Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire looks great. It’s got rousing action. The character and vehicle designs are inspired. If only the characters and story were as well.
Set in 1914, Milo Thatch (voiced by Michael J. Fox) is a cartographer and linguist obsessed with the lost continent of Atlantis. Though everyone laughs him off, millionaire Preston B. Whitmore (John Mahoney) also believes in his theories. He hires Milo to lead a crew that will make the greatest discovery in 8,000 years.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire has the same problems as many sci-fi adventure films of the 2000s like Titan A.E. and Stargate. They start and end with the premise. Everything else was an afterthought. Our protagonist is the typical nerd. He’s a bookworm with little street smarts. He’s optimistic and good-hearted, completely useless in a fight outside the last act, and bound to get the girl. There’s nothing more to him but at least he never becomes annoying. That's the job of the supporting cast. Though varied in looks, genders, and races, most are merely a collection of quirks. Take the mission's geologist, Mole (Corey Burton). He's an anthropomorphic shovel. He digs in a burrow when he sleeps, spends all his free time talking and examining dirt, and screams in giddy excitement whenever someone mentions digging.
We find Atlantis populated by mysterious people who prove themselves no more lively. Their technology may have made them essentially immortal but they've got nothing to say and little to do. In fact, with the way the film ultimately plays out, most of the Atlanteans could have been omitted completely and you would've had a more interesting tale.
This brings me to the story. It’s not all bad, but it takes very few chances and fails to enchant on any level. You hope for a 20,000 leagues Under the Sea, Journey to the Center of the Earth, or Around the World in 80 Days. That's not what you get. The joy of discovery, the thrill of adventure, the mystery of the unknown, the monsters, floods, cave-ins, and camaraderie between the crew would've been enough. Instead, we get another tale of a money-grubbing villain looking to steal something valuable regardless of what the consequences might be. If you can’t figure out what Milo WILL do when he finally comes face-to-face with the civilization he’s been looking for his whole life, and how the people surrounding him will differ in their view, you probably haven’t seen many movies.
Also disappointing is Atlantis itself. It looks terrific. The language created for the film by Marc Okrand is convincing. What about the civilization, the people though? We learn Atlanteans live to be thousands of years old. What kind of technological developments has this allowed them to develop? What masterpieces have Atlantean artists perfected? None. From the prequel scenes to the moment Milo arrives, we see no new inventions or developments. Have these people been asleep for millennia? Is this why they've forgotten how to read ancient scripts and use the technology they had while on the surface?
The Jules Verne inspired story lends itself well to all sorts of amazing, visually distinct vehicles and architecture (courtesy of Mike Mignola’s distinct style). From the thrilling scene in which submarines escape a sea monster and the battle during the film’s climax, you can tell the animators put their all into it. The visuals are so good I’m not surprised Atlantis: The Lost Empire has gathered a large fan base.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire isn’t all bad. Among other things, the score by James Newton Howard is terrific. Directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise have neglected the basics, however. You’re left wanting so much more than this. It doesn't bode well for the direct-to-DVD follow-up, Atlantis: Milo’s Return that the original contains moments of brilliance but is ultimately forgettable. (On Blu-ray, August 3, 2015)