From a Computer Engineer to Fighting for Survival: Please Do Not Scroll Past My Urgent Appeal 🥺💔
Before this crisis, I was a Computer Engineering graduate from the Islamic University of Gaza. I had a house, a car, a promising career, and a life full of dreams. Now, I am a brother carrying the heavy responsibility of keeping my entire family alive.
I sacrificed absolutely everything before turning to this campaign. I spent my entire life savings and sold every single thing I owned, including my laptop. Out of pure desperation to feed my family, I took a grueling heavy-lifting job that my body couldn't handle. My back broke under the weight, leaving me hospitalized for an entire month.
Today, I am broken and in agonizing pain inside a tent, unable to even stand up on my own feet.
I feel completely helpless because my campaign is moving extremely slow—it doesn't even cover the cost of basic food for my family right now. We are starving, and the slow support is leaving us stranded on the brink of survival.
Please, do not look away from our agony. Your donations are our only way to eat and stay safe. If you cannot donate, please share my story. You are truly our last remaining hope 🙏😭🥀💔😔
Hi, my name is Max and I am raising funds for Mahmoud and his family who are living in Gaza. Please read his story below:
This was meant for yesterday but I ended up posting it on a different account and not here on Tumblr hehe
Well, guess what day it was yesterday? 25 years since this awesome classic first premiered! Here in Brasil, there are still a few days to go for the anniversary (June 29), but I remember being SO excited for a new princess, and what a princess we got! This animation deserves much more attention and love, and I hope it eventually gets the recognition it should have received a quarter of a century ago!
Happy 25 to Atlantis: The Lost Empire! Truly a hidden treasure! 💎💙🩵🤍
So, I just rewatched Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and aside from a lot of small yet amazing details I hadn't noticed previously (it was released when I was 5-6, and I hadn't watched it in a few years), I got to the ending scene, where Mr. Whitmore reads Milo's card while seeing the crystal.
That's when, for the first time, I understood that the "Thanks from both of us" part wasn't on behalf of (or, at least, not restricted to) Milo and Kida, but on Milo and Thadeus'.
Preston Whitmore had been one of Thadeus Thatch's closest friends – the former did everything he could to keep the promise both of them made, and after Milo he may have been who wanted the most to prove Thadeus was right. He was eager to vindicate his memory and reputation after what those academics did to him.
So yes, maybe what I always thought (Kida and Milo's thanks) could be right, but now I also believe it was mostly about Milo and his grandfather.
I love how you can see clearly just how eager she was for this hug, after all that's happened to her. Kida knew she could die and how much it took for Milo to save her. She knew she could never see him again, and when it finally happened just then she realized how truly grateful she is for that. This hug says more than a hundred kisses in it's place would.
Thousands of years ago, in one single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappears into the depths of the sea… until one day in 1914, a young man’s dream of finding the lost city takes him on the biggest adventure of his lifetime.
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June 15th marks the 25th anniversary of the general theatrical release of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, one that I recall watching multiple times as a kid. This film was among multiple films that strayed away from Disney’s typical formula of an animated musical in the early 2000s, bringing a more intensive tone and sci-fi type genera to their roster. Although it is one of their less successful films, it still remains today as a treasured cult classic. I looking forward to the comic book, The Curse Of Kurok, that is to be released later this year.
Okay, so this moment in Atlantis: The Lost Empire has been stuck at the back of my head for years. You know that part in the film where they first see the Heart of Atlantis? When Rourke tells Milo to tell Kida to “wrap it up” and he turns and gives Helga the biggest death glare I’ve ever seen? For a micro-second Helga has an expression on her face that my adhd butt didn’t understand/recognize. Until I discussed the scene with my husband and my brain exploded! 🤣 So anyway, I’m gonna ramble about it!
So saddle up everybody and bring jerky and ammo!
Okay so, the first thing my husband pointed out is that this is the first time in the film that we see Milo really and truly upset. Up until this point Milo’s been a complete sweetheart. When it comes to confrontations and uncomfortable situations he’s been a bit awkward. While he still chooses to be assertive (like in the beginning of the film when he threatens to quit his job) he’s not very big on confrontation. He’s kinda the same way when it comes to Helga.
