Atlantis - The Lost Empire

I was one of the few who actually watched this one when it came out in theatres.  Atlantis has long been an interest of mine, so I couldn't pass it up, even if it turned out to be bad.  Thankfully, it did not, becoming - I think - one of Disney's more original stories, even if it is one of their least remembered. 

Michael J. Fox is Milo Thatch, a young linguist who is very enthusiastic about discovering the secret of the lost city of Atlantis, fulfilling his grandfather's legacy.  Too bad for him, those around him are significantly less enthusiastic.  It seems he's out of luck until he is contacted by a mysterious millionaire who knew his grandfather - Preston B. Whitmore (John Mahoney).  In possession of the final key to the puzzle, Mr. Whitmore is interested in Milo assisting a special team in their mission to track down the lost island of Atlantis.  Yes, Mr. WidWhitmore is interested in tracking down a "lost" island in order to unlock it's secrets.

Milo joins an eclectic team of adventurers led by rough and tough Commander Rourke (James Garner) and his seductive second in command, Helga Sinclair (Claudia Christian).  Other members include Cookie the Cook (Jim Varney in his final role - the film was released after his death in 2000), Dr. Sweet (Phil Morris who's bulky animated alter ego is a bit more easy going than the fast talking lawyer on Seinfeld), Mole the geologist (Corey Burton), Vinny the demolitions expert (Don Novello), and Audrey the teenage mechanic extraordinaire (Jacqueline Obradors).  Things get complicated when they discover Atlantis, only to find it being ruled by King Spock Kashekim (Leonard Nimoy) and his daughter Princess Kida (Cree Summer) with the entire Atlantian civilization still living, though no longer thriving, beneath the ocean.

The plot is fairly standard Disney fair in some regards, but it's execution feels a bit more original.  The animation, as well, is just plain nice to look at with a vibrant art style that more closely mirrors anime than Disney. It didn't achieve instant cultural status as a Disney masterpiece, and due to the poor box office, Disney probably has it locked away in the vault that movies don't come out of every ten years or so.  Even so, it felt like it had a lot more thought behind it than many and the cast of characters is just a lot of fun to watch.  It would have been nice if it was a little longer to really develop some characters and give them a few more adventures before the satisfying ending, but it is what it is.

**** (4/5 stars)