STORY SUBMERGES 'ATLANTIS'.Byline: Glenn Whipp Film Critic You've got to give the animation folks at Disney some credit these days for at least not repeating themselves. In the two years since their last animated musical, ``Tarzan,'' they've made the computer-generated ``Dinosaur,'' the silly ``Emperor's New Groove'' and now ``Atlantis: The Lost Empire,'' an action-adventure tale that owes more to the studio's old live-action movies like ``20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' and ``Swiss Family Robinson'' than it does its recent animated efforts. The problem is that none of these movies have really made much of an impression outside of some eye-popping animation. ``Atlantis'' remarkably merges conventional hand-drawn animation with computer-generated images more than any previous Disney film, but largely fails in terms of storytelling, character development and audience involvement. Given the potential of the subject matter and the resumes of the talent involved (directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale made ``Beauty and the Beast'' and ``The Hunchback hunchback, abnormal outward curvature of the spine in the thoracic region. It is also known as kyphosis and humpback, and in its severe form a noticeable hump is evident on the back. of Notre Dame''), the movie can't help but feel like a disappointment. The hero of ``Atlantis'' is Milo Milo, athlete of ancient Greece Milo (mī`lō) or Milon (mī`lŏn), fl. 500 B.C., athlete of ancient Greece, b. Crotona. Thatch (nicely voiced by Michael J. Fox), another in Disney's long line of lovably scattered scholars. Milo hopes to achieve his grandfather's dream and find the underwater city of Atlantis. His chance arrives when an eccentric tycoon (John Mahoney This article is about the British actor. For the U.S. court of appeals judge, see John Christopher Mahoney. John Mahoney (born June 20, 1940) is a Tony and Screen Actors Guild Award winning English/American actor known for playing the retired police officer father, ) steps forward with the cash, crew and machinery needed to take the perilous journey. The crew is a rag-tag bunch, improbable by 1914 standards, but plausible for dramatic license. Crusty commander Rourke (James Garner) leads the mercenaries, who include a laid-back explosives expert (Don Novello), a Latina mechanic (Jacqueline Obradors Jacqueline Obradors (b. October 6, 1966 in San Fernando Valley, California), is an American actress. She was born to immigrants from Argentina. She is best known for playing supporting roles in Six Days Seven Nights and A Man Apart ), an African-American doctor (Phil Morris), a Gabby gab·by adj. gab·bi·er, gab·bi·est Slang Tending to talk excessively; garrulous. gab  bi·ness n. Hayes-type cook (the late Jim Varney James Albert Varney Jr. (June 15, 1949 – February 10, 2000), better known as Jim Varney, was an American actor. He was best known for his character Ernest P. Worrell, originally created by Nashville advertising agency Carden and Cherry in the 1980s. ) and a Peter Lorre-like geologist. The team must overcome some ferocious underwater obstacles on the way to Atlantis, and, once there, deal with their own mixed motives about what to do with the famous lost civilization. Plot twists in this area are so obvious that your 5-year-old will probably be tugging on your sleeve within the movie's first few minutes, whispering how he sees everything playing out. And obviousness is the least of the problems. Milo is an appealing character, but his personal journey isn't particularly interesting. The secondary characters, with the exception of Novello's comic bomb specialist and Florence Stanley's crusty communications officer, are a dull bunch and most of the attempts at humor don't connect. Even worse, Atlantis itself, outside of an Ursula Andress-type princess, rarely manages to spark much excitement. While the filmmaking team should be commended for the beautiful blend of animation techniques, you wish that the six people who are credited with the movie's story had come up with something that went beyond the usual Disney cliches. Why, for instance, are Disney parents always killed? (Milo is an orphan; Atlantis' princess watches her mother traumatically disappear in the movie's opening moments.) Political correctness politically correct adj. Abbr. PC 1. Of, relating to, or supporting broad social, political, and educational change, especially to redress historical injustices in matters such as race, class, gender, and sexual orientation. is also a problem with a muddled, tedious plot point involving crystals and a heavy-handed environmental message that won't inspire anyone outside of Greenpeace. Given the tepid tep·id adj. 1. Moderately warm; lukewarm. 2. Lacking in emotional warmth or enthusiasm; halfhearted: "the tepid conservatism of the fifties" Irving Howe. recent results, maybe it is time for Disney to sing a new song. ``The Little Mermaid'' had a lot more going on under the sea than just about anything in ``Atlantis.'' ``ATLANTIS'' (Rated PG: action violence) The stars: Voices of Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Don Novello, Florence Stanley. Behind the scenes: Directed by Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. Screenplay by Tab Murphy with story by Wise & Trousdale, Joss Whedon Joss Hill Whedon (born Joseph Hill Whedon[1] on June 23, 1964 in New York) is an Academy Award-nominated American writer, director, executive producer, and creator/Head Writer of the well-known television series Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel , Bryce Zabel & Jackie Zabel and Murphy. Released by Walt Disney Noun 1. Walt Disney - United States film maker who pioneered animated cartoons and created such characters as Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck; founded Disneyland (1901-1966) Disney, Walter Elias Disney Pictures. Running time: One hour, 33 minutes. Playing: Playing exclusively for one week at the El Capitan El Cap·i·tan A peak, 2,308.5 m (7,569 ft) high, in the Sierra Nevada of central California. Its dramatic exposed monolith rises some 1,098 m (3,600 ft) above the floor of the Yosemite Valley. Theater in Hollywood. Expands citywide June 15. Our rating: Two and one half stars CAPTION(S): photo Photo: Michael J. Fox provides the voice of Milo Thatch, a scholar driven to find ``Atlantis: The Lost Empire.'' |
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