2001, Walt Disney Pictures
Animation
Rating: PG
Approx. 95 mins.
THE STORY:
It is 1914, and the closest Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox) has got to following in the footsteps of his Atlantis-obsessed explorer/ archaeologist grandfather is working in the boiler room of a museum. Until he gets fired. Then one day his prayers are answered when an eccentric benefactor who knew his grandfather appears and offers Milo the chance to join a mission in search of Atlantis.
The mission runs into trouble, and more than half of the crew are killed. Milo and his crew-mates continue their under-water journey, and eventually discover the lost land. The civilization has survived, but their culture is in danger of degeneration. The king's daughter, Princess Kida (Cree Summer), enlists Milo to decipher the ancient writings that no one can read any longer.
At the heart of Atlantis is a giant crystal that the people worship like a deity. The power of this crystal is transmitted to crystal pendants the Atlanteans wear around their necks, and this gives them life.
Milo is shocked when his companions reveal themselves to be mercenaries whose sole intention is to steal the crystal, return to land and sell it. Realizing this will result in the genocide, Milo tries to convince his closest his crew-mates to do the right thing. He succeeds and the result is an all out battle against their former leader, Commander Rourke (James Garner), and the soldiers still under his command.
The battle ends and justice prevails. The crew return to the surface with the exception of Milo, who stays behind to transcribe the ancient Atlantean writings and develop the romantic relationship that has begun between him and Kida.
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:
The mission runs into trouble, and more than half of the crew are killed. Milo and his crew-mates continue their under-water journey, and eventually discover the lost land. The civilization has survived, but their culture is in danger of degeneration. The king's daughter, Princess Kida (Cree Summer), enlists Milo to decipher the ancient writings that no one can read any longer.
At the heart of Atlantis is a giant crystal that the people worship like a deity. The power of this crystal is transmitted to crystal pendants the Atlanteans wear around their necks, and this gives them life.
Milo is shocked when his companions reveal themselves to be mercenaries whose sole intention is to steal the crystal, return to land and sell it. Realizing this will result in the genocide, Milo tries to convince his closest his crew-mates to do the right thing. He succeeds and the result is an all out battle against their former leader, Commander Rourke (James Garner), and the soldiers still under his command.
The battle ends and justice prevails. The crew return to the surface with the exception of Milo, who stays behind to transcribe the ancient Atlantean writings and develop the romantic relationship that has begun between him and Kida.
QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:
- None
VIOLENCE:
- YES! About 150 people die in the first half hour
- Lots of shooting and killing
- Several scenes that could be frightening for younger kids
TEACHING POINTS:
- Genocide is bad?
THE UPSHOT:
It has a very masculine feel, kind of like Indiana Jones meets a shoot-'em-up video game. The first half hour and last half hour are full of shooting, killing and dying. It's very sci-fi, which is absolutely not my forte, and the story is quite complex. There are also scenes in which you need to be able to read dialogue, so younger kids will need help or be lost.
The 5 year-old in the room was transfixed by the action, but missed a lot of plot points.
It's a Disney film, so, unfortunately, I have the usual issues. The 2 central female characters are highly, overtly, deliberately sexualized. One actually uses her feminine wiles (and anatomy) to persuade Milo to accompany her. They both spend the entire movie in skin-tight clothes that flatter their Barbie-like physiques, and Kida even strips down to a bikini in another very suggestive scene.
I actually really disliked this movie to the point that I wished the 5 year-old was not in the room for most of it. There is no positive message that isn't better expressed in other films, and in terms of entertainment value it just seems to anaesthetize you to violence. If, however, you are looking for an action movie for older kids who are very much into war games and/ or science fiction, Atlantis is the film for you.
The 5 year-old in the room was transfixed by the action, but missed a lot of plot points.
It's a Disney film, so, unfortunately, I have the usual issues. The 2 central female characters are highly, overtly, deliberately sexualized. One actually uses her feminine wiles (and anatomy) to persuade Milo to accompany her. They both spend the entire movie in skin-tight clothes that flatter their Barbie-like physiques, and Kida even strips down to a bikini in another very suggestive scene.
I actually really disliked this movie to the point that I wished the 5 year-old was not in the room for most of it. There is no positive message that isn't better expressed in other films, and in terms of entertainment value it just seems to anaesthetize you to violence. If, however, you are looking for an action movie for older kids who are very much into war games and/ or science fiction, Atlantis is the film for you.
1.5/5
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