Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)

Written by Tab Murphy & David Reynolds
Directed by Gary Trousdale & Kirk Wise

I saw Atlantis in theaters; it was a double-feature with Tomb Raider. I know it’s an unpopular opinion, because people really seem to love this movie, but I am not one of them.

Milo: “Say WHAT?!?!”

For starters, nearly everyone in the film is unlikeable. Or, if they aren’t, they’re unbelievable. They’re also cliche. Rourke shows up, and it’s instantly obvious that he’s the bad guy. Milo is just...there, and he doesn’t really have a character arc, other than being proven right about Atlantis, which doesn’t even matter, as the returning team are keeping the discovery a secret. Kida is MUCH too trusting about this guy she just met (she literally goes from suspicious to WELCOME TO ATLANTIS Y’ALL in less than five minutes).

Milo and Kida having some political conversation

The animation quality isn’t very good, either. Instead of a smooth blend, it’s very easy to see when a CGI anything starts coming through the frame. The 2D animation isn’t any better. Besides having a weird style (based on artist Mike Mignola, the characters more look like they belong in the Doonesbury comic strip), the animation itself doesn’t look any better than what could be found on a Saturday morning cartoon.

Mostly, the problem is just that the film is BORING. It just goes on and on, with no end in sight. It’s really like Stargate, played at half-speed. I’m not saying I need production numbers (those also would have felt weird here), but 15 minutes shaved off could have helped.

But, probably not. This film’s flaws run much deeper, and, for the life of me, I don’t understand the cult following the film has.

FINAL GRADE: D