Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.
Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.
And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize
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| Yes, the letter A stands for Alpha :) Which makes the highest in the food chain :) |
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| The fire is hidden behind me :) |
If
there`s something Disney has often been criticized for, it`s
for being derivative. While most studios are known for their own
set of trademarks, Disney has often been faced the constant criticism of being
derivative. If there ever was a time were this criticism was especially
evident, then it was during the 1990`s. As great, captivating and influential
those films were (and how they defined an entire generation of
passionate Disney lovers), the formula was getting thin after a decade.
Therefore it was relieving when Disney departed from that formula when
entering the new millenium. |
| Let`s see how long we could hold on this :) Before we get sticky :) |
But
the sad irony is when Disney did detract from that formula, their movies didn`t reasonate enough with audiences. Whether it should`ve be
blamed on the then-new formula itself (despite that Disney weren`t criticized for
shifting gears), it was clear that those movies
didn`t reasonate as much with critics and audiences as the Renaissance
pictures did. Whether the arrival of CGI animation at the time should be blamed for it,
since they were being cherished for being superior movies as a whole (the Pixar features, Shrek and Ice Age), it was still clear that these then-new movies weren`t perceived as being good
enough to honor Disney`s legacy.The Origins About the Atlantis Myth & Disney`s Atlantis` Trademarks & Innovations
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| At least it`s not the light from the dangerous fish in Finding Nemo :) |
If The Emperor`s New Groove hadn`t been retooled from the serious drama Kingdom of the Sun, Atlantis The Lost Empire would`ve been the first of a new string of movies that departed from the usual Disney formula. But in Atlantis` case,
it was decided to be so from the get-go. It was deliberately meant to
be an action-adventure sci-fi picture and to be a new
direction for Disney (an action-adventure on that caliber was
invigorating not only for Disney, but for animation in general. Despite
how Titan A.E. started the trend the year prior). The idea was to
make a movie about a group of explorers who goes into an adventure
together, going into the center of the Earth. It was meant to be the animated equivalent of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Swiss Family Robinson. And yeah, the whole crew
at Disney supported the idea, with no hesistations. Apparently the crew were most excited about Atlantis than with their other projects at the time (one of the early
taglines for it was "fewer songs, more explositions"). Despite how some of the executives hated the movie for those reasons. 
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| We`re rehearsing for the shaded marathon :) Don`t ask why :) |
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| This will be the new trend of pets :) Soon everyone will want them :) |
But at the end of the day, Atlantis has
a lot of going for it and various innovations. It`s absent of two
of Disney`s biggest trademarks: Songs and funny animal sidekicks
(and while
there a couple of animal sidekicks, they aren`t major characters,
despite how people loved Fluffy the Cat). Some have called it a Jules
Verne Novel coming to life (which the story was originally based on, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Which the directors lost all interest in when it was based on Verne.
Since they visit Atlantis, but never spend any time there).
Or a Jerry Buckheimer picture in an animated form (originally Milo was
going to be a descendant from a pirate). 
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| For once that mark won`t be pink :) |
At least the absence of songs shouldn`t be such an innovation, since Disney has dared to stray away from it before. Instead we`ll get a grand, orchestral score by James Newton Howard (who would score his second Disney picture in a row, between Dinosaur and Treasure Planet. And pen the end credit song Where The Dream Takes You,
sung by Mya). But at least the abscence of comic sidekicks is truly a
daring departure, considering how Disney has been synonymous with that
trope. Despite how Atlantis doesn`t exclude the comic reliefs
completely (since truth to be told, Mole is the character
who fills that mold. For his animalistic and cartoony nature). But at
least that absence should`ve been a major proof that
Disney were considering to make a more mature picture (which eventually
ended up with a PG rating). And yeah, the plotline of Atlantis is bascially preceeding the one from James Cameron`s Avatar, which some people have pointed out. The official Website and teaser came out almost a year before it`s release.
The Other Innovations & The Disney Trademarks of Atlantis
What also differentiates Atlantis is it`s visual style. From Hellboys`
Mike Mignola. It was a deliberate choice from the get-go to have a
comic book style to the film (Mignola also provided with the
story and came up with the flying fishes and stone giants). The style was called Disnola or Mignoley. The visual style is pretty much a
departure from the warm and cuddly Disney look. Gone are the bright
pastel colors, which in turn are more muted (Mignola compared the look to Sleeping Beauty).