I mean, seriously, his expressions when he runs into her the first couple times say it all:
Confusion, disbelief, bewilderment and surprise. Those are the emotions that come to mind whenever I examine Milo’s expressions. (Also I laugh my butt off every time).
As for Helga well— She’s confident, cool and collected. Probably even a little bit amused whenever she sees Milo’s reactions. (Side note: This makes me wonder if Helga was the kind of big sister who enjoyed teasing her younger brothers? The kind of teasing where you tell your siblings a scary story that you know is SO impossible there’s no way it’d be true! But they’re too young to know that so, naturally, they get nightmares for a week and you just lay there in bed giggling to yourself— I mean, how else were you supposed to get revenge on them for stealing your favorite snack?)
Anyway, my point is that she’s clearly having fun (or she’s trying not to laugh) at poor Milo’s expense.
But then we come to the point in the story where the tables turn and Rourke and the crew reveal their plans to take the heart of Atlantis. Again, we have Helga being her usual self; Commanding, confident and in charge. Heck the girl is even smiling when Rourke punches/mortally wounds the king.
That is… Until they get to the Heart of Atlantis and Milo gives her this look.
Milo is pretty mad and I don’t blame him. However, more than that his expression almost seems disappointed. Like he’s glaring at Helga with an expression that says, “I thought you knew better and I’m disappointed in you.”
And for a split second Helga has this expression on her face.
She’s clearly surprised at Milo’s anger towards her. Probably because, up until this point, she assumed that he was just a harmless little nerd who didn’t have an angry bone in his body. She was probably thinking that there was no way that Milo would speak up much less call out their behavior. Of course, she underestimated him. Milo has never been a pushover especially when it comes to things he believes in. Otherwise he wouldn’t have threatened to quit his job at the beginning of the film! (It’s just one of the many things I love about Milo as a character). Anyway, Helga’s thrown for a loop with this reaction and that calm, cool facade starts to crack a little bit. And it cracks even more after Kida becomes the crystal’s host.
I think this is one of the few times we see a lot of emotion from her (other than when Rourke betrays her and when they held the memorial for the Ulysses crew). She’s clearly mortified and disturbed by what she just saw. She’s is definitely NOT okay with this.
So… Why did she still choose to follow Rourke even though some part of her felt that this was wrong? It’s simple: Survival and logic. One of Helga’s core traits is her ability to remain calm and composed under pressure. In every choice she makes— every time she could’ve turned back and done the right thing— she makes the logical choice and follows Rourke. She’s known Rourke longer, he’s always had her back, he’s her father’s friend and commanding officer. Who else is she going to trust if not Rourke? This guy who’s begging them to throw away years of hard work and planning for people they barely even know? To her that’d be insane! And even if they did give the crystal back there’s no guarantee that the Atlanteans would let them leave with their lives (not after they killed their king). At that point there’s no turning back.
And that’s one of the many reasons why I love Helga. Yes, she is kick-ass and very beautiful but beneath it all she’s human and makes mistakes. I know we’d all like to imagine that we’d be brave like Milo and stand up against injustice and evil but in real life it’s never that simple. Sometimes we have a boss or a superior or someone else we know that makes a bad choice and we choose to follow their lead; Either out of fear, loyalty or self preservation. Because the world isn’t as black and white as we’d like it to be. Because it’s easy. Because it’s safe. HOWEVER we also have to bear in mind that whatever choice we make— whether we stand by and let bad things happen or stand up for what’s right— we also have to be prepared to deal with the consequences.
For Helga those choices got her thrown off a hot air balloon by the person she trusted the most. And honestly, it’s an important lesson to remember.
I’m not trying to justify what Helga and Rourke did because they were 100% wrong! But I’m not going to say that I don’t understand where they’re coming from either. That, to me, is what makes them really great Disney Villains.
Sorry this post got so long. I wanted to say more but— Oof! Wall of text!
