You know that shit has hit the fan when I’m reviewing a Disney science fiction cartoon based on an older cartoon based on an even older book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. Despite this weird setup, Treasure Planet is one hell of the movie, with a really good story and phenomenal animation. Combining classic animation and 3D, Disney created a very interesting and surreal vibe. Dreamy atmosphere and a innovative twist on a familiar story keeps pushing you forward and before you know it, the ride is over. There also a lot of great futuristic gimmicks like hoverboards, Silvers robotic hand or holographic books and maps. See if you can pick up on all the concepts stolen from this movie and used in a lot of high-profile science fiction movies. It’s a lot of fun.
Oddly enough there are a lot of spacey cartoons like Space Pirate Captain Harlock and Titan A.E. Plus you’ve got Dead Space: Downfall and Dead Space: Aftermath with bit more horrory vibe to them. Although none of them feature visuals as impressive as in Treasure Planet. Something that’s not surprising when you learn that they worked ten freaking years on it. The directors Ron Clements and John Musker have been trying to make this movie since 1985 to be more precise. However, the bulk of the effort was put in right after the release of Hercules in 1997. The end result is truly magnificent with a lot of replay value. Of course, all of this is accompanied by an amazing soundtrack and a great cast. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stands out as as Jim Hawkins although Emma Thompson with her recognizable accent was also phenomenal.
There’s only one story for our young Jim Hawkins and that’s the story about a mysterious space pirate Flint. He just appears from thin air, ransacks the ship and then disappears into the void. Many years later, we find, now teenager, Jim helping his mother run their space bar. Their monotonous existence is suddenly interrupted by a falling spaceship that crashes near the bar. With his dying words, the only surviver reveals that he knows who pirate Flint is and much, much more.
One of the main reasons why I played this movie is its setting: outer space. Sometimes you just want to fly and lose yourself among all those stars. Or perhaps you’re just too high to continue your Elite Dangerous mission). This is what happens when you have a professional team in charge of a big project: you get a very tight and engaging product. And while it’s appealing both to kids and adults, I can only imagine how would a young mind perceive something like this. I know that if it was released some ten years earlier, it would probably be one of my favorite movies. And although this is one of the biggest Disney flops, Treasure Planet is a phenomenal movie. A true space faring adventure full of excitement and great twists. So kick back, relax and hit that play blunt, I mean play button, play button people…
Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Writers: Ron Clements, John Musker
Cast: Martin Short, Emma Thompson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Hyde Pierce, Michael McShane, Michael Wincott
Fun Facts: In a deleted scene, we learn that Jim Hawkins is 15 years old.
Rating:
IMDb Link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133240/