And it took a while for the creators to get used to it. Frankly, this
movie also has somewhat of a anime look to it (and yes, various comparisons
to Nadia: The Secrets of the Blue Water
has been drawn). 
Atlantis was also the first movie which effects supervisor Marlon West worked on. Freelancers from the live action business were hired on the movie (like Matt Codd from Men in Black and Jurassic Park,
designed the Leviathan and the Submarine, Ulysses). The directors decided from the get-go that they didn`t
want the look of Atlantis itself to look like the conception, that of Greek
columns. In order to make Atlantis the mother of all civlizations,
they looked at Indian, South Asian and Mayan architecture. Atlantis was also
made in Cinemascope (the first Disney feature since Sleeping Beauty)
to enhance the
scope (which the directors feared would be more expensive, which it
wasn`t). Which was also decided from the get-go. Also impressive is how an entire new language, Atlantean, was
created specificially for this picture. Created by Mark Okrand, who
created the languages for Star Trek, while an artist named John Emerson, created the letters.  |
| We`re hiding it on purpose :) |
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| Yes, I want to show how blondes can look naughty in black :) |
Atlantis was helmed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. Who pretty much had defined themselves by making two movies starring "monsters" (Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame). So Atlantis was a departure from them and the idea for it hatched right after the release of Hunchback in a Mexican Restaurant. With writer Tab Murphy (Hunchback, Tarzan, Brother Bear) and producer Don Hahn (Beauty, The Lion King). The directors wanted to
keep the same crew for the latter movie together, before they were scattered.
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| Yeah, the goal is to make my crystal soar :) I just need to breathe harder :) |
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| Yes, they were my supplies :) I`m a tough chick :) |
Yet despite being a departure from Disney`s components, Atlantis doesn`t
detract from them completely. As it has various of the typical
trademarks; An orphaned hero who`s an outcast (voiced by
Michael J. Fox, chosen for his warmth, comedy, heroic qualities and
vulnerability. Fox let his son decide if he would work on either Atlantis or Titan A.E.), a charismatic villain, a
love couple (who becomes the second main couple of Disney, after Mulan
and Shang, who never shares a kiss). And
a Princess who looses her mother at the beginning (which fuels every
criticism of a Disney Princess ever made). And frankly, Kida should`ve been in
the official Princess lineup, since she deserves to be there. And is
frankly a more vivacious character than many of her counterparts. Voiced
by Cree Summer, who not only had to speak Atlantean, but speak English like it
was her second language).
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| I`m using Kida as a warning of what you don`t want to become :) |
And
frankly, many comparisons to Disney`s previous movies can be made: The Atlanteans are pretty much a semi-tribal people. And Milo and his
gang are pretty much exploring a new paradise, two nods to Pocahontas. And it centers about a underwater culture, just like The Little Mermaid. And even has a father (voiced by Leonard Nimoy) who`s against the
invadors (who was a blind character that his animator studied and
took after after. And the fact that both Nimoy and Okrand were from Star Trek was just by chance, despite how Nemoy was hired first. And Nemoy could nail the Atlantean language, while Fox hated it).  |
| Yes, I got mad by the water they throwed at me :) |
The
overall production of the picture was 4 and a half years. The very first scene put into production, was the Viking Prologue. But it was
deleted in order for the new opening, in order to sympathize with Kida
(which was put a year and a half before the movie was released). The
research for the Submarine was made in two trips: To a harbor in Los
Angeles and Baltimore and to Maryland for looking at the vehicles. And to the Carlsbad Caverns National Park for
the caves. The reason for 1914 was chosen was to contrast it`s
gritty design with those from Atlantis and many exciting events happening. Some of the animation was done on Disney`s Paris
studio, like Helga Sinclair. There`s a lot of Deep Canvas in the movie. Gary Rydstrom var the sound
designer. The amount of special effects in Atlantis were 6,000 and the digital effects were 362 (the biggest effects the studio had ever done to that time). The Fate and Reputation of Atlantis
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| Yes, it will be a frantic search :) Just look at this picture :) |
wasn`t good enough (despite how test screenings were actually positive). That it
was cold and sterile. Some called it boring, the characters were flat and that the story was weak, confusing and predictable. And that it was only made for a wrong demographic
(teenage boys, which was a hurdle the folowing Treasure Planet
would see the following year. And would bomb even more). That it was too
short for an epic (originally Murphy`s draft was longer). Yet as
aforementioned, many have picked at the arrival of CGI and simply that