The biggest disservice they did to Milo was have him be unable to pronounce Kida’s full name. You’re telling me a linguist who was able to speak Atlantis’s language well enough to understand and be understood by piecing it together from text, never having heard it spoken, and he’d fumble her name after she just said it once??? Not even ask her to repeat before asking for something else??? Nahhhh
Would you be thinking about this when you're a hundred or more feet up the side of a building with no ropes, no nets, nothing but your bag of notebooks and the realization that if you miss a hand/foot hold, you could slip and fall, and if you slip and fall you're gonna go splat and turn into a really gross Jackson Pollock when you reach the ground. Oh yeah, and you really have no idea what you're doing with this free-climbing stuff.
Fair enough he was in a stressful situation - but that doesn’t convince me he wouldn’t have clarified and put in the effort once he wasn’t in that situation (at a minimum). At least show me him asking and working on pronouncing her full name later, c’mon
And that's where "he's a nerd and kind of a loser to most people" comes in. He's not used to beautiful women even acknowledging the fact he exists, let alone talking to him and WANTING to listen to him infodumping.
And finally, it is pretty in-character for him specifically. He's very socially awkward. It shows in every non-work/business introduction or first interaction he has. Even Helga, when he meets her for the second time. Once he doesn't have 'oh shit, I'm currently jobless, she's offering me a job' he can't even talk. Except here it's probably some 'oh shit, I screwed up an important social interaction....maybe if I do something stupid she'll think it's funny and won't notice."
(Out of universe: this kind of awkwardness seems to be a trope with nerdy/geeky/kinda 'dweeb' male characters. Or it could be partly the way Fox played him. Marty McFly, probably Fox's most famous character, was also kind of socially weird like this. Or maybe the writers just thought it'd be funny to the target audience.)
Out of universe it’s 100% a nerdy guy trope thing - and that’s fine, he’s clearly meant to fit that character type, but I’d say that fits his interaction with Kida later better (when she strips down to go swimming for the mural) - he stutters, she’s beautiful, he covers it up, etc. The bit where he flubs her full name still rankles - this man loves words, he’s literally made them his life, and Atlantis culture as well. I’m sure it’s meant to be a humanizing moment for him, that the writers and/or directors meant it to be a relatable moment for the audience, but it still rankles for Milo in particular, because he has the potential to do better. That moment is vaguely reminiscent of folks having non-English names and having them be shortened or changed for ease of an English speakers pronunciation, and in most other instances Milo is shown to be considerate of other cultures (especially for Atlantian culture). Hence, they did my boy a disservice
Probably a service for Mr. Fox, though, XD. Hell, maybe he screwed it up trying to record the line and they thought it was funny and put it in. Other movies do that sometimes.
Or, again, Disney needed something easier for the target audience (kids) to remember and say which they could then sell to them
You know what isn’t talked about that absolutely needs to be talked about? This scene, which might be my favorite couple of seconds of the entire movie:
Look how completely natural this 32-year-old single man growing up with almost no family is with small children he has just met.
I firmly headcanon that somewhere between Oxford and his early years with the museum (rather than as a teenager, because it’s a very different experience as an adult), Milo babysat and was surprisingly great at it. Most likely it would have been for family of Lisa McGrath, the woman he briefly dated around age 23 according to the DVD timeline. Offering a quick extra hand with some young nephews or nieces one day might have led to discovering a skill he never guessed he would inherit from Thaddeus. The kids would have come to treasure his nature walks and blanket “tents” and all the random facts he’d excitedly impart as Lisa marveled at his dad instinct, making it all the harder on everyone when “Uncle” Milo went his own way. Now he finds himself walking beside someone new through her own home, meeting all her loved ones who react with curious delight. When even the littlest Atlanteans flock toward the charming stranger, those old feelings wash over him once more; and he joins in their fun and laughter as naturally as someone they’ve always known and loved. So this tyke suddenly getting a playful gesture from both the princess and her cool new friend must know they are in excellent hands all around.
The filmmakers clearly wanted us to see this side of Milo, and I am so glad they did. We rarely get such a sweet glimpse of Disney couple relating to the everyday community around them. I love that we have this image of a thriving kingdom where the children admire their new ruler not just at arm’s length—he’s family and their pal.
(special thanks to @sunflower-of-versace for ending my long search for these gifs!)
