Buena Vista Home Entertainment
Length: 95
mins.
Rated:
PG
Format: Anamorphic
Widescreen · 2.35:1
Languages: English, French
Subtitles: English
Extras: Commentary
Track; Visual Commentary;
Featurettes; Deleted Scenes;
Still Galleries; Trailers;
DVD-ROM Content
Corey Burton ....Moliere (voice)
Claudia Christian ....Helga (voice)
Michael J. Fox ....Milo (voice)
James Garner ....Rourke (voice)
John Mahoney ....Preston Whitmore (voice)
Phil Morris ....Dr. Sweet (voice)
Leonard Nimoy ....Atlantean King (voice)
Don Novello ....Vinny (voice)
Jacqueline Obradors ....Audrey (voice)
Florence Stanley ....Mrs. Packard (voice)
David Ogden Stiers ....Mr. Harcourt (voice)
Natalie Strom ....Young Kida (voice)
Cree Summer ....Princess Kida (voice)
Jim Varney ....Cookie (voice)
Jim Cummings ....Additional Voices (voice)
Patrick Pinney ....Additional Voices (voice)
Steve Barr ....Additional Voices (voice)
Directed by
Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise
Writing credits (in credits order)
Tab Murphy (screenplay) Tab Murphy (story) Gary Trousdale (story) Joss Whedon
(treatment) Kirk Wise (story) Bryce Zabel (story) Jackie Zabel (story)
Produced by
Don Hahn .... producer
Kendra Halland .... associate producer
Original music by James Newton Howard Diane Warren
Film Editing by Ellen Keneshea
Casting by Matthew Jon Beck Mary Hidalgo Ruth Lambert
Production Design by Jim Martin
Art Direction by David Goetz
Production Management
Igor Khait .... production manager
Marc Stone .... production assistant: backgrounds
Alaina Yohe .... assistant production manager
Art Department
Eric Hanson …. additional visual development
Christopher Jenkins .... artistic co-ordinator
John Sanford .... artistic
supervisor for story
Matsune Suzuki .... visual development
Sound Department
John K. Carr.... supervising sound editor
Brian Chumney.... digital audio technician
Ken Fischer.... sound effects editor
Disney couldn’t have picked a worse time to unveil "Atlantis: The Lost
Empire." The summer of 2001 had already been claimed by that giant green
juggernaut, "Shrek," and audiences simply didn’t know what to make
of Disney’s decidedly different animated feature film. The usually well oiled
Disney Publicity Machine missed the trick by telling people that here was the
new Disney cartoon – but not making it clear that here is a Disney movie not
based on a fairy tale, without a single musical number, lacking a cute and
cuddly sidekick, and featuring an actual body count.
Although in the US “Atlantis” was Disney’s first PG-rated animated film
since 1985’s “The Black Cauldron”.
Here in the UK both films were given a BBFC “U” certificate. (Still saying that the US is more liberal than the UK)?
"Atlantis" was a critical and financial disappointment – US domestic
gross finishing just over $84million – as the viewing public just didn’t
know how to react to a Disney film with a slightly darker edge. The biggest fear
is that the performance of "Atlantis" will lead to another 15-year
span before another such animated project is undertaken. I say this because I
thought "Atlantis" was a wonderful film that marked a new direction
for Disney and I would hate to see the Mouse House fall back on the
tried-and-tested formula that it hopes will guarantee it sure-fire theatrical
success but which offers very little in the way of groundbreaking animation or
storytelling. (Except for the same Directors “Beauty and the Beast” coming
this autumn to DVD).
The film is a hybrid of various adventure films, from the opening taken from
Akira, (the white flash and the round cloud) with the city of Atlantis falling
victim to a cataclysm of epic proportions – to Indiana Jones battling baddies
to – Milo is Jackson from 'Stargate' - the first sight of Princess Kida (looking and moving for all the world
like a ‘Disney-ed’ Princess Mononoke) to – the sight of the city of
Atlantis surrounded by lava with one narrow bridge (a bigger version of Princess
Fiona’s castle in Shrek) and the Stone Guardians seemingly modelled on “The
Iron Giant”. However the
visual gags just keep on coming – from a CGI crewmember waving at the camera
(unless you watch the visual commentary you’ll never find it) to where the
crystals end up at the end of the film.
The Atlanteans were an advanced race populating the continent between
present-day Europe and North America. They’re source of power and its misuse
result in their very dramatic downfall.
Fade to 1914 Washington, D.C. where archaeologist and museum curator Milo Thatch
(Michael J. Fox) is about to present his findings on the fabled lost city.
Unfortunately, no one takes him seriously and in a pique of anger he tries to
resign. Arriving home he finds the sultry Helga Sinclair (Claudia Christian)
waiting for him with an offer he can’t refuse.
