Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

The expedition crew stand together as a mysterious woman is floating in the background, surrounded by stone effigies and emitting brilliant white beams of light from a crystal necklace.

Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Produced by Don Hahn
Screenplay by
Story by
Music by James Newton Howard
Edited by Ellen Keneshea
Production
company
Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures
Release dates
  • June 3, 2001 (2001-06-03) (Premiere)
  • June 15, 2001 (2001-06-15) (United States)
Running time
 96 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Budget $90–120 million[1][2][3][nb 1]
Box office $186.1 million[3]

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a 2001 American animated action-adventure film created by Walt Disney Feature Animation—the first science fiction film in Disney's animated features canon and the 41st overall. Written by Tab Murphy, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, and produced by Don Hahn, the film features an ensemble cast with the voices of Michael J. Fox, Cree Summer, James Garner, Leonard Nimoy, Don Novello, Phil Morris, Claudia Christian, Jacqueline Obradors, and Jim Varney in his final role before his death. Set in 1914, the film tells the story of a young man who gains possession of a sacred book, which he believes will guide him and a crew of mercenaries to the lost city of Atlantis.

Development of the film began after production had finished on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996). Instead of another musical, the production team decided to do an action-adventure film inspired by the works of Jules Verne. Atlantis was notable for adopting the distinctive visual style of comic book creator Mike Mignola. At the time of its release, the film had made greater use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) than any of Disney's previous animated features; it remains one of the few to have been shot in anamorphic format. Linguist Marc Okrand created a language specifically for use in Atlantis, while James Newton Howard provided the score. The film was released at a time when audience interest in animated films was shifting away from hand-drawn animation toward films with full CGI.

Atlantis: The Lost Empire premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 3, 2001, and went into general release on June 15. Released by Walt Disney Pictures, Atlantis performed modestly at the box office. Budgeted at $100 million, the film grossed over $186 million worldwide, $84 million of which was earned in North America. Due to the film's lackluster box office performance, Disney quietly canceled both a spin-off television series and an underwater attraction at its Disneyland theme park. Some critics praised it as a unique departure from typical Disney animated features, while others disliked it due to the unclear target audience and absence of songs. Atlantis was nominated for a number of awards, including seven Annie Awards, and won Best Sound Editing at the 2002 Golden Reel Awards. The film was released on VHS and DVD on January 29, 2002; the Blu-ray released on June 11, 2013. Atlantis is considered to be a cult favorite, due in part to Mignola's unique artistic influence. A direct-to-video sequel, Atlantis: Milo's Return, was released in 2003.

Plot

Many centuries ago, a large tidal wave triggered by a distant explosion threatens to drown the island of Atlantis. In the midst of an evacuation from the capital city, the Queen of Atlantis is caught by a strange, hypnotic blue light and lifted up into the "Heart of Atlantis", a powerful crystal protecting the city. The crystal consumes her and creates a dome barrier that protects the city's innermost district. She leaves behind her young daughter, Princess Kida, as the island sinks beneath the ocean.

In 1914, Milo Thatch, a cartographer and linguist at the Smithsonian Institution who is marginalized for his research on Atlantis, believes that he has found The Shepherd's Journal, an ancient manuscript that contains directions to the lost island. After the museum board declines his proposal to search for the journal, a mysterious woman, Helga Sinclair, introduces Milo to Preston B. Whitmore, an eccentric millionaire. Whitmore has already funded a successful effort to retrieve the journal as repayment of a debt to Milo's grandfather, recruiting Milo to lead an expedition to Atlantis, as soon as he receives it.

The expedition departs with a team of specialists led by Commander Lyle Rourke, who also led the journal recovery expedition. The crew includes Vinny Santorini, a demolitions expert; Mole Molière, a geologist; Dr. Joshua Sweet, a medical officer; Audrey Ramirez, a mechanic; Mrs. Wilhelmina Packard, a radio operator; and Cookie Farnsworth, a mess cook. They set out in the "Ulysses", a massive submarine. During the journey, they are attacked by the monstrous Leviathan, a robotic lobster-like creature that guards Atlantis' entrance. The "Ulysses" is subsequently destroyed, but Milo, Rourke, and part of the crew escape by making their way to an underground cavern, described in the journal as the entrance to Atlantis.

After traveling through a network of caves and a dormant volcano, the team reaches the borders of Atlantis. They are greeted by Kida who resembles a young woman and discover that the Atlantean language is the basis of many existing languages. Kida enlists Milo's aid in deciphering the Atlantean written language, long forgotten by the natives. By swimming deep within the city's submerged ruins and translating underwater murals, Milo helps Kida uncover the nature of the Heart of Atlantis: it supplies the Atlanteans with power and longevity through the crystals worn around their necks. He is surprised this is not mentioned in the journal, but recalls that a page is missing.

Returning to the surface with Kida, Milo discovers Rourke has the missing page. Rourke and the crew betray Milo, intending to bring the crystal to the surface and sell it. Rourke mortally wounds the King of Atlantis while trying to extract information about the crystal's location, but finds its location for himself hidden beneath the King's throne room. The crystal detects a threat before merging with Kida. Rourke and the mercenaries lock Kida in a crate and prepare to leave the city. Knowing that when the crystal is gone the Atlanteans will die, Milo berates his friends for betraying their consciences, and ultimately convinces them to leave Rourke and remain in Atlantis. The King explains to Milo that the crystal has developed a consciousness; it thrives on the collective emotions of the Atlanteans and provides power, protection and longevity in return. It will find a royal host when Atlantis is in danger. He then reveals that the sinking of Atlantis was caused when he attempted to use it as a weapon of war. As he dies he gives his crystal to Milo, telling him to save Atlantis and Kida. Encouraged by Sweet, Milo rallies the crew, and the Atlanteans to stop Rourke.