He doesn’t go to Atlantis to teach the Atlanteans the ways of the surface. He may be a linguist and cartographer, but Milo’s got the attitude of an anthropologist, he wants to observe Atlantean culture AS IT IS, and isn’t looking to change or influence it. He wants to know about THEM, he doesn’t want them to be like HIM; he approaches them as a student eager to learn, rather than an expert willing to teach.
He never assumes he knows more than they do. He specifically says to Kida “I can read and write Atlantean, JUST LIKE YOU CAN.” He never claims or acts like he knows more about Atlantean culture and language than Kida, and he’s genuinely upset when he learns the Atlanteans have lost the ability to read their own language. He’s also very aware that he’s most likely getting things wrong; after speaking Atlantean he asks Kida “How’s my accent?” and she immediately replies with “Boorish, provincial, and you speak it through your nose.”
Unlike Rourke, Milo does his best to respect and adhere to the customs and mannerisms of the Atlanteans, rather than assuming surface world behavior is best. When introduced to the king, Milo copies Kida’s bow, and advises Rourke to obey the king’s orders instead of just doing whatever they want. It may not be what he’s used to, but he goes out of his way to emulate Atlantean behaviors out of respect; this is their home, and he’s the foreigner here.
He gives credit for what he knows back to the Atlanteans. When he shows the others how to operate the flying fish, he specifically says “Kida showed me.” She was studying the flying fish and trying to get them to work long before he arrived, and he acknowledges her efforts by giving her the credit for the rediscovery. He even says to her “You deserve credit for even getting this far.” when she first shows him, since she couldn’t even read the instructions but still managed to mostly figure out what they said.
He gets permission. Kida specifically asks for Milo’s help in reading the written history to find answers, and he is INVITED to stay in Atlantis and teach them. The king begs him to save Kida and the rest of Atlantis, and GIVES him the crystal he uses in the battle. Kida welcomes him to Atlantis and shows him the city and it’s culture; he never just assumes he’s welcome or accepted.
There are definitely white savior elements still at work in this movie that I'll go into more detail on the next time I watch it. But I think the most important part that really sets him apart from the likes of Kevin Costner and Jake Sully is his dynamic with Kida. He ADORES her without fetishizing her or sexualizing her. He poses no threat to her, she could easily beat him up if push came to shove, but he's sweet and gentle and good and he loves her because of how brave, adventurous and curious she is, not just because she's beautiful and exotic and sexy.
I just kinda have a soft spot for the capable and badass Indigenous woman and the adorkable nerdy guy who thinks the world of her. <3
If theres one movie i feel gets underestimated a lot its Atlantis: The Lost Empire while its reception has changed significantly in recent years, its still disliked by some and even some of the people who love it seem to not really see its worth (its their opinion though.) I on the other hand have barely any problems with this movie. The more I watch this movie the better it gets and to me its a masterpiece.
Some people will complain about the plot holes which I think can easily be explained like "like how come they forgot their language and how to use their technology." Well the idea is that King Kashekim was ashamed of what he had done especially after losing many people including his own wife. Not only that but it cost him his sight too. So after that fateful day, he banned the use of technology as well as their own language and hid the heart of atlantis so that something like that could never be done again. This whole situation ties in with Rourke wanting to steal the Heart and overall, one of the overarching themes of the movie: the dangers of technology and how not everyone deserves to access to that power. Where Kashekim realized his mistakes, Rourke did not. As the film progresses we see more and more of careless side especially when Helga is concerned about harming the Atlanteans. When voicing her concerns, Rourke says that they mean nothing. He does not care about anyone but himself.
One criticism is that the film didnt explore Atlantis enough. However, id argue that Atlantis is just the backdrop for the entire story they were telling. Its like the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, while they are a big part of the movie, their role is to serve the story's point/message as our main focus is on the human characters. Like the genetically engineered dinosaurs, he Atlantean creations & artifacts tie into the main conflict of the story.
