Today’s quick review: Atlantis: The Lost Empire. In 1914, Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox), an aspiring explorer, has his dreams come true when a wealthy benefactor sponsors an expedition to find the lost city of Atlantis. Led by a soldier named Rourke (James Garner), a multinational team of specialists brave the depths of the Atlantic Ocean in a massive submarine, following the clues in an ancient book left to Milo by his grandfather.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an animated science fiction adventure that follows an underwater expedition for the lost city of Atlantis. With decent production values and a healthy splash of creativity, Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a rare family movie that actually tries to capture the tone of science fiction, with advanced submarines, ancient Atlantean technology, and a pinch of retrofuturism.
As far as execution goes, Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a mixed bag. The character designs show promise but do not quite hit the mark. The animation has the budget and vision to impress but cuts a few odd corners. The setting seems to have plenty of depth, but little of it actually matters to the film. The cast includes a few familiar voices in Michael J. Fox, James Garner, and Leonard Nimoy, and Fox in particular does a great job with Milo.
The plot deserves special mention as the area that could have stood the most improvement. While the existing plot is adequate, it follows the progression of a standard kids’ adventure instead of innovating. The pacing feels rushed, from the breathless dialogue of the first half-hour to the remarkably few events between the establishment of the conflict to the ending. The setup is interesting enough that the movie could have done much more with it.
Watch Atlantis: The Lost Empire if you are in the mood for family science fiction with a few good ideas and decent execution. Though it has a certain charm to it, Atlantis does not quite live up to its full potential. For a movie with similar themes and greater artistry, check out Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or Castle in the Sky instead.
6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a mixture of creative ideas, reasonable execution, and missed potential.