Flashback Friday: Treasure Planet
Hello. It's weird writing an article not about Star Wars. However, what I will be writing about is science-fiction related. I will be talking about the 2002 animated feature film by Disney, Treasure Planet. This film, while receiving mixed reviews when it came out and was a box office dud, has slowly been gaining a cult following among people for its story, characters, and set pieces. I will give my thoughts on the film, the basic overview of the plot, and what is the film's legacy.
First, let's briefly go over the plot of the story. This film is a science-fiction retelling of the classic Robert Louis Stevenson novel, Treasure Island. At first mention of that, you are probably thinking, well how the hell does that work? Well, you have to realize that Disney for years has taken inspiration for some of its most popular movies from classic tales. I mean, the Lion King was a kid-friendly version of Hamlet. However, as far as the sci-fi setting is concerned, I imagine it was Disney trying to do something different. This wasn't their first sci-fi film as there was Atlantis the Lost Empire a year before. However, Disney was never known for work in the genre so I imagine they were trying to update the original source material with something "cool" for the younger generation back then.
Otherwise, you still have the basic overall story of Treasure Island. It follows the adventure of Jim Hawkins, a young, trouble-making boy who goes off an quest aboard a ship the Liberty to find a lost treasure. Along the way, he befriends some of the crew, including the chef, John Silver, and finds out more about himself, his legacy, and of the treasure. Throughout the journey, Jim comes across new, interesting characters, there is action, betrayal, suspense and a emotional resolution when the crew finds the treasure, which is about the size of a planet.
So, how are the characters? Well, Jim, who is voiced by a young Joseph Gordon Levitt, is your typical young trouble-making juvenile who wants to leave home and go on for an adventure. His single mother is trying her best to raise him, which, I'll give this movie credit, actually shows what happens to his father. He leaves, like abandons them. That is dark and really realistic for a Disney movie. Cudos. Anyway, some of the side characters are likeable I suppose. John Silver is a lot of fun, plus he's a cyborg, so there's that added bonus. There's a bumbling doctor named Doppler who is a friend of Jim's mother who is asked to accompany him on the journey. There's the stereotypical no-nonsense who warms up to everyone at the end of the film captain named Amelia.
There's also sidekicks in this movie, of course, it is Disney. There's a small morph-like creature that Silver owns called, well, Morph, who I admit, is really adorable. There is also towards the end of the movie a bumbling robot named B.E.N. voiced by legendary comedian Martin Short. He has memory-loss but claims to know how to find the treasure. There is also two bad guys in the movie. One is a massive spoiler which I won't reveal. The other is a member of the crew named Scroop who wants the treasure all to himself.
So by now you're probably thinking that I hate this movie and that this movie is nothing but a pandering, dated, retelling of a classic story. Well, I won't go that far. I remember actually seeing this movie in the theaters when this came out and loving the hell out of this movie. However, while I haven't really seen the movie much since then, I can look back from a different perspective about the film. Is the film perfect, no. Is is a bad movie, no, I don't think so. Even though the characters aren't nothing new, they are still likeable. Silver, like I said earlier is still a good character and forms a good bond with Jim, who, isn't a bad character either who does have a good excuse for being who he is. The rest of the sidekicks serve their purpose and do have their moments. I'll admit, B.E.N., the robot can be a little annoying and was most likely created to please younger kids. However, unlike another character, (cough cough, Jar Jar cough cough) he actually served as an integral part to reaching the main goal in the film.Scroop is a generic, forgettable villain but the other villain is actually really-well down. I wish I can tell you he it is but I'm trying to promote the film here.
Now, was the science-fiction setting really necessary? No, it wasn't. Disney could have made an animated film based on the traditional Treasure Island setting. However, like I said, Disney likes to adapt stories different ways to try and appease the kids and science-fiction was very popular at the time. To be honest, I kind of like the setting of the film. The animation and the designs of the creatures, environments, and effects are all great and filled with a lot of creativity. Like I mentioned, while the story and characters are nothing original, the environments an setting of the film are. They do give the story a nice touch while also keeping the original spirit of the book in place.
So, what happened to the film. Well, like I mentioned, critics and audiences were divided on the film and it only made $109 million on a $140 million budget. What are some reasons for this? Well, it could be because of the doubt/discredit the film was getting at the time as well as the fact that the film came around the same time is Die Another Day, a James Bond film, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and the Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers.
Despite that, as I mentioned before, the film is slowing gaining more attention and a following over the years due to its interesting setting and take on the film. It was also nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in which it lost to Spirited Away.
So, what does this mean for the film as a whole? Well, much like Atlantis: the Lost Empire before it, the film is gaining more traction with moviegoers. While the film might not be for everyone and I can understand why people might not be that interested in it, I will actually say go out and check it out. Like I said, it's not perfect, but there was a lot of creativity and imagination put into the film. I know people wouldn't normally put this story in space but to my surprise, it doesn't hurt the film, it only serves as a strength of the movie.