In the ensuing battle inside the volcano, Helga and the other mercenaries including Rourke are all killed. Milo and the others successfully fly the crystal back to the city, as the volcano erupts. With lava flowing towards the city, Kida (in her crystal form) rises into the air and creates a protective shield. The lava breaks away harmlessly, showing a restored Atlantis, and the crystal returns Kida to Milo. The surviving crew members return to the surface and promise to keep the discovery of Atlantis a secret. Having fallen in love with Kida, Milo stays behind to help her rebuild the lost empire.

Cast

A penciled production sketch showing a man (Milo) on the left embracing a woman (Kida) on the right. A horizontal line is visible on the bottom of the page depicting a reference line for the CinemaScope frame of the drawing.
Production sketch of Milo and Kida. Milo's character design was based in part on sketches of the film's language consultant, Marc Okrand.
External audio
Podcast interview about the film with cast members Phil Morris, Cree Summer, Don Novello, Claudia Christian, and Corey Burton.
Interview, from here retrieved July 3, 2012

Production

Development

A picture of a partially illuminated underground cave with a jagged rock ceiling and a walkway extended into the cavern.
The production team visited New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns to get a sense of the underground spaces depicted in the film.

The idea for Atlantis: The Lost Empire was conceived in October 1996 when Don Hahn, Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise, and Tab Murphy lunched at a Mexican restaurant in Burbank, California. Having recently completed The Hunchback of Notre Dame[19] the producer and directors wanted to keep the Hunchback crew together for another film with an Adventureland setting.[20] Drawing inspiration from Jules Verne's A Journey to the Center of the Earth (1864), they set out to make a film which would fully explore Atlantis (compared to the brief visit depicted in Verne's novel).[21] While primarily utilizing the Internet to research the mythology of Atlantis,[22] the filmmakers became interested in the clairvoyant readings of Edgar Cayce and decided to incorporate some of his ideas—notably that of a mother-crystal which provides power, healing, and longevity to the Atlanteans—into the story.[23] They also visited museums and old army installations to study the technology of the early 20th century (the film's time period), and traveled 800 feet underground in New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns to view the subterranean trails which would serve as a model for the approach to Atlantis in the film.[24]

The filmmakers wanted to avoid the common depiction of Atlantis as "crumbled Greek columns underwater", said Wise.[25] "From the get-go, we were committed to designing it top to bottom. Let's get the architectural style, clothing, heritage, customs, how they would sleep, and how they would speak. So we brought people on board who would help us develop those ideas."[26] Art director David Goetz stated, "We looked at Mayan architecture, styles of ancient, unusual architecture from around the world, and the directors really liked the look of Southeast Asian architecture."[27] The team later took ideas from other architectural forms, including Cambodian, Indian, and Tibetan works.[28] Hahn added, "If you take and deconstruct architecture from around the world into one architectural vocabulary, that's what our Atlantis looks like."[29] The overall design and circular layout of Atlantis were also based on the writings of Plato,[28] and his quote "in a single day and night of misfortune, the island of Atlantis disappeared into the depths of the sea"[30] was influential from the beginning of production.[19] The crew wore T-shirts which read "ATLANTIS—Fewer songs, more explosions" due the film's plan as an action-adventure (unlike previous Disney animated features, which were musicals).[31]

Language

A drawing of the Atlantean letter A which is a swirl with a dot in the center.
The Atlantean letter A, created by artist John Emerson. Kirk Wise noted that its design was a treasure map showing the path to the crystal, "The Heart of Atlantis".
Main article: Atlantean language

Marc Okrand, who developed the Klingon language for the Star Trek films, was hired to devise the Atlantean language for Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Guided by the directors' initial concept for it to be a "mother-language", Okrand employed an Indo-European word stock with its own grammatical structure. He would change the words if they began to sound too much like an actual, spoken language.[26] John Emerson designed the written component, making hundreds of random sketches of individual letters from among which the directors chose the best to represent the Atlantean alphabet.[32][33] The written language was boustrophedon: designed to be read left-to-right on the first line, then right-to-left on the second, continuing in a zigzag pattern to simulate the flow of water.[6]

The Atlantean [A] is a shape developed by John Emerson. It is a miniature map of the city of Atlantis (i.e., the outside of the swirl is the cave, the inside shape is the silhouette of the city, and the dot is the location of the crystal). It's a treasure map.
— Kirk Wise, director[34]

Writing

Joss Whedon was the first writer to be involved with the film, but soon left to work on other Disney projects. According to him, he "had not a shred" in the movie.[35] Tab Murphy completed the screenplay, stating that the time from initially discussing the story to producing a script that satisfied the film crew was "about three to four months".[36] The initial draft was 155 pages, much longer than a typical Disney film script (which usually runs 90 pages). When the first two acts were timed at 120 minutes, the directors cut characters and sequences and focused more on Milo. Murphy said that he created the centuries-old Shepherd's Journal because he needed a map for the characters to follow throughout their journey.[37] A revised version of the script eliminated the trials encountered by the explorers as they navigated the underground caves to Atlantis. This gave the film a faster pace, because Atlantis is discovered earlier in the story.[38]

The directors often described the Atlanteans using Egypt as an example. When Napoleon wandered into Egypt, the people had lost track of their once-great civilization. They were surrounded by artifacts of their former greatness but somehow unaware of what they meant.

