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Treasure Planet 2002 |
Review by Jonathan Cornwell |
Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker
PG, 95 min. (adventure action, peril) |
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Starring: Voices: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, David Hyde Pierce, Emma Thompson, Martin Short, Michael Wincott, Roscoe Lee Browne, Laurie Metcalf
Producer: Roy Conli
Screenplay: Kaan Kalyoun, Mark Kennedy, Sam Levine, Donnie Long, Frank Nissen
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Released: 11.27.02 (Wide) |
Rating:
 (out of ) |
I admit that Disney's latest effort, Treasure Planet, is extremely watchable, and, for the most part, will please most moviegoing
audiences. However, there's something inane about the whole production, like an itch in the back of your mind that won't
go away. You can't put your finger on it, but it's there just the same. Treasure Planet has all the typical Disney elements -
simple storytelling, attractive characters, an inviting musical score - but it lacks the magic that propelled epics like The Lion
King or Beauty and the Beast to classic status. The film is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, an renowned
piece of literature that is perfect for Disney recreation - Disney's own 1950 retelling is still viable. Thus the impetus for
their transforming the scenery, moving ships from ocean to outer space and replacing pistols with ray guns. It's a bold
revision, but it doesn't quite work.
This has been a busy year for Disney's Buena Vista division, with such efforts as Lilo & Stitch, Return to Never Land, Spirited Away,
and now Treasure Planet - and that's just the animated releases. The best of the bunch, and by a wide margin, is
Spirited Away, but that film is an import from Japan, thereby leaving Return to Never Land as a reluctant winner. I say
reluctant because none of these films produce a "wow" factor that many other Disney animated features in the past
accomplished. I'm not sure if the well has run dry of ideas, but a significant upgrade is much needed here.
The story moves from the earthbound adventures of Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) to outer space, where a legendary
planet full of the "treasures of the galaxy" exists. When Jim discovers a map in the hands of a pirate who has crashed near
his home, he embarks on a journey to follow the map's directions to the infamous pirate Flint's hidden treasure. His mother's
professor friend, Dr. Doppler (David Hyde Pierce), finances the trip. He hires cat-like ship captain Amelia (Emma Thompson)
and her dubious crew to take them to Treasure Planet. While on board Jim is subjugated to cabin boy under the watchful
eye of a cyborg, John Silver (Brian Murray). But Silver is planning a mutiny with the help of Skroopf (Michael Wincott), an
arachnid with a temper. Now it's up to Jim, Dr. Doppler, and Amelia to stop them from succeeding.
Supporting characters are provided by Silver's pet, Morph, a small changling, and B.E.N. (Martin Short), a whacky robot
that is missing some of its memory. They're mildy amusing, but it's not long before Short's voice begins to grate on the
viewer, and Morph becomes more of a nuisance than helpful.
The film's highlight is the relationship between Jim and Silver. Jim forms a close bond with Silver, who acts as the father
that abandoned him when he was young. Silver, although a pirate driven by greed, softens when Jim attaches himself to
his fatherly advice and instruction during the journey. It's this bond that is severly tested when it comes time for Silver to
lead his band of cut-throats to the treasure. This is a departure for a Disney film, which usually clearly defines its villains, but
the film does a commendable job of testing the bond that it has created.
Disney also makes history by combining two-dimensional foreground characters (painted) with three-dimensional CGI backgrounds,
thereby creating a startling contrast that can be distracting. However, most will appreciate the originality of the look, making
the film seem more authentic. A slow zoom to a spaceport in the sky is an impressive result of this technique.
Despite its many strengths, the problem with Treasure Planet is twofold. First, the characters and storyline seem stale
and predictable. Since we know the basic storyline beforehand, it's difficult to pinpoint the film's attractiveness. The visuals
are fine, but there has to be substance to make them worthwhile. Secondly, the whole idea of recreating the Treasure
Island story is shaky at best. There's really no reason to mess with Stevenson's definitive vision. Disney's decision to
greenlight the picture must have come more from a desire to experiment with new visual techniques than to offer anything outside
the normal confines of animated storytelling. In short, Treasure Planet is neat to look at, but its eye candy dissipates when
the story unfolds in a conventional manner.
© 2002 Jonathan Cornwell
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 |
 | Masterpiece - Film perfection |
 | Excellent - A Must See |
| Good - Highly Recommended |
| Fair - Worth seeing |
| Average - Viewable, but not recommended |
| Below average - View at own risk |
| Poor - Avoid at all costs |
| Very poor - An embarassment to the film industry |
| Zero | Awful - One of the worst films ever made |
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