those movies appealed more than Atlantis (the reviewers in my country, Norway, were comparing it to Shrek) And while Atlantis has
it`s fanbase, it doesn`t seem to rank as the epitome of underrated
Disney. My Own Personal Opinion About Atlantis & The Purpose of This Entry
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| I wanted to show that you can make a tough pose with a book :) |
As for myself, I actually happened to like Atlantis a
lot when I saw initally. Ironically, I wasn`t looking particularly
forward to it. Since the film didn`t seemed intriguing to me. But I still
liked it when I saw it and I didn`t thought it deserved the massive
hate that it got. Now, two decades later after it`s release, I still
feel the same way. But as time has gone by, I`ve come to realize it`s
flaws. As they`ve been more overt and obvious with time. It would`ve been awfully tempting
to make this entry about the faults that people see with Atlantis (as aforementioned). But I wanted to twist the idea and rather make it about what I consider to be the flaws of Atlantis. The First Problem With Atlantis: Wrong Movie in The Wrong Medium
Perhaps the biggest problem with Atlantis is
how it tries to adapt a genre that doesn`t normally lend itself to the medium. While this is of course debatable, it`s true that Atlantis incorporates a genre that isn`t normally associated with animation. Which means that Atlantis somewhat feels of a compromise. But still not living up to it`s potential. This is most evident with the childish jokes. Where all of the jokes and gags that are meant for a juvenile audience simply feels out of place here.
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| Don`t worry, you`ll get used to the smell :) |
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| No, this isn`t a lobster menu ;) |
Trousdale are, the juvenility of their gags have always been one of their weakest links (which was most evident in Hunchback. But even in the beloved Beauty the cartoony jokes felt jarringly out of place, despite that I`m one of the minorities who thinks so). But despite the misplaced, juvenile humor, Atlantis truly doesn`t like up to it`s genre for not allowing the movie to embody it`s genre completely. Which leads to the aforementioned argument of it being too short for it`s screentime. In fact, Atlantis is in fact a compromised action adventure feature, filled with the regular components of an animated feature. And therefore not living up to it`s genre.
Second Problem: Too Much Emphasis on Characters and Less About Story and Action
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| I`m running the "knife- marathon" :) |
Secondly, Atlantis is
too character oriented in a premise that requires it to be story- and action
oriented. It`s not that there`s something wrong with the characters. On
the contrary, as most of them are quite compelling and engaging (with
the exception of the grating Mole, voiced by Corey Burton. Who was the favorite of the kids). But regarding it`s genre, Atlantis definitively
needed to be story oriented. As there are several pivotal parts of the movie
where the action is reduced at the expense of the screentime with the
characters. True, while Atlantis does have it`s fair share of action, it feels too character-oriented as a whole. It may be a shallow statement, but it`s one of the problems with the film.Third Problem: How Some Characters Gets Excluded at The Expense of Others
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| Welcome to the A for A-Listers :) |
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| Now I know how Lara Croft must have felt like in a dress :) |
But unfortunately the amount of characters leads to the issue of how some pivotal characters remains underdeveloped. Helga (Claudia
Christian), Atlantis`s femme fatale, is certainly one of them. She
certainly displays more depth and dimension than her male counterpart,
Rourke (voiced by James Garner, who was an obvious choice). And she does have some slight moments where she shows compassion
and empathy. But unfortunately she`s reduced to just being a sheer
villain at the end. Without developing her dimension any further
(originally she was going to be way more sexually revealing in her introduction). And
yes, believe it or not, but Rourke and Helga were going to have an
affair. And Rourke would be an agent in disguise. Epilogue
it`s good intentions, Atlantis (and Treasure Planet) managed to be a flop. And while it was fair to conclude that Disney would never made another Sci-Fi animated feature again, they did with 2022`s Strange World.
Which turned out to be just as big of a bomb. Which is a pity. After all, animation
should have variety in many forms. Whether Atlantis will ever truly rise from the ashes, is another case. But at least we could be happy that Atlantis has it`s fanbase, nonetheless, for all of us who likes it. At the end, as this entry was written to synergize with it`s 20th Anniversary, there`s nothing left to say than to wish Atlantis Happy Past 20th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.  |
| For once, the light has chosen all of us :) Which is a good thing, so we`ll don`t have to fight :) |
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References:
Atlantis The Lost Empire Collector`s Edition DVD
Disney Magazine Summer 2001
Animation Magazine July 2001
Box Office Magazine June 2001