—Don Hahn, producer[39]

The character of Milo J. Thatch was originally supposed to be a descendant of Edward Teach, otherwise known as Blackbeard the pirate. The directors later related him to an explorer so he would discover his inner talent for exploration.[40] The character of Molière was originally intended to be "professorial" but Chris Ure, a story artist, changed the concept to that of a "horrible little burrowing creature with a wacky coat and strange headgear with extending eyeballs", said Wise.[41][42] Don Hahn pointed out that the absence of songs presented a challenge for a team accustomed to animating musicals, as solely action scenes would have to carry the film. Kirk Wise said it gave the team an opportunity for more on-screen character development: "We had more screen time available to do a scene like where Milo and the explorers are camping out and learning about one another's histories. An entire sequence is devoted to having dinner and going to bed. That is not typically something we would have the luxury of doing."[26]

Hahn stated that the first animated sequence completed during production was the film's prologue. The original version featured a Viking war party using The Shepherd's Journal to find Atlantis and being swiftly dispatched by the Leviathan. Near the end of production, story supervisor Jon Sanford told the directors that he felt this prologue did not give viewers enough emotional involvement with the Atlanteans. Despite knowing that the Viking prologue was finished and it would cost additional time and money to alter the scene, the directors agreed with Sanford. Trousdale went home and completed the storyboards later that evening. The opening was replaced by a sequence depicting the destruction of Atlantis, which introduced the film from the perspective of the Atlanteans and Princess Kida.[43] The Viking prologue is included as an extra feature on the DVD release.[44]

Animation

A panoramic production still from the film depicting two distant figures standing atop an Atlantean building tower while overlooking a city and a vast lake of water with clouds in the background.
For comparison, the top image (panoramic view of Atlantis) is cropped to Disney's standard aspect ratio (1.66:1); bottom image was seen in the film (2.35:1).

At the peak of its production, 350 animators, artists and technicians were working on Atlantis[45] at all three Disney animation studios: Walt Disney Feature Animation (Burbank, California), Disney Feature Animation Florida (Orlando), and Disney Animation France (Paris).[46] The film was one of the few Disney animated features produced and shot in 70mm anamorphic format. The directors felt that a widescreen image was crucial, as a nostalgic reference to old action-adventure films presented in the CinemaScope format (2.35:1), noting Raiders of the Lost Ark as an inspiration.[47] Because switching to the format would require animation desks and equipment designed for widescreen to be purchased, Disney executives were at first reluctant about the idea.[26] The production team found a simple solution by drawing within a smaller frame on the same paper and equipment used for standard aspect ratio (1.66:1) Disney-animated films.[47] Layout supervisor Ed Ghertner wrote a guide to the widescreen format for use by the layout artists and mentioned that one advantage of widescreen was that he could keep characters in scenes longer because of additional space to walk within the frame.[48] Wise drew further inspiration for the format from filmmakers David Lean and Akira Kurosawa.[26]

The film's visual style was strongly based upon that of Mike Mignola, the comic book artist behind Hellboy. Mignola was one of four production designers (along with Matt Codd, Jim Martin, and Ricardo Delgado) hired by the Disney studio for the film. Accordingly, he provided style guides, preliminary character and background designs, and story ideas.[49] "Mignola's graphic, angular style was a key influence on the 'look' of the characters," stated Wise.[50] Mignola was surprised when first contacted by the studio to work on Atlantis.[51] His artistic influence on the film would later contribute to a cult following.[52]

I remember watching a rough cut of the film and these characters have these big, square, weird hands. I said to the guy next to me, "Those are cool hands." And he says to me, "Yeah, they're your hands. We had a whole meeting about how to do your hands." It was so weird I couldn't wrap my brain around it.
— Mike Mignola[51]

The final pull-out scene of the movie, immediately before the end-title card, was described by the directors as the most difficult scene in the history of Disney animation. They said that the pullout attempt on their prior film, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, "struggled" and "lacked depth"; however, after making advances in the process of multiplaning, they tried the technique again in Atlantis. The scene begins with one 16-inch piece of paper showing a close-up of Milo and Kida. As the camera pulls away from them to reveal the newly restored Atlantis, it reaches the equivalent of an 18,000-inch piece of paper composed of many individual pieces of paper (24 inches or smaller). Each piece was carefully drawn and combined with animated vehicles simultaneously flying across the scene to make the viewer see a complete, integrated image.[53]

A large model of a mechanical submarine perched atop a flat table mount.
Scale model of Ulysses submarine by Greg Aronowitz, used by digital animators as reference during production.[54]

At the time of its release, Atlantis: The Lost Empire was notable for using more computer-generated imagery (CGI) than any other Disney-animated feature. To increase productivity, the directors had the digital artists work with the traditional animators throughout the production. Several important scenes required heavy use of digital animation: the Leviathan, the Ulysses submarine and sub-pods, the Heart of Atlantis, and the Stone Giants.[55] During production, after Matt Codd and Jim Martin designed the Ulysses on paper, Greg Aronowitz was hired to build a scale model of the submarine, to be used as a reference for drawing the 3D Ulysses.[54] The final film included 362 digital-effects shots, and computer programs were used to seamlessly join the 2D and 3D artwork.[56] One scene that took advantage of this was the "sub-drop" scene, where the 3D Ulysses was dropped from its docking bay into the water. As the camera floated toward it, a 2D Milo was drawn to appear inside, tracking the camera. The crew noted that it was challenging to keep the audience from noticing the difference between the 2D and 3D drawings when they were merged.[57] The digital production also gave the directors a unique "virtual camera" for complicated shots within the film. With the ability to operate in the z-plane, this camera moved through a digital wire-frame set; the background and details were later hand-drawn over the wire frames. This was used in the opening flight scene through Atlantis and the submarine chase through the undersea cavern with the Leviathan in pursuit.[58]

