Barnes & Noble

Disney takes another plunge under the sea for its most exciting animated extravaganza in years. No pop-fueled soundtrack. No cute animal sidekicks. No Broadway-bound song-and-dance showstoppers. Instead, Disney's 40th animated feature is a thrilling throwback to the studio's grand tradition of live-action adventures such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. It is also another awesome leap into uncharted realms of the imagination and state-of-the-art animation. (Disney recruited the services of famed comic book artist Mike Mignola to help design the production.) Michael J. Fox heads the voice cast as Milo Thatch, who repairs boilers in a museum basement while yearning to continue his grandfather's quest to find the legendary lost empire of Atlantis. He gets his chance when one of his grandfather's long-lost journals surfaces. An eccentric benefactor (voiced by Frasier's John Mahoney) funds an expedition crewed by a rogues' gallery of colorful characters serving under the imposing Commander Rourke (James Garner). The story may become a bit hard to follow for youngsters once Milo and company reach Atlantis (something to do with an ancient energy source); but they'll get the big picture when Rourke's true nature surfaces, Atlantis is threatened, and mild-mannered Milo gets in touch with his inner Indiana Jones. Atlantis earned a PG rating for its explosive action set-pieces, mildly risqué humor, and provocative character designs (most notably the bombshell Helga, Rourke's right-hand woman). As folksinger Donovan once sang, "Hail, Atlantis!"

All Movie Guide

The first Disney cartoon to be produced in the 70 mm format since The Black Cauldron (1985), this blend of traditional animation with computer-generated imagery is a straight adventure tale of the Jules Verne school, eschewing the studio's typical formula of cute critters mixed with song-and-dance routines. Michael J. Fox is the voice of Milo Thatch, a lowly museum employee and linguist in the early 20th century who's determined to continue his late grandfather's search for the lost, sunken empire of Atlantis. Bankrolled by eccentric millionaire Preston Whitmore (John Mahoney), Milo teams up with a diverse crew of mercenaries led by submarine commander Rourke (James Garner). After a sea battle with a giant denizen of the deep, the explorers locate the submerged civilization. Milo falls in love with Princess Kida (Cree Summer), the daughter of Atlantis' aged ruler (Leonard Nimoy), and must choose sides when it's revealed that some of his fellow expedition members intend to steal a mystical energy source from their hosts. Claudia Christian, Mark Hamill, David Ogden Stiers, Don Novello, and the late Jim Varney co-star. Although considered a shoo-in for a nomination in the debut year of the new Oscar category of Best Animated Feature, Atlantis: The Lost Empire faced stiff competition from other non-live-action entertainment in the summer of 2001, including Shrek, Final Fantasy, and Monsters Inc.. Karl Williams

Product Details

• UPC: 786936166095
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1), Cinemascope (2.35:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital, THX-Supervised Mastering
• Language: English
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:36:00
• Sales Rank: 1,508

Features:

DVD MENU