm a sucker for animated fantasy that involves stirring music and rampant special effects anyway, but "Atlantis" goes all out. It's a throwback to all the CGI eye-candy shots in "Beauty and the Beast" and "Aladdin", so much so that it's almost an effects animator's Best-Of Show. The characters maybe aren't that memorable (except, perhaps, for the ship's medical officer), and the plot's a little dull, but this isn't a movie you watch for the plot.

Here's a controversy that bothers me. The "failure" (as in, it "only" took in, like, five-hundred-million or something; I know animators who'd kill to see fifteen bucks of that) of this movie compared to the popularity of "Shrek" and "Monsters Inc." has been seen as evidence of the death of traditional animation. I don't think that's true. How do you account for the "South Park" movie? What about "Final Fantasy"? Really, the story and the artistry is everything, not the method. I don't know what Disney's comeback movie will be like, but I don't think they're out of the picture yet.

Thank goodness Disney is making some animated features with punch! This is one. None of that eye-rolling cuteness that you usually put up with because you are with toddlers!

This film is fun, fun, fun! The characterizations are fine, the science fiction framework better than most live action films of the genre, and the art just gritty enough to be cool.

The action is fast--almost too fast! But the film covers a lot of ground (and water), so things have to move quickly. I'd like to see the sequel.

Disney's producers should take a very proud bow for making an exciting story with excellent characters. And the actors who do the voices deserve strong applause for giving the characters true depth. (The doctor was my favorite!)

More like this!

From the animation to the side characters, Atlantis is a surprisingly awesome Disney movie. It's got action, and funny jokes, and everything you could want in an action-adventure movie. Highly recommend this one.

Maybe it's because it doesn't follow the typical Disney formula, but this fun, interesting, and hits on some relevant points about dreams, ambitions, and human greed. If you're looking for a dashing prince to save a beautiful princess, go watch another movie. If you want a movie that is enjoyable to watch again and again, watch this one. While character development varies, it's not hard to like the characters. Even the antagonists are likable, in the way that only villains can be. The animation style is different than most other Disney films, and personally, I like it.

This is one of those movies Disney has kind of swept under the rug and forgotten about, for reasons I don't understand. Kida is not featured with the rest of the Disney Princesses, (even though she is one of many who are actually princesses within their world of origin). This is another nuance I don't understand, and it, sadly, only serves to prove just how under-appreciated this movie is.