Music and sound

Since the film would not feature any songs, the directors hired James Newton Howard to compose the score. Approaching it as a live-action film, Howard decided to have different musical themes for the cultures of the surface world and Atlantis. In the case of Atlantis, Howard chose an Indonesian orchestral sound incorporating chimes, bells, and gongs. The directors told Howard that the film would have a number of key scenes without dialogue; the score would need to convey emotionally what the viewer was seeing on screen.[59]

Gary Rydstrom and his team at Skywalker Sound were hired for the film's sound production.[60] Like Howard, Rydstrom employed different sounds for the two cultures. Focusing on the machine and mechanical sounds of the early industrial era for the explorers, he felt that the Atlanteans should have a "more organic" sound utilizing ceramics and pottery. The sound made by the Atlantean flying-fish vehicles posed a particular challenge. Rydstrom revealed that he was sitting at the side of a highway recording one day when a semi-truck drove by at high speed. When the recording was sped up on his computer he felt it sounded very organic, and that is what is heard within the film. Rydstrom created the harmonic chiming of the Heart of Atlantis by rubbing his finger along the edge of a champagne flute, and the sound of sub-pods moving through water with a water pick.[61]

Release

Promotion

Atlantis was among Disney's first major attempts to utilize internet marketing. The film was promoted through Kellogg's, which created a website with mini-games and a movie-based video game give-away for UPC labels from specially marked packages of Atlantis breakfast cereal.[45] The film was one of Disney's first marketing attempts through mobile network operators, and allowed users to download games based on the film.[62] McDonald's (which had an exclusive licensing agreement on all Disney releases) promoted the film with Happy Meal toys, food packaging and in-store decor. The McDonald's advertising campaign involved television, radio, and print advertisements beginning on the film's release date.[63] Frito-Lay offered free admission tickets for the film on specially marked snack packages.[64]

Box office

Before the film's release, reporters speculated that it would have a difficult run due to competition from DreamWorks' Shrek (a wholly CGI feature) and Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (an action-adventure film from Paramount Pictures). Regarding the market's shift from traditional animation and competition with CGI films, Kirk Wise said, "Any traditional animator, including myself, can't help but feel a twinge. I think it always comes down to story and character, and one form won't replace the other. Just like photography didn't replace painting. But maybe I'm blind to it."[56] Jeff Jensen of Entertainment Weekly noted that CGI films (such as Shrek) were more likely to attract the teenage demographic typically not interested in animation, and called Atlantis a "marketing and creative gamble".[65]

Atlantis: The Lost Empire had its world premiere at Disney's El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, California on June 3, 2001[66] and a limited release in New York City and Los Angeles on June 8; a wider release followed on June 15.[3][56] At the premiere, Destination: Atlantis was on display, featuring behind-the-scenes props from the film and information on the legend of Atlantis with video games, displays, laser tag, and other attractions. The Aquarium of the Pacific also loaned a variety of fish for display within the attraction.[67] With a budget of $100 million,[2] the film opened at #2 on its debut weekend, earning $20.3 million in 3,011 theaters.[68] The film's international release began September 20 in Australia and other markets followed suit.[69] During its 25-week theatrical run, Atlantis: The Lost Empire grossed over $186 million worldwide ($84 million from the United States and Canada).[3] Responding to its disappointing box-office performance, Thomas Schumacher, then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, said, "It seemed like a good idea at the time to not do a sweet fairy tale, but we missed."[70]

Home media

Atlantis: The Lost Empire was released on VHS and DVD January 29, 2002.[71] During the first month of its home release, the film led in VHS sales and was third in VHS and DVD sales combined.[72] Sales and rentals of the VHS and DVD combined would eventually accumulate $157 million in revenue by mid-2003.[73] Both a single-disc DVD edition and a two-disc collector's edition (with bonus features) were released. The single-disc DVD gave the viewer the option of viewing the film either in its original theatrical 2.35:1 aspect ratio or a modified 1.33:1 ratio (utilizing pan and scan). Bonus features available on the DVD version included audio and visual commentary from the film team, a virtual tour of the CGI models, an Atlantean-language tutorial, an encyclopedia on the myth of Atlantis, and the deleted Viking prologue scene.[71] The two-disc collector's edition DVD contained all the single-disc features and a disc with supplemental material detailing all aspects of the film's production. The collector's-edition film could only be viewed in its original theatrical ratio, and also featured an optional DTS 5.1 track. Both DVD versions, however, contained a Dolby Digital 5.1 track and were THX certified.[71][74] Disney digitally remastered and released Atlantis on Blu-ray on June 11, 2013, bundled with its sequel Atlantis: Milo's Return.[75]

Reception

Critical response

The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports that 49% of 140 professional critics have given Atlantis: The Lost Empire a positive review; the average rating is 5.5 out of 10.[76] The site's consensus is: "Atlantis provides a fast-paced spectacle, but stints on such things as character development and a coherent plot".[76] Metacritic assigned the film a weighted average score of 52 out of 100 based on 29 reviews from mainstream critics; this was considered "mixed or average reviews".[77] CinemaScore polls conducted during the opening weekend revealed the average grade cinema-goers gave Atlantis: The Lost Empire was an "A" on an A+-to-F scale.[78]

