So I had the privilege of attending last night's New York City premiere of Disney's new feature lenght film "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". It was my first premiere and I loved it! It was such a thrill.
Now, onto the review. Disney is taking a huge chance on this movie for a number of reasons. First of all, it is NOT a musical. Much of the Disney name is based on the legendary soundtracks. Initially, I thought that the lack of music would make the movie seem a bit longer and not so Disney. But after seeing it, I thought that the absence of music was a great move. Even though I love such classic songs as "Under the Sea" and "A Friend Like Me", music might have made it a bit too kiddy. Nice job Disney.
Secondly, this movie is PG. It is NOT G and with good reason. There is a good deal of action (and those scenes are better than any part of "Pearl Harbor"). The partially CG, partially animated "Star Wars"-esque dogfights and chases truly are breathtaking, even to an adult. Yes, this movie might frighten some small kids, especially the scene with Leviathan and some of the climactic rumble(s). But overall, the kids in the audience weren't too frightened. The nice mix of humor for kids (and some for the adults too) helped to keep the balance of intense action and light hearted fun.
Lastly, this movie is not "Sleeping Beauty". This is not "Snow White". It isn't "Beauty and the Beast" or "Aladdin". But this is not nessesarily a bad thing. This is like the dark side of "The Little Mermaid." Disney pulled out a couple of the stops but for a reason. Yes, there is a bit of blood. It's not a gauging like the over pretentious "Gladiator", it's enough to convey real emotion. (Milo Thatch, "Atlantis'" main character, has more dimension as a 2-D cartoon than any scene involving Russell Crowe in "Gladiator"). This movie isn't the vibrant end of "Be Our Guest". The darker nature almost made you forget that this was an animated feature. It was very effective and finally someone at Disney realized it isn't all about selling t-shirts and plush toys. Bravo Disney, "Atlantis" surely won't sink
BTW, I got to meet Marty McFly himself, Mr. Michael J. Fox. Great guy, and the premiere did benefit his Parkinson's reasearch Center. Again, bravo to Disney, this was an incredibly generous move on their part.
