Ever watched a Disney movie with a plot you couldn’t understand at first when you were young? Have you ever watched it again when you’re older and then now you understand what’s happening like, oh so that’s why they did that, or oh yeah that’s why that character decided to turn evil.
According to my brother and I agree with him on this: One of the Disney movies we both grew up with was Atlantis the Lost Empire, and it is a story we may have not understood until we were older. A story about a city on an island that had advanced technology, including a power source never seen before by mankind ever. Then one day an explosion causes a massive tidal wave to approach the city. If you look at the city as the wave approaches you can see a red light floating above with something rotating around it and, shining red search lights around the city. That is the power source. Then we focus on the royal family trying to evacuate, the red lights turn blue when it shines upon the Queen and she is pulled into the light above the city and is consumed by it. Then of course a shield goes up and the city sinks beneath the sea.
Then thousands of years later we go to 1914 where Milo Thatch dreams of discovering this sunken city and, eventually after receiving the journal that can help him find the city; He gets some help from a friend of his Grandfather to start an expedition to find Atlantis. Now of course throughout the entire journey it appears everyone is on the same side, minus the crew giving Milo a cold shoulder, until they camp below the glowing light that brings fireflies that can set things on fire. The most tragic moment of the journey would have to be when the submarine was destroyed by the Leviathan that guards the entrance to the city. Turns out that monster was actually a machine and if I am correct, the Atlantians may have built it to prevent outsiders from reaching them and finding their technology and life source. Not just the Leviathan they may have created but also other obstacles as well to prevent them from reaching the city like the fireflies for instance. I like how they are so protective over their home, but then as soon as we reach the city, enter Princess Kida who believes that outsiders can help them get a better life in the future.
Things may start to get complicated for young viewers at this point. Milo wishes to learn more about the power source of Atlantis and Kida wants to find out more about what happened in the past and, why things are the way they are now such as what is it that took her mother away. That is when we start to get into the concept of the “Heart of Atlantis” which Kida believes is a star, but we soon learn that is a crystal like the ones the Atlantians wear around their neck. The crystal above the city keeps the people alive and, supplies them with longevity and power, they also appear younger than they really should be especially after a thousand years. The part that got me pissed was then the crew betrays Milo and wants to bring the crystal to the surface to sell it, because they think it’s a diamond that could make them rich. Then when the crystal is found it merges with Kida and they lock her up and take her to the surface. This part I obviously did not like because Kida has become my favourite character, so I was quite relieved when eventually most of the crew members took Milo’s side and, after the death of the King they went to bring the crystal back, it saved the city from a volcanic eruption, and then the city now restored only Milo decides to stay behind to help Kida rebuild their empire. I thought he would develop feelings for her eventually especially after the crystal returns and she returns to normal.
Now of course one thing I never understood in this movie when I was a child was why Kida’s mother was pulled into the crystal above the city. Then as I got a little older I realized that the crystal chooses someone to protect itself and the people when danger arises. But the crystal is alive and develops a consciousness of its own and being bonded to it you become lost to it. Then I was extremely curious about why Kida merged with the crystal. At first I thought the purpose of that was that she would get to see her mother again who pretty much IS the crystal now and, you see that when Kida returns to her human form again she has that bracelet again; which went into the crystal with her mother when she was a child. Then again she never would have merged with the crystal if Rourke didn’t kick a pebble into the bottomless pit of water, that the crystal was hovering above with the Kings of the past rotating around it because then it turns red and appears to search for a royal host just like the time the city sunk.
Now this is a review obviously and I’ve already described the plot well enough for you so characters should come now.
You already know Kida is my favourite character. I love her back story and as soon as I saw her I wanted to know more about her. She is smart, independent and feisty. Some people say she doesn’t count as a Disney Princess but I think she does. She’s one of the very few that becomes a Queen at the end of the movie and, unlike most Disney Princess she doesn’t really end up being the kind of character that has one thing that only matters about her which is sexuality. This part on sexuality is the stereotypical view of a Disney Princess like Belle for instance (even though I love Beauty and the Beast) it is her sexuality that matters in the movie and, what saves the beast from the spell he’s under. Back on topic here. I still think Kida still counts as a Disney Princess, but perhaps there are people in society who do not agree with me on this because, due to Atlantis not as popular as most Disney movies and, perhaps its plot is more understandable by a slightly older audience she is not like most of them. Also given the fact that she does not act the way the traditional Disney Princesses behave like, they are passive, sing songs, etc. Why even this is the same case with Disney characters like Mulan and Pocahontas but with Kida it is still a different story. In my view Kida doesn’t have to be your typical passive, singing, sexy, and weak (by weak I mean being unable to fight back in certain situations but maybe if you insert the damsel in distress thing she still goes through that after merged with the crystal) princess in order to be considered a Disney Princess. She’s got a different personality and that’s what I like about her the most, and of course she saved the entire city from a volcanic eruption. How many princesses do you see do that? The only other character I can think of who saved a large amount of people from a grave threat would be Mulan, who saved her country from the evil Huns. Not meant to hash out hatred towards the other Disney Princesses out there, because if you like the traditional ones I respect that and some of them like Ariel for instance is another favourite of mine.
It didn’t surprise me to learn that Leonard Nimoy voiced the king of Atlantis. (I forget his name too many times to count) Leonard is a legendary actor and voice actor and, sources say that he spoke his lines really well and people would just sit there, watch, and listen. My least favourite character however is a tie between Helga and Rourke, obviously because they’re evil but Rourke I guess tops it a little more. He knew about the crystal all along and found the journal but decided to tear out a page about it which describes the purpose of the crystal. Helga because she’s like a sidekick to Rourke even though she portrays the concept of the evil female in Disney movies in a satisfactory way. I didn’t like how she was so bitchy at one point especially when she almost acts like she takes charge for a brief moment.
I really love this movie and of all my favourite Disney characters, Kida is starting to climb to the top of my favourites list so she’s catching up with Ariel. This movie may not be a favourite among most fans but I could be wrong. Me and my brother like it, and there could be others who do as well. I don’t really recommend it to a younger audience because not only may they not understand the plot but also there’s a fair amount of mild violence as well. If Atlantis was real I would love to live there and my favourite thing in their technology would have to be those flying fish vehicles they drive. I like the fish ones the most because they have lightning bolts.
Of course if you love interesting stories like the one this one tells then this is a movie for you.
-Emily
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