While critics had mixed reactions to the film in general, some praised it for its visuals, action-adventure elements, and its attempt to appeal to an older audience. Roger Ebert gave Atlantis three-and-half stars out of four. He praised the animation's "clean bright visual look" and the "classic energy of the comic book style", crediting this to the work of Mike Mignola. Ebert gave particular praise to the story and the final battle scene and wrote, "The story of Atlantis is rousing in an old pulp science fiction sort of way, but the climactic scene transcends the rest, and stands by itself as one of the great animated action sequences."[79] In The New York Times, Elvis Mitchell gave high praise to the film, calling it "a monumental treat", and stated, "Atlantis is also one of the most eye-catching Disney cartoons since Uncle Walt institutionalized the four-fingered glove."[80] Internet film critic James Berardinelli wrote a positive review of the film, giving it three out of four stars. He wrote, "On the whole, Atlantis offers 90 minutes of solid entertainment, once again proving that while Disney may be clueless when it comes to producing good live-action movies, they are exactly the opposite when it comes to their animated division."[81] Wesley Morris of the San Francisco Chronicle wrote positively of the film's approach for an older audience: "But just beneath the surface, Atlantis brims with adult possibility."[82]

Other critics felt that the film was mediocre in regards to its story and characters, and that it failed to deliver as a non-musical to Disney's traditional audience. Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a C+ rating, writing that the film had "gee-whiz formulaic character" and was "the essence of craft without dream".[83] Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times said the storyline and characterizations were "old-fashioned" and the film had the retrograde look of a Saturday-morning cartoon, but these deficiencies were offset by its "brisk action" and frantic pace.[84] Todd McCarthy of Variety wrote, "Disney pushes into all-talking, no-singing, no-dancing and, in the end, no-fun animated territory."[85] Stephanie Zacharek of Salon wrote of Disney's attempt to make the film for an adult audience, "The big problem with Disney's latest animated feature, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, is that it doesn't seem geared to kids at all: It's so adult that it's massively boring."[86] Rita Kempley of The Washington Post panned the film, calling it a "new-fashioned but old-fangled hash" and wrote, "Ironically Disney had hoped to update its image with this mildly diverting adventure, yet the picture hasn't really broken away from the tried-and-true format spoofed in the far superior Shrek."[87]In 2016, watchmojo.com ranked it as the 9th best sci-fi animated film.

Themes and interpretations

Several critics and scholars have noted that Atlantis plays strongly on themes of anti-capitalism and anti-imperialism. M. Keith Booker, academic and author of studies about the implicit messages conveyed by media, views the character of Rourke as being motivated by "capitalist greed" when he pursues "his own financial gain" in spite of the knowledge that "his theft [of the crystal] will lead to the destruction of [Atlantis]".[88] Religion journalist Mark Pinsky, in his exploration of moral and spiritual themes in popular Disney films, says that "it is impossible to read the movie ... any other way" than as "a devastating, unrelenting attack on capitalism and American imperialism".[89] Max Messier of FilmCritic.com observes, "Disney even manages to lambast the capitalist lifestyle of the adventurers intent on uncovering the lost city. Damn the imperialists!"[90] According to Booker, the film also "delivers a rather segregationist moral" by concluding with the discovery of the Atlanteans kept secret from other surface-dwellers in order to maintain a separation between the two highly divergent cultures.[91] Others saw Atlantis as an interesting look at utopian philosophy of the sort found in classic works of science fiction by H. G. Wells and Jules Verne.[92]

When the film was released, some viewers noticed that Atlantis: The Lost Empire bore a number of similarities to the 1990–1991 Japanese anime television program Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water and the 1986 film Castle in the Sky from Studio Ghibli, particularly in its character design, setting, and story.[93] Although Disney never responded formally to claims of plagiarism, co-director Kirk Wise posted on a Disney animation newsgroup in May 2001, "Never heard of Nadia till it was mentioned in this [newsgroup]. Long after we'd finished production, I might add."[94] Both Atlantis and Nadia were inspired, in part, by the 1870 Jules Verne novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, of which Lee Zion (reporting for Anime News Network) wrote, "There are too many similarities not connected with 20,000 Leagues for the whole thing to be coincidence."[95] Critics also saw parallels with the 1994 film Stargate. Milo's characteristics were said to resemble those of Daniel Jackson, the protagonist of Stargate and its spinoff television series Stargate SG-1—which coincidentally launched its own spinoff, titled Stargate Atlantis.[96]

Accolades

Award Category Name Outcome
29th Annie Awards[97] Individual Achievement in Directing Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise Nominated
Individual Achievement in Storyboarding Chris Ure Nominated
Individual Achievement in Production Design David Goetz Nominated
Individual Achievement in Effects Animation Marlon West Nominated
Individual Achievement in Voice Acting – Female Florence Stanley Nominated
Individual Achievement in Voice Acting – Male Leonard Nimoy Nominated
Individual Achievement for Music Score James Newton Howard Nominated
2002 DVD Exclusive Awards[98] Original Retrospective Documentary Michael Pellerin Nominated
2002 Golden Reel Award[99] Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature Film Gary Rydstrom, Michael Silvers, Mary Helen Leasman, John K. Carr, Shannon Mills, Ken Fischer, David C. Hughes, and Susan Sanford Won
Online Film Critics Society Awards 2001[100] Best Animated Feature Nominated
2002 Political Film Society[101] Democracy Nominated
Human Rights Nominated
Peace Nominated
World Soundtrack Awards[102] Best Original Song for Film Diane Warren and James Newton Howard Nominated
Young Artist Awards[103] Best Feature Family Film – Drama Walt Disney Feature Animation Nominated

Related works

Atlantis: the Lost Empire was meant to provide a springboard for an animated television series entitled Team Atlantis, which would have presented the further adventures of its characters. However, because of the film's under-performance at the box office the series was not produced. On May 20, 2003, Disney released a direct-to-video sequel called Atlantis: Milo's Return, consisting of three episodes planned for the aborted series.[104] In addition, Disneyland planned to revive its Submarine Voyage ride with an Atlantis theme with elements from the movie and the ride was promoted with a meet-and-greet by the movie's characters. These plans were canceled and the attraction was re-opened in 2007 as the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage, its theme based on the 2003 Disney·Pixar animated film Finding Nemo.[105]

