ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE --------------------------
Linguist/cartographer Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox) dreams of following in his explorer grandfather's footsteps searching for the lost civilization of Atlantis. Instead he tends to the boiler in the basement of a museum whose board of directors will not hear his proposal. When mysterious blond seductress Helga Sinclair (Claudia Christian, TV's "Babylon V") leads him to the home of millionaire Preston B. Whitmore (John Mahoney, TV's "Frasier"), Milo discovers an unknown friend of his grandad's is now prepared to fund his expedition complete with a crack team of specialists. But that team contains two with a mercenary agenda which will threaten the civilization Milo dreams of studying in the latest Walt Disney animation "Atlantis: the Lost Empire."
While Disney faces an uphill battle against the likes of the family-friendly "Shrek" and early mixed reviews from NY and LA, animation fans should delight in this gorgeous, eye-popping widescreen adventure tale. While the story (Bryce and Jackie Zabel, screenplay by Tab Murphy and Josh Whedon) bogs down in its midsection with fantastical New Age crystal mumbo-jumbo better suited to the "Pokemon" films, the large cast of characters are all entertaining, the adventure set pieces rousing. It's like "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" cast with improvizational comedians, dastardly villains, 'good' aliens and kindly sidekicks as led by "Peter Pan's" bespectacled John Darling.
This PG Disney film immediately marks its difference by opening with a Plato quote and the subtitled destruction of Atlantis (an Atlantean language was invented for the film). While the animation recalls past Disney efforts, such as the great deep canvas effect created for "Tarzan" to produce multi-planed backgrounds, it also has a new look based inspired by the works of comic book artist Mike Mignola, ("Hellboy") who assisted in production design, exhibited most startlingly in the drawing of Helga.
The voice cast is simply outstanding led by Michael J. Fox who gives Milo plucky depth. Corey Burton gives the film's weirdest character, Gaetan "The Mole" Moliere, a burrowing expert allergic to soap whose eyeballs appear to rest at the end of his night vision goggles, a nifty Gallic babble. Don Novello of Father Guido Sarducci fame is Vinny Santorini, a comical explosives ace. Florence Stanley, best known for playing Fish's wife on TV's "Barney Miller," gives hilariously guttural asides as the chain-smoking Mrs. Packard. The late Jim Varney makes his final appearance as "Cookie," the cook who worships beans and bacon grease. Phil Morris makes the giant Dr. Sweet gentle with his smooth smoky delivery. Commander Lyle T. Rourke is given stature by veteran actor James Garner. Leonard Nimoy is also on hand as the King of Atlantis whose daughter Kida (Cree Summer) teams up with Milo to save their world.
Veteran Disney animation directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale ("Beauty and the Beast") have delivered something different from the usual Disney animation, while maintaining the high quality we've come to expect from the mouse house. While the fast-paced adventure slows to establish its ill-conceived object of contention, this high caliber production delivers on every other front.
B+
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