Our first big action sequence involves the Leviathan, a mechanical guardian designed to protect Atlantis from intruders. 200 of the crew members are killed during its attack as a lot of them are either blown up in the Ulysses or in a aquatic vehicle. When our adventurers first get to Atlantis, they see a lot of random ruins and encounter a giant bug with antlers, but what they dont know is that there are people here as we see in the background.
One of the more valid criticisms of the movie is that its relies on the white savior tropes, which i cannot deny. However, this movie somewhat subverts that and its definitely nowhere near as infuriating as the use of it in Disney's very own Pocahontas. He does have to help kida and save atlantis yet at the same time kida does not lack agency nor does she really need saving well not exactly. It's also impressive that they have managed to survive thousands of years due to the heart of atlantis. We get to see the whole crew chilling out in Atlantis (minus Rourke and Helga) for a while. This section of the movie acts as a way to show these characters bonding with the Atlanteans which heightens what's at stake. It also serves as perfect breathing room for the audience until the big reveal. The main focus over here though is Milo and Kida ad he helps her uncover the secrets that her father hid. This is where Milo also learns what the true nature of the heart is, but shortly before he learns the true nature of the expedition.
This leads us to the grand reveal that this wasnt a journey for discovery. Rather a ruse to steal the crystal that keeps the Atlanteans alive. And not only is Rourke behind it, but all the characters you know and love are in on it too like Helga, who while a villain who stayed mostly absent in the atlantis city scenes, is morally gray and lacks Rourke's malice. Out of all the bad guys in this movie she is the only one who id argue can be redeemed. Also again she was the one who was worried about harming the Atlanteans, but due to a bunch of factors especially considering that Rourke is the person she trusted and knew the most on this expedition (read her dossier). Theres also the the guys who do eventually reform including Sweet, Vinny, Audrey, Packard, Cookie, and everyones favorite dirty perverted french character, Mole (sorry pepe). And even from the start of rourke's betrayal, some are more hesitant than others. Everyone is holding a weapon except for Sweet which is an excellent use of foreshadowing.
This whole film is full of subtle moments just like that for example, we see a miniature of the gyro evac earlier in the film when milo is talking to Whitmore. Also in that exact scene we can see rourkes dossier sticking out a bit, which foreshadows his role as the main villain. One brilliant thing about this movie is how it will tell you some stuff, but then let you fill in the gaps. Like how the heart of atlantis works. Being told that its sentient we are able to figure out why it punished rourke and how its able to see the best in people like Helga, who is just in awe over Kida's transformation. Then you got the subtle stuff that the movie doesnt tell you, but you figure out on your own. Audrey being close to Sweet I think implies that she may see him as a father figure. She is still a kid afterall and its good thst she has someone she cna lean against. This type of visual storytelling is a smart way for us to learn more about the characters without them telling us. People argue about the plot a lot, but I sometimes feel that writing is underestimated. So yeah it drags a little. If theres one detail that goes over most people's heads is how the final battle parallels with the destruction of Atlantis at the beginning with the flying martags and the city getting covered.
Each character is given a bunch of humanity and a role to play. Unlike most disney movies (not a knock btw), Atlantis is very thought provoking as it really makes you think. You may find hidden depth to a character you didnt find as compelling before when you rewatch it. And I understand that some people bummed that they didnt get to see more of atlantis, but there is definitely other ways to look at this movie. You can still argue that it has a messy plot, but I stand strongly by my opinion that its much better than what people make it out to be.
Disney really needs to get into their prequel bag. Atlantis deserved a prequel about the expedition team's Icelandic adventure. they met Milo with so much baggage, it's almost a shame not to explore it.
shit even before Iceland, it could have been a prequel about how/why Atlantis became lost the world. a movie with those graphics about Atlantis in its heyday?? that's gold.
or a post apocalyptic anthropology series about the 8000 years Atlantis spent lost to the world?? the emperor's choice to suppress knowledge to prevent another cataclysm? his grief? his guilt?? Kida growing up in a dying world with no future, each millennia more desolate than the last??
atp put me in the writers room. the wasted potential is keeping me up at night.
Absolutely agreed! Atlantis has SO much potential and it's clear the people behind it had so many awesome ideas and lore. 25 YEARS OUT, TIME TO REVIVE ATLANTIS!
