Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-25 15:46:59

*Highly* underrated

Now that I've finally seen this movie on DVD, I regret having been among the box office throngs who DIDN'T turn out to make it the success it deserved to be. "Treaure Planet" is truly wonderful! Granted, the concept of old, tall sailing ships flying about in the vacuum of space is dubious at best, but it's an odd creative choice that settles in quickly as the strength of the amazing visuals sets in. And that's just the beginning. "Treasure Planet" quickly develops a well-plotted story that is not only characteristic of most (if not all) animated Disney movies, but holds up remarkably well to Robert Louis Stevenson's original "Treasure Island." The characters are also surprisingly appealing, and the story of Jim Hawkins finding a sort of surrogate father in place of the dad he never had with John Silver, who, naturally, turns out to be the villain, provides a terrific and genuinely emotional character arc with which to anchor the rest of the story. As with all good movies, "Treasure Planet's" abundance of excellent story and character arcs are coupled with a perfect, very nautically-themed score by James Newton Howard (who, by and by, provided an equally great score for the equally underrated "Atlantis"). All in all, this is a movie that comes together far better than audiences obviously expected it to based upon the awkwardness of the theatrical trailers. I was among those audiences, myself, but my love of every other movie from Disney's recent past got me to take a chance on this one, and I was not disappointed in the least. Give it a shot, and I promise you'll enjoy "Treasure Planet" quite thoroughly!

thumpergirl03 2012-05-24 17:41:01

A okay but questionable movie

I have the VHS and have seen it about 5 times. Overall i thought it wasa pretty good film , but not the best animated film out there.*SPOILERS* As with every movie i noticed what i thought were a coupleof errors: First of all why didn't they give the morph a funnier name,instead of naming him what he is? Secondly why where Jim and his momthe only humans on the planet? And most importantly of all what's withthe relationship between Jim and Silver. It seems that one minuteSilver likes Jim, and the next minute he wants to kill Jim. I seriouslydon't get that.Overall i thought the animation was okay but not the best, and thecharacters were passable. Animation:6 Music:1 Characters:9

2012-05-14 20:32:58

A low point in Disney feature animation

Even more of a lowpoint for Disney animation than their troubled 70s-early 80s films, it's hard to think of a worse animated feature from the studio than Treasure Planet. It's one of those pitches that sounds like a really bad idea when you hear it - a sci-fi version of Treasure Island with galleons as spaceships and a cyborg Long John Silver - but which, when you see it, turns out to be even worse than it looked. It's from that period at the beginning of the century when Disney started to be running scared of the competition, changing their plans based purely on what their rivals were doing. Having turned Kingdom of the Sun, a half-completed epic drama into all-out comedy The Emperor's New Groove to compete with DreamWorks' Road to El Dorado, they then developed two animated adventures to counter the renewed threat of Don Bluth and his surprisingly good but hugely unsuccessful Titan AE. While Atlantis worked well enough until it reached its destination and fell foul of clumsy anime/New Age clichés, Treasure Planet never even gets off the starting blocks. It's colourful and very expensive looking without ever being particularly visually appealing, while despite a story by Pirates of the Caribbean writers, there's little wit here (a few verbal gymnastics from Emma Thompson's feline captain aside). Suspension of disbelief is a major problem - just how does everyone breathe in space? - but even bigger is the way the film confuses haste for excitement, in a constant rush that never allows it to create interesting characters or credible worlds as it races from one CGi heavy sequence to another, constantly throwing in uninvolving set pieces that are supposed to make you go WOW! but are more likely to evoke yawns as it trudges mechanically through a thousand animation clichés. Small wonder its failure sounded the death knell for traditional 2-dimensional animation at Disney for much of the rest of the decade.

2012-05-14 09:03:02

be afraid lilo and stitch...be VERY afraid.

this movie is good. SO good,u will want to watch it over and overagain,like i do. once i pop the dvd into my dvd player,there is no stopping me from wanting to watch it again....the movie has some REALLY cool characters in it.in fact some ofthem are SO DANG CUTE that u will be wishing that u could just pull them out of the screen and give them a hug.i feel that way about dr doppler,my favorite character.however,this movie may be scary to kids younger than 8 years oldbecause some of the pirate characters are kinda freaky looking(notably srcoop) and there are 5 pretty intense actionscenes (1:the scene where pirates burn down the benbow inn 2:thesupernova 3:the pirates taking over the ship 4:the scene where scroop is chasing jim 5:the scene where treasure planet is fixing to explode) see this movie if u r looking for something better than lilo and stitch. :D

Erwin 2012-05-13 11:34:55

Failed to match Japan Animation

I believe this movie is trying to look like Japan Animation. It has beensaid that Disney animators now adore Japanese Master such as HayaoMiyazaki.And I have to admit, "Treasure Planet" creator did a marvelous job toadaptthis 18th century story to "Star Trek"'s century (whatever you name it).Theimage of the ship flying in the sky is spectacular.But all the spectacular that the movie bring to screen is still no matchforJapan Animation ("Osamu Tezuka's Metropolis" and "Princess Mononoke", forexample). And I find the story not exciting either.I believe that Disney should back to its core competence, which is musicalanimation. I believe that Disney should give the audience another featurelike "The Little Mermaids", "Alladin", and "Pocahontas", rather thanspace-wanna-be movie like "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" and "TreasurePlanet".

2012-05-12 22:40:36

Brilliant and Flawed

I caught this on Disney Channel because, of course, no one saw it in the theatres. Watching it and then owning it, I both was surprised by its quality, and understood why it flopped.First, the good points. The animation is spectacular. Sheer visual beauty. And, in this age of computer animation, this may be the high point and last hurrah of hand-drawn characters: incredible "acting" by the hand-drawn characters. The expressions and shifts of expression managed by pencil and eraser have to be seen to be believed.Second, concept. This is the highest of high concepts, using a combination of eighteen-century elements and science-fiction technology in what must be described as pure mythology: it takes place in the impossible, a universe called "the Aetherian" where people can breathe in space-winds. It demands imagination and complete suspension of disbelief. The translation of Stevenson's classic to this mythological space is, simply, a treat.Third, addressing the issue of parental abandonment and preoccupation and its effects on teenage rebellion. Everybody knows Disney heroes have only one parent. But this is the first time I remember that that's explained this way: "Your father not the teaching sort?" "No, more the leaving and never coming back sort." Set against this, and without the Stevenson characters of Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney to distract, the bond that grows between Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver becomes the centerpiece of the movie. It also leads to some incredible moments whenever these two legends clash. At one point I blurted out, "He's going to kill him!"So these are the things which I loved. I did not like the compression of time on the Planet itself; I thought the palette of color used for the pirates was literally overshadowed by the backgrounds -- who was coloring this, Don Bluth? B.E.N. was mostly only distracting, but I think that could have been remedied if the Planetside scenes weren't so time-compressed. And you've got to love a character that uses the name Lupé in a sentence."I'm Still Here (Jim's Theme)" is my guilty pleasure song of the year. There's no one like John Rzeznik to capture the feelings of a rebellious and immature adolescent. Although, the chorus does invite you, if you can, to soar.It should be clear by now why this movie tanked. The good points I list above doomed this movie. Because who the heck would watch this? It's too scary and too deep for young kids. It's too high-concept for most grownups. Its attempts at kid-friendly humor clash with the attempt at integrity of vision. It's too fantasy for sci-fi fans. It's too spacy for fairy-tale fans. It's got too much old-fashioned ("outdated") hand-drawn animation for the cutting-edge CGI fans. It directly addresses the hearts of teenage boys who feel trapped and misunderstood: and what self-respecting rebellious kid is going to go see a Disney movie in the theatres?Exactly. No one. But they should watch it on DVD.

charlietuna 2012-05-05 14:09:24

Disney is still Dead

It is a sad day for us. At the very time technology has reached newheights, the writing has commensurately declined to new lows. TreasureIsland blends Robert Louis Stevenson and Robert Heinlein into something sowholly indistinguishable, as to be nothing short of sad. As my daughter satthere amazed by the cool boarding scenes, I could only secretly crumbleknowing that she would soon forget the visual candy, and have nothing of theliterature to bolster them with. Chalk another full length animated featureup for the Springer crowd.

2012-05-05 06:47:29

Amazing!!!

Treasure Planet was a positive surprise, and I am a big Disney-fan! Fantastic animation, good story. The music, well, it was a treasure itself found to hear the voice of John Rzeznik, his two songs are superb! The rest of the soundtrack suits the movie as well. What an adventure!Of course when you watch a Disney-movie you have got to keep in mind that it's a childrens' movie (basically that is) - so to the reviewers who claims Treasure Island to be unrealistic, sorry, but haven't you perhaps missed a great point here? (I mean: "What do they breathe?"!!)People have, of course, a right not to find the movie amusing, but it must be considered that it's a fantasy-movie. Fish don't communicate the way they do in Finding Nemo either, in "Fantasyworld" everything is possible!Another great classic from Disney!

Jessica 2012-05-03 21:56:12

Worth more than the credit everyone gives it...

Upfront, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie beyond what I thought I wouldtake from it. Being an animation major I can thoroughly pick apart mostmovies, especially what Disney puts out now-a-days. Unfortunately fortheir movie Treasure Planet, either it was ahead of itself ambitiously,or it was rumors that spread like wildfire (when it was being released)that killed it. Actually, that's why I didn't see this film until veryrecently, because of everyone's (and mine at the time) prejudiceagainst Disney features springing up amongst way too many viewers, andespecially for this film. I believed them that this film was terrible,and subsequently never got to see it until a week ago. Man, everyonewas wrong.I'll be honest, and give it its weak points: The main character (Jim)is quite blank and not very well developed. Which is bad because anaudience cannot connect to a flat, central character. Secondly, the CG(although very well stylized) I think didn't mesh as well with the 2Danimation as it should have. Other than that...you might pick apart afew other things about the movie (and no, the dialouge isn't that bad.it's a G rated movie...it's not supposed to be incredibly complex).Treasure Planet keeps pretty tight in line with the original classic,"Treasure Island", even when softening it down for a younger audience.I grew up with that story, and had no problem with the adaptation inPlanet. Also, this film contains two masterfully animated characters,John Silver and Dr. Dilbert Doppler (animated by two masters, GlenKeane and Sergio Pablos, respectively). If you're an animationenthusiast, these two are gold to watch (especially the pencil tests inthe special features on the DVD).This whole review is a little long-winded, but in closing, this movieis more than what was said of it. If anything dealt the killing blow inthis movie failing at the box office, it was everyone's bad word forit. Not true. Please see for yourself!

2012-05-03 13:59:58

Wow! What an awsome movie!

Treasure Planet is my Favorite beyond favorite movie! Wanna know why? Great animation , Great story ,and great characters! My favorite character is Jim Hawkins because he's so cool and he reminds me of myself. Whoever dosen't like this movie has promblems and should get phisical help! If your reading this and you hate Treasure Planet, listen to me , get off the internet and go to the doctor and get some help dude! Treasure Planet is a bomb ass movie and if you don't like it then that's your problem that you need to fix!

SonOfTheDesert 2012-04-29 02:23:49

Shows just how timeless Robert Louis Stevenson's book is.

When I saw the preview for this movie I hesitated to see it. TakingRobertLouis Stevenson's classic story about pirates and putting it into spaceseemed like an unnecessary gimmick.I saw the movie and thoroughly enjoyed it. It captured the spirit ofStevenson's story well. You felt for Jim Hawkins and his struggles. Youfelt the bond between Jim and Long John Silver. The special effects andspace setting may help to introduce a generation raised on Star Wars toStevenson's work.

2012-04-28 08:04:14

Brilliant adaptation

Disney brilliantly adapts Robert Lewis Stevenson's classic novel, Treasure Island, into Treasure Planet. Treasure Planet is futuristic and 1660's at the same time. It's a wonderful blend of action and comedy, and one a my personal favorites.

Omer S. Fancy 2012-04-25 15:02:33

Enjoyable

I had very poor expectations for this film and did not want to see it, buton the insistence of my younger brother went anyway. The plot itselfseemeda bit dull but it appears the film focuses more on character developmentthan the story. I must say that the characters were very well developedandthe relationships between them well defined. I was glad to see a movie forkids that provided a moral education as well. Definately worth taking thekids to see if they like fantastical adventures.

2012-04-25 11:15:53

Outerspace Skateboarding!

Wonderful movie! Lots of action - great animation - wonderful story! Adults and kids alike will enjoy this movie. It caters to kids older than 6 however, the younger ones may not stay as interested as it takes a bit of following to understand it. This is an awesome adaption of the book Treasure Planet! If you even remotely liked the book (and even if you didn't like the book) you should thoroughly enjoy this movie! It is a story of a boy who sets out to find Treasure Planet--and along the way finds much more! The little morph is my favorite!!-he can take the shape of anything and is adoreable!-I want one for myself!! I recommend this movie to all thrill seekers!1smileycat :-)

luv0817 2012-04-22 11:58:55

Great Film!!!

I LOVE this film. Treasure Planet, was not appreciated enough by thecritics and movie-goers. It is one of those Disney films that I believewill be a hidden treasure found in years to come. Maybe being a college student, still trying to find my own place is theworld is why this film is so appealing to me. But, moreover- it's auniversal feeling. It's something we all strive for; "finding areplace". From the acting (I LOVE EMMA... I knew it was her the moment I heardher voice) to visual art with whimsical creatures and enoughaction/adventure to keep you alert, this film is a true treasure initself.

quintesse 2012-04-22 02:01:40

Way better than expected

I must say I didn't have any hope left after seeing the IMDb score andreading some of the official critics that I would even remotely like thismovie. Fortunately the movie surprised me by being actually quite wellmadeat moments very funny. No, it's not a Disney classic but I can't evenremotely call this a bad movie, in fact I loved it!And to all the people pointing out the physical "impossibilities" likeoxygen in space and strange gravity I would suggest that you watch themovieagain and listen _carefully_ to the first part of the movie. You can hearthat they don't talk about space but about "the etherium" or somethinglikethat. You know what? This is a cartoon, it's not reality. Gofigure.

speedyspeaker 2012-04-19 13:19:57

pretty good!!

Thats one word for it: pretty good! well, just the other day, i saw it,and you know, its not a bad movie. in space time, it still follows thestory very well. for Jim's character, Joseph Gordon-Levitt matches himpretty well. And Brian Murray does just as good of a job for long JonhSilver. but space time for Treasure Island is not bad at all! I likedhow they "evolved" some things a notch or two. like the Hawkins stayedhuman, but like Dr. Doppler is a dog, and Arrow was made of stone, andthe captain was a female cat, Ben was a malfunctioning robot, andSilver was like a cyborg human. See, thats kinda cool. like there wasno ocean to move around in, but outer space itself, that where theydocked off, cool! but it was'nt the most perfect family movie, Disneycould have lay low on the "bathroom humor", but thats how Hollywoodgets its kicks, but there was'nt too much of it, don't worry. actionwas good, at the end: great! ooh... did i spoil it? music was not mytype of style, but was good, if you like rock-like music, fine. if youdon't, fine. anyway, it was a good movie over all, so maybe you shouldget it. yeah, maybe you should! if you want a good Treasure Island kickwith your kids!

2012-04-19 06:03:05

Treasure Planet - a story of determination and adventure!

As a single mother, this movie really touches me. It is the story of Jim Hawkins, a young man who desires to find himself amid the confusion that comes from watching his father leave and seeing his mother struggle to make ends meet. Jim is a strong character filled with emotions that range from anger to understanding, disapointment to determination. He has a passion for adventure, all the while hoping to accomplish something that will make his mother proud. In typical Disney fashion, the animation is stunning, the music is well done, and the story line remains strong through out the film. The character of Morph, an adorible shape shifting pink blob, is especially creative adding humor and fun to the movie. A Disney Classic for sure!!!

2012-04-17 04:35:01

4 stars for being enjoyable despite not my type of film

I could probably count the number of animated films I've watched on one and a half hands; I'm just not that keen on animation, or sci-fi, for that matter. So when the kids I was baby-sitting wanted to share their new favorite movie with me I wasn't really expecting much real enjoyment. I was in for a surprise. The over-all story was good, even if I'm not so crazy about wierd space creatures or violence. But it was really rather intelligent, perhaps thanks to the influence of Stevensen. I also loved the British touch Emma Thompson brought to her character(the types of films she's in is more in my line than Disney). I was certain it was her voice, and was delighted to see my recognition was correct at the end. Anyway, I still think the things kids are watching these days are way too violent and scary, and there were scenes I would think a little too intense for young ones, but there actually is enough in the film to keep someone like me amused. The characterizations were really well done, even if some of the story-line was a little thin in places. I only give it 4 stars because it still isn't my style of film, and however good isn't going to convert me to scf-fi or animation.:-)

janyeap 2012-04-16 15:09:07

Truly a cool fantasy escape for the family!

It's always fun watching one's favorite book characters come alive onscreen. Disney has done a super job with Robert Louis Stevenson's TreasureIsland adaptation. It's supercharged with bibliomania to engage, entrance,and warm the hearts of both kids and adults, space-age style whipped up withspellbinding galactic flavors! Rather hip and futuristic! Explosivelycolorful, impressively creative, and truly bewildering! My favorite Disneyanimated film this year! A treasure trove of amazing characters!I love the way the film starts – really ingenious... almost as if designedto pay homage to the good old pirate flicks. There are some very hilariousmoments in this flick (ooh, the talkative B.E.N. with his memory-chippedbrain – he's there to tickle the viewers to tears. And that blubbery pinkcreature that gushes out gas-noises will send the viewers to fits.) Oh yes,there are dour moments of ugly battles and terror storms, but most kids,familiar with Star Wars and Star Trek movies, would be able to handle thetakes. The viewers will have a spectacular joy ride (sky-surf included!)with Jim to uncover Captain Flint's loot of the 1000 worlds and attain hisrite of passage. Imagine an ancient ship steered by solar wind; and having interesting aliensas its crew to create all expected commotion, and swooping unimaginablespace creatures, such as the Mantabirds, hovering in space. The scenes arefilled with exuberantly gorgeous landscapes. Watch how the rebellious JimHawkins tackles the notorious cyborg (Long John Silver); observe how afeline looking Captain Amelia warms toward a dog-faced Dr. Doppler andB.E.N. Yep, I love their voices! Oops, I can definitely picture the kidsrushing off to Toys R'Us to seek out charismatic, mimicking Morph and B.E.Nafter watching this film. Love the characters! Truly the morphed blobsquatting on Silver's shoulder is so, so cool! If you are familiar with thelikes of Emma Thompson, Patrick McGoohan, Roscoe L. Browne, Martin Short,et. al, their animated characters are definite tell-tales of theirfamiliarly expressive real-life features – so awesome!. And their voicesare unmistakably recognizable – terrifically awesome with their characters. Terrific music scores from James Newton Howard and a nice catchy,kid-friendly Hawkin-Silver bonding piece by John Rzeznik. Absolutely a goodcombination of traditional hand-drawn and computer-generated animatedproduction that offers both classical and futuristic impressions at the sametime – very pleasing to the eyes! Yep, this is fun family entertainment -might scare the very timid, young tots in parts though!