Soundtrack

Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Soundtrack album by James Newton Howard
Released May 22, 2001 (2001-05-22)
Length 53:56
Label Walt Disney
Producer James Newton Howard
Jim Weidman

The soundtrack to Atlantis: The Lost Empire was released on May 22, 2001. It consists primarily of James Newton Howard's score and includes "Where the Dream Takes You", written by Howard and Diane Warren and performed by Mýa. It was also available in a limited edition of 20,000 numbered copies with a unique 3D album cover insert depicting the Leviathan from the film. A rare promotional edition (featuring 73 minutes of material, compared to the 53 minutes on standard commercial editions) was intended only for Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences voters, but was bootlegged and distributed with fan-created artwork. Concerning the promotional edition, Filmtracks said, "Outside of about five minutes of superior additional material (including the massive opening, "Atlantis Destroyed"), the complete presentation is mostly redundant. Still, Atlantis is an accomplished work for its genre."[106]

Video games

Reception
Aggregate scores
AggregatorScore
GameRankings(PS) 73.83%[107]
(GBC) 64.50%[108]
(GBA) 55.86%[109]
Metacritic(PS) 73/100[110]
(GBA) 51/100[111]
Review scores
PublicationScore
AllGame(PS) [112]
(GBA) [113]
CVG(GBA) 4/10[114]
EGM(PS) 7/10[115]
Game Informer(GBA) 7.25/10[116]
Game Revolution(PS) B−[117]
GameZone(GBA) 7.8/10[118]
IGN(PS) 7.5/10[119]
Nintendo Power(GBC) [120][121]
OPM (US)[122]

There are several video games based on the film. Atlantis The Lost Empire: Search for the Journal (commonly known as Atlantis: Search for the Journal) was developed by Zombie Studios and published by Buena Vista Games, a subsidiary of Disney Interactive. It was released on May 1, 2001, for the Microsoft Windows platform and was a first-person shooter game, the first of two games based on the film developed by Zombie Studios and released for UPC labels from Kellogg's products for promotion.[123][124] Atlantis: The Lost Empire—Trial by Fire (commonly known as Atlantis: Trial by Fire) was the second game developed by Zombie Studios and published by Disney Interactive, and was released May 18, 2001, for the Microsoft Windows platform.[125]

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an action game developed by Eurocom for the PlayStation console which was released June 14, 2001. The player controls Milo, Audrey, Molière, and Vinny as they traverse Atlantis, unlocking its secrets. Some features in the game unlock others (such as a movie) by finding items hidden throughout the game.[119] THQ released Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire for the Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Color. It is a platform game in which the player controls Milo and three other characters from the film across 14 levels on a quest to discover Atlantis.[126][127] The game was met with average to mixed reviews upon release. GameRankings and Metacritic gave it a score of 74% and 73 out of 100 for the PlayStation version;[107][110] 65% for the Game Boy Color version;[108] and 56% and 51 out of 100 for the Game Boy Advance version.[109][111]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Since the estimated budget has a range, the officially reported budget of $100 million cited by The New York Times from Disney executives is used within this article's prose for clarity.