It seems that Preston B. Whitmore (John Mahoney), a fabulously wealthy
old friend of Milo’s long-lost adventurer grandfather, has uncovered the
fabled Shepherd’s Journal -- the key to finding the lost city of Atlantis.
Whitmore has rounded up a diverse crew of experts to search for Atlantis and the
expedition needs Milo to come along and translate the journal.
Led by 
Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke (James Garner), the massive
expedition sets off in the gigantic submarine Ulysses to find Atlantis. During
the journey they come across the Leviathan, a mechanical monster that guards the
undersea entrance to the caverns that house the lost city. The monster makes
short work of the sub before itself being destroyed and the handful of survivors
regroup and continue the journey through the caverns in their various mechanical
contraptions.
What follows is the obligatory back-story on each of the expedition members that
eventually culminates in the first face-to-face meeting with the Atlanteans.
Princess Kida (Cree Summer) leads the group to see her father, King Nedakh
(Leonard Nimoy), who grants them one night’s rest before they must leave the
lost city and return to the surface. But
Rourke and his crew of mercenaries have other plans. They have signed up for
this trip not out of scientific curiosity but in order to uncover Atlantis’
magical source of power and bring it home. Can Milo and the Atlanteans put a
stop to their plans or will this spell the final death of the lost city?
I really loved "Atlantis" for a number of reasons.
First, Tab Murphy’s screenplay – it’s fairly predictable and wholly
derivative but the plot remains fun from beginning to end. The voice talent is also good with a stable of well-known
Hollywood stars providing the anchor for the tale. From Don Novello’s
improvised lines as Vinny, the explosives expert, to Leonard Nimoy’s sense of
gravity as the King of Atlantis, each character brings something to the party.
Most importantly, "Atlantis" features a truly wonderful visual style
that is quite unlike anything Disney has done before. The use of scene wipes and
fades gives the film a ‘real’ feel seldom seen in American animation. The
creators wanted to do the film in a comic book style so they brought onboard
famed comic book illustrator Mike Mignola as visual designer and consultant. The
end result is a look that imbues each character
and environment with real life and dark qualities.
The CGI and traditional cel-based animation are as seamless as have yet
been seen, (the attack on the Ulysses by the Leviathan for example) and the two
remain similar enough in style to be complementary rather than glaringly opposed
as in so many other modern animated films.
"Atlantis" is the type of film you could stare at with the sound
turned off as every background -- and even the smallest facets -- are so full of
visual detail. This is eye candy of the highest order and it doesn’t hurt that
the story itself is a good old- fashioned epic yarn.
"Atlantis: The Lost Empire" is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic
widescreen and it’s a treat to see animation done in this format. It is a
gorgeous video transfer that is full of life and detail. Colours are vibrant and
the palette is wonderfully diverse. Each step along the expedition’s path is
done with its own unique style and colouring. Black levels are very good as well
and the abundant dark scenes are full of detail.
Being a new film there are no physical defects and the transfer is free of edge
enhancement. Some American reviews
have said that this DVD seems to be a bit finicky on some players, and,
depending on your kit, you may notice some compression artefacts and digital
break-up in certain scenes although on my DV88 I saw nothing of the sort. This
is a beautiful transfer and "Atlantis" is a real sight to behold.
Audio is presented in English and French Dolby Digital 5.1 and an English
DTS
5.1 mix. (Some American reviews say
there is a Dolby 5.1ES track – but my disk does not mention it at all).
All I heard was a wonderfully impressive soundtrack.
Dynamic range is broad and detailed with highs and deep lows coming
across clearly. The soundstage makes use of all of the speakers and features
frequent panning and surround effects. The rear-to-front effects are among the
best I’ve heard. Dialogue is always clear as well and even the gunfire and
explosion riddled sequences don’t drown out the spoken word. This is a
wonderfully balanced track that can be played very loud without sounding
strained or harsh.
As for the inevitable Dolby Digital vs. DTS comparison, as you would expect the
DTS track offers a fuller-sounding mix. Whichever format you decide upon,
"Atlantis" won’t fail to make a favourable impression on your ears.
As the latest in Disney’s line of 2-disc collector’s editions it’s a given
that "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" comes packed with bonus features, and
after the fiasco of the Toy Story and Fantasia Box sets you will find the extras
for this film to be much more interesting and better organized than on those
previous efforts. I can
honestly say that I didn’t mind the amount of time required to plough through
the myriad of features.
Disney has used a new navigation system for this set that will certainly enhance
the overall enjoyment. Users are offered three options for perusing the bonus
disc. They can select "Explore" to navigate the nicely animated menus
to find what they want, they can select "Files" to see a very basic
text guide to everything on the disc, or they can choose "Tour" and
sit back for a 2- hour presentation of all of the video interview segments
presented uncut and with full chapter stops. The "Tour" will be a
godsend for those who do not like to endlessly click their way through these
Disney DVDs. After the guided tour, all that’s left is to go back to either
one of the other paths to uncover the remaining bonus features.
Almost all of the extras are presented in anamorphic widescreen.
While the bulk of the extras reside on disc two, there are some nice features on
the movie disc as well. Foremost is a commentary track featuring producer Don
Hahn, and co-directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. This is a lively track and
the filmmakers are unabashed in their enthusiasm for what they accomplished with
"Atlantis." While much of what they discuss is repeated in later
supplements, this is still an entertaining and informative commentary.
The commentary can also be heard using the "Visual Commentary" option.
With this feature enabled the commentary occasionally pauses so that a short
video segment illustrating the point of discussion can be viewed before the film
resumes. These 22 minutes of footage can also be directly accessed using the
"Video Commentary" menu so viewers can watch all of the extras even if
they don’t feel like sitting through the commentary. There are some nice
little gems in the mix so this feature is well worth checking out.
Also on disc one is "DisneyPedia -- Atlantis: Fact or Fiction" which
offers very brief featurettes, for children, (or those who do not watch Time
Team) on such diverse topics as submarines and real-world theories about
Atlantis. The first disc also contains some DVD-ROM content consisting of links
to a special "Atlantis" website.
As for the rest of the extras – in the
order in which they appear on the second disc – first is a short
"Whitmore Industries Industrial Film" that runs when the disc is first
inserted into the player. This sepia-toned pseudo-newsreel gives some background
on Mr. Whitmore and serves as an introduction to the DVD’s navigational
system.
From the DVD menus the first option is the "History" section that
offers up featurettes outlining the genesis of the idea that became
"Atlantis" and how the filmmakers strove to make this fictional world
as real as possible. First is "The Journey Begins," a 9-minute bit on
how "Atlantis" came to be. Next is "Creating Mythology,"
presenting 8-minutes worth of background on the research that went into making
the lost city believable. "The Shepherd’s Journal" offers some
background on this key book as well as presenting numerous pages for closer
examination. Finally, "How to Speak Atlantean" is a 2-minute
pseudo-newsreel with linguist Marc Okrand, and film from the Disney archive of
Robert Benchley doing a tour of the Disney Studios, turned into a teaching aid
for some basic Atlantean phrases. (For those who know their Disney history a
very funny in-joke). This is
the same fellow who created the Klingon language for "Star Trek."
The next section on the disc is entitled "Story and Editorial."
"Finding the Story" is an 11-minute piece examining some of the early
"Atlantis" concepts. Next four deleted scenes. Of primary interest is
the "Viking Prologue," the completed piece that was cut
from the film late in the game and which was to be the original opening
to the film. The remaining deleted scenes are all presented via storyboards with
rough audio and include "The Squid Bats," "The Lava Whales,"
and "The Land Beast." "Original Treatment" is a still
gallery featuring some early art for selected scenes in the film.
Next is "Art Direction" and here is the real meat of the extras for
fans of the film’s visual look. "Designing Atlantis" is an 11-minute
featurette that provides a great amount of information on the process that led
to the eventual design philosophy for the film. The remaining subsections are
all in-depth sill galleries that highlight many of the aspects mentioned in the
featurette.
"Animation Production" is the next section and it is further
subdivided into three subsections. "The Characters" area deals with
everything from the voice talent hired to the design process for all of the
major and minor characters through the use of interviews as well as still
galleries. "Setting the Scene" is 12-minute piece that further
explores the design of the lavish environments. "Layouts and
Backgrounds" provides still galleries focusing on, well, the layouts and
backgrounds.
"Digital Production" covers the vast amount of CGI used for
"Atlantis" and opens with a 12-minute featurette. Then are 6 minutes
worth of digital production tests. This is followed by still galleries offering
rotating 3D as well as static images of the vehicles that appear in the film.
"Characters" offers much the same kind of look at the Leviathan, the
Stone Giants, and the digital extras. A very nice animated "Vehicle Size
Comparison" gives the viewer some idea of the scale of these vehicles and
critters in relation to each other.
"Music and Sound" consists of a 9-minute featurette covering composer
James Newton Howard’s and sound designer Gary Rydstrom’s wonderful
contributions to the film. Lastly is "Publicity," containing four
theatrical trailers and a still gallery of various print and poster art.
The folks at Disney have finally outdone themselves with this deluxe 2-DVD
collector’s edition. "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" may have been a bit
of a disappointment in the cinema market but it’s clear that those involved in
bringing this unique project to life are justifiably proud of their hard work.
The powers that be at Disney took a real chance in green-lighting such a
departure from their typical animated fare and it’s nice that those same folks
were also willing to give "Atlantis" the type of DVD release that it
deserves.
Featuring wonderful audio and video presentations and a wealth of truly
informative bonus features "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" is a
collector’s edition DVD of the highest order and comes very highly
recommended.
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