Treasure Planet (2002)

File this latest Disney misfire under the all-too-familiar category of a well-intentioned and potentially neat idea that just doesn’t execute. In many ways, the end result of this film is something of a companion piece to Atlantis: The Lost Empire. The two exceptions to this comparison are that Treasure Planet adapts its story from a literary classic and it is easier to follow.

This film is a sci-fi version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island, where the architecture and clothing resembles that of the 18th century and spaceships look like old-time sailing vessels with rockets. It focuses on a teenager named Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), who comes into possession of a map to the hidden Treasure Planet. A friend of the family commissions a spaceship to go in search of Treasure Planet and the crew is a hodge-podge to say the least. Along the way the explorers face many dangers, including a mutiny