References

  1. ↑ "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". The-Numbers. Nash Information Services. Retrieved January 6, 2012.
  2. 1 2 Lyman, Rick; Fabrikant, Geraldine (May 21, 2001). "Suddenly, High Stakes for Disney's Film and TV Businesses". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2011. Besides, Disney executives maintain that they have made it easier for their animated features to break even by a cost-cutting campaign that made Atlantis, which cost 0 million, about 5 percent cheaper to produce than the studio's other recent animated efforts.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  4. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 0:20–0:56
  5. ↑ "Movie Preview: Atlantis (2001)". Entertainment Weekly. May 14, 2001. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  6. 1 2 Wloszczyna, Susan (May 24, 2001). "New Movie Trek for Wordsmith". USA Today. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  7. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 3:50–4:31
  8. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 2:32–2:50
  9. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 7:18–7:47
  10. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 8:20–9:13
  11. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 10:18–10:39
  12. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 5:59–6:07
  13. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 9:38–9:51
  14. ↑ Kurtti 2001, p. 15.
  15. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 4:55–5:07
  16. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 10:45–11:31
  17. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 6:55–7:10
  18. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: The Voices of Atlantis at 3:00–3:43
  19. 1 2 Kurtti 2001, p. 9.
  20. ↑ Supplemental Features: History: The Journey Begins at 0:08–3:05
  21. ↑ Supplemental Features: Story and Editorial: Finding the Story at 3:24–3:57
  22. ↑ Supplemental Features: History: Creating Mythology at 0:30–1:10
  23. ↑ Supplemental Features: History: Creating Mythology at 3:48–4:20
  24. ↑ Supplemental Features: Art Direction: Designing Atlantis at 5:42–9:18
  25. ↑ Supplemental Features: Art Direction: Designing Atlantis at 9:30–9:33
  26. 1 2 3 4 5 Henn, Peter (June 1, 2001). "Finding Atlantis". Film Journal International. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  27. ↑ Supplemental Features: Art Direction: Designing Atlantis at 9:50–10:02
  28. 1 2 Kurtti 2001, p. 55.
  29. ↑ Supplemental Features: Art Direction: Designing Atlantis at 10:37–10:44
  30. ↑ Plato c. 360 BCE, Timaeus, Sections 25c–d. "But at a later time there occurred portentous earthquakes and floods, and one grievous day and night befell them, when the whole body of your warriors was swallowed up by the earth, and the island of Atlantis in like manner was swallowed up by the sea and vanished."
  31. ↑ Supplemental Features: History: The Journey Begins at 5:28–5:40
  32. ↑ Supplemental Features: History: Creating Mythology at 5:20–5:47
  33. ↑ Kurtti 2001, p. 40.
  34. ↑ Kurtti 2001, p. 82.
  35. ↑ Lavery 2011, p. 91.
  36. ↑ West, Rick (June 14, 2001). "An Interview Tab Murphy—Atlantis Screenwriter". Theme Park Adventure Magazine. LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  37. ↑ Supplemental Features: History: Creating Mythology at 5:58–6:18
  38. ↑ Supplemental Features: Story and Editorial: Finding the Story at 3:58–7:40
  39. ↑ Kurtti 2001, p. 50.
  40. ↑ Supplemental Features: Story and Editorial: Finding the Story at 2:55–3:24
  41. ↑ Messier, Max (June 12, 2001). "The Disney Industrial Complex and Atlantis: The Lost Empire". FilmCritic.com. AMC. Archived from the original on March 10, 2006. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  42. ↑ Audio Commentary at 17:12–18.00
  43. ↑ Supplemental Features: Story and Editorial: Finding the Story at 7:40–10:25
  44. ↑ Supplemental Features: Story and Editorial: Four Deleted Scenes—"The Viking Prologue"'
  45. 1 2 Raugust 2004, n.p.
  46. ↑ Moore, Roger (June 15, 2001). "The Art of Atlantis Doesn't Just Imitate Life, It Goes It One Better". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved August 9, 2011.
  47. 1 2 Supplemental Features: Animation Production: Setting the Scene at 1:10–2:28
  48. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: Setting the Scene at 2:30–3:17
  49. ↑ Supplemental Features: Art Direction: Designing Atlantis at 0:50–4:33
  50. ↑ Kurtti 2001, ap. 27.
  51. 1 2 Horvath, Stu (July 6, 2008). "Mike Mignola, Hellboy Creator, Didn't See Character's Success Coming". New York Daily News. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  52. ↑ Harris, Scott (November 29, 2010). "Disney's 50 Finest: In Order of Awesome". MTV Networks. Archived from the original on January 1, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2012. On the other hand, the movie does feature a great cast, including Michael J. Fox and James Garner, along with animation by legendary comic book artist and Hellboy creator Mike Mignola. Because of this last factor, Atlantis has become a bit of a cult favorite in some circles ...
  53. ↑ Supplemental Features: Animation Production: Setting the Scene at 9:44–11:26
  54. 1 2 Tracy, Joe (June 20, 2001). "An Inside Look at Destination: Atlantis". Digital Media FX Magazine. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  55. ↑ Supplemental Features: Digital Production at 0:09–4:45
  56. 1 2 3 Wloszczyna, Susan (June 14, 2001). "Disney Domain Is Under Siege". USA Today. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  57. ↑ Supplemental Features: Digital Production at 8:15–9:33
  58. ↑ Supplemental Features: Digital Production at 5:00–6:20
  59. ↑ Supplemental Features: Music and Sound at 5:00–8:45
  60. ↑ Audio Commentary at 1:50–2:10
  61. ↑ Supplemental Features: Music and Sound at 0:05–4:48
  62. ↑ Steinbock, Dan (2007). The Mobile Revolution: The Making of Mobile Services Worldwide. Kogan Page. pp. 158, 304. ISBN 978-0-7494-4850-9.
  63. ↑ "McDonald's Dives into Disney's Atlantis". QSR Magazine. Journalistic, Inc. June 11, 2001. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  64. ↑ Teninge, Annick (June 21, 2001). "Cheetos Lovers Get Tickets To Atlantis". Animation World Network. Retrieved April 23, 2012.
  65. ↑ Jensen, Jeff (June 22, 2001). "High Toon: As the high-tech Shrek becomes a surprising giant-size success, is the clock ticking for traditionally animated movies?". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  66. ↑ "World Premiere of Walt Disney Pictures' ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE – Update". Yahoo!. June 1, 2001. Archived from the original on June 15, 2001. Retrieved September 22, 2011.
  67. ↑ Moseley, Doobie (June 15, 2001). "Destination: Atlantis at the El Capitan". LaughingPlace.com. Retrieved September 1, 2011.
  68. ↑ "Atlantis: The Lost Empire Weekend Box-Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  69. ↑ "Atlantis: The Lost Empire International Box-Office". Box Office Mojo. Amazon. Retrieved July 6, 2011.
  70. ↑ Wloszczyna, Susan (October 31, 2001). "'Toons Get Their Very Own Oscar Category". USA Today. Retrieved September 2, 2011.
  71. 1 2 3 "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment. Archived from the original on June 24, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  72. ↑ McCourt, Judith (February 28, 2002). "DVD Sales Explode in January as VHS Wanes". Home Media Magazine. Retrieved August 29, 2011.
  73. ↑ Vancheri; Weiskind 2003 p. D–2 "Consider what happened with Atlantis: The Lost Empire. It earned $84 million at the box office and rebounded with another $157 million in DVD and VHS rentals and sales, according to Video Business."
