Barnes & Noble

One of Disney's most ambitious animated undertakings (reportedly 17 years in development), this Oscar-nominated adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic adventure was buried at the box office but is definitely worth discovering on home video. The basic story has captivated generations, fueling live-action versions by Victor Fleming in 1934 and Walt Disney in 1950, and even a puppet-action version in 1996 (Muppet Treasure Island), among others. In an attempt to avoid the box-office poison inherent in the words "pirate movie," Disney gave Stevenson's tale a futuristic spin, setting an alienated young man, Jim Hawkins, on a space-age collision course with aliens. It begins when Jim comes into possession of a virtual treasure map to the fabled Treasure Planet, said to hold "the loot of a thousand worlds." The film's Long John Silver is a cyborg (voiced by stage veteran Brian Murray), and he's at once nemesis and mentor to Jim -- with an artificial Cuisinart arm, to boot (he's also cook aboard the spaceship Legacy). David Hyde Pierce gives voice to family friend Dr. Doppler, a fussy, doglike creature, and Emma Thompson voices Legacy's formidable feline commander, Captain Amelia. Martin Short's marooned robot, B.E.N., is no match for Robin Williams's Genie, but he still generates most of the film's laughs. The animation, which seamlessly combines traditional hand-drawn characters and computer-generated backgrounds, is out-of-this-world. An opening solar board sequence is a universe beyond the tree-surfing shots in Tarzan. The DVD edition contains considerable plunder for animation buffs, including illuminating "visual commentary" by directors Ron Clements and John Musker (The Little Mermaid and Aladdin), and several segments that chart the film's evolution. Donald Liebenson

All Movie Guide

Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale of adventure Treasure Island gets a science fiction update in this animated feature from Walt Disney Pictures. Jim (voice of Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a young man who grew up reading tales of pirates and adventures on the high seas, and longs for similar excitement in his own life. One day, Jim happens upon a dying man who hands him a map and warns him to "Beware the cyborg" shortly before he passes on. Upon careful examination, Jim realizes the map charts the course to Treasure Planet, a distant world where hundreds of space pirates have stashed their loot. Jim is certain this is the adventure he's been dreaming off, and joins the crew of the spaceship R.L.S. Legacy and Captain Amelia (Emma Thompson) as they set out to find the fabled Treasure Planet. While Jim signs on along with his friend Dr. Doppler (voice of David Hyde Pierce), he soon becomes close friends with John Silver (voice of Brian Murray), who works in the galley but has big plans. Jim discovers just how big his plans are when Silver reveals he's part cyborg and all pirate, instigating a mutiny and attempting to take control of the ship. Despite his friendship with Silver, Jim refuses to take part in the mutiny, and soon finds himself attempting to defend law and order against a spacecraft full of reckless men. Treasure Planet's voice cast also includes Michael Wincott and Martin Short; Johnny Rzeznik from the rock group The Goo Goo Dolls contributed new music for the soundtrack. Mark Deming

Product Details

• UPC: 786936200027
• Source: WALT DISNEY VIDEO
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Vistavision (1.66:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: THX-Supervised Mastering, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français, Español
• Time: 1:35:00
• Sales Rank: 13,754

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