  74. ↑ Rankins, Michael (May 8, 2002). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Collector's Edition". DVD Verdict. Archived from the original on July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  75. ↑ Latchem, John (March 28, 2013). "Next Wave of Disney Animated Blu-rays Coming Out June 11". Home Media Magazine. Retrieved March 29, 2012.
  76. 1 2 "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved July 16, 2011.
  77. ↑ "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  78. ↑ Drysdale, Rob (June 19, 2001). "Box Office Analysis: Lara Croft Raids the Box Office". The Trades. Retrieved September 21, 2011. Not surprisingly Atlantis scored a very nice set of A's from both men and women under 21 as well as men and women age 21 to 34.
  79. ↑ Ebert, Roger (June 15, 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  80. ↑ Mitchell, Elvis (June 8, 2001). "Atlantis: the Lost Empire (2001) FILM REVIEW; Under the Sea, Damp Hakuna Matata". The New York Times. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  81. ↑ Berardinelli, James (June 2001). "Atlantis Review". ReelViews.net. Retrieved July 4, 2010.
  82. ↑ Morris, Wesley (June 15, 2001). "Atlantis Is a Find, Disney Emphasizes Adventure over Cuteness, Romance and Song". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  83. ↑ Gleiberman, Owen (June 6, 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 27, 2008. Retrieved June 26, 2008.
  84. ↑ Turan, Kenneth (July 8, 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  85. ↑ McCarthy, Todd (June 7, 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Variety. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  86. ↑ Zacharek, Stephanie (June 15, 2001). "Atlantis—Disney's finally made a cartoon for grown-ups. What was wrong with the old ones they made for kids?". Salon. Retrieved August 13, 2011.
  87. ↑ Kempley, Rita (June 15, 2001). "'Atlantis': That Sinking Feeling". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 25, 2012.
  88. ↑ Booker 2009, p. 68.
  89. ↑ Pinsky 2004, p. 202.
  90. ↑ Messier, Max (June 12, 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". FilmCritic.com. AMC Networks. Archived from the original on February 6, 2012. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  91. ↑ Booker 2009, p. 69.
  92. ↑ Montalbano 2010, p. 183.
  93. ↑ Zion, Lee (May 15, 2001). "Probing the Atlantis Mystery". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  94. ↑ Patten 2004, p. 187.
  95. ↑ Zion, Lee (July 19, 2001). "Nadia vs. Atlantis, Revisited!". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  96. ↑ Sumner, Darren. "Review: Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Gateworld. Archived from the original on July 23, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2012. In 1994, Dr. Daniel Jackson decoded an ancient language and unlocked the secrets of the Stargate, sending him and a military unit across the universe to a lost colony of humans. And in 2001, he did it again – decoding the ancient Atlantean language to launch a quest to find the lost continent of Atlantis.
  97. ↑ "Legacy: 29th Annual Annie Award Nominees and Winners (2001)". International Animated Film Society. Archived from the original on July 25, 2011. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  98. ↑ "2002 DVD Exclusive Winners". Reed Business Information. Archived from the original on September 13, 2004. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  99. ↑ Benzuly, Sarah (June 1, 2002). "Black Hawk Down Among MPSE Winners". Mix. Archived from the original on September 20, 2012. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  100. ↑ "OFCS Awards for 2001 Nominees". Online Film Critics Society. Archived from the original on February 19, 2002. Retrieved August 31, 2011.
  101. ↑ "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Political Film Society. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  102. ↑ "Belgian Film Fest to Host World Soundtrack Awards". Billboard. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  103. ↑ "Twenty-Third Annual Young Artist Awards 2002". Young Artist Foundation. Retrieved August 30, 2011.
  104. ↑ Rankins, Michael (July 31, 2003). "Atlantis: Milo's Return". DVD Verdict. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  105. ↑ Yoshino, Kimi (June 11, 2007). "Disney Brings Submarine Ride Back from the Depths". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
  106. ↑ "Filmtracks: Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Filmtracks.com. May 21, 2001. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  107. 1 2 "Disney's Atlantis: The Lord Empire for PlayStation". GameRankings. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  108. 1 2 "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire for Game Boy Color". GameRankings. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  109. 1 2 "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire for Game Boy Advance". GameRankings. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  110. 1 2 "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire for PlayStation Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  111. 1 2 "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire for Game Boy Advance Reviews". Metacritic. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  112. ↑ Thompson, Jon. "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (PS) - Review". Allgame. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  113. ↑ Beam, Jennifer. "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (GBA) - Review". Allgame. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  114. ↑ CVG Staff (October 17, 2001). "GBA Review: Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Computer and Video Games. Archived from the original on February 9, 2008. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  115. ↑ EGM Staff (September 2001). "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (PS)". Electronic Gaming Monthly (147): 148.
  116. ↑ "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (PS)". Game Informer (100). August 2001.
  117. ↑ Liu, Johnny (June 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire Review (PS)". Game Revolution. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  118. ↑ The Badger (November 5, 2001). "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire Review - Game Boy Advance". GameZone. Archived from the original on October 6, 2007. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  119. 1 2 Zdyrko, David (July 17, 2001). "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (PlayStation)". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  120. ↑ "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (GBC)". Nintendo Power. 145. June 2001.
  121. ↑ "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (GBA)". Nintendo Power. 149. October 2001.
  122. ↑ "Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine. September 2001.
  123. ↑ Adams, Dan (April 2, 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire—Search for the Journal (PC)". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  124. ↑ IGN Staff (April 27, 2001). "CDs 'n' Cereal". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  125. ↑ Adams, Dan (June 7, 2001). "Atlantis: The Lost Empire—Trial by Fire (PC)". IGN. Retrieved August 8, 2011.
  126. ↑ "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". GameSpy. Archived from the original on November 10, 2005. Retrieved May 15, 2014.
  127. ↑ "Atlantis: The Lost Empire - Game Boy Color". IGN. Retrieved May 15, 2014.

Bibliography

Books

DVD media

Periodicals

  • Vancheri, Barbara; Weiskind, Ron (July 17, 2003). "Nemo-like Stories Pulling Folks into Animated Movies". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. D–2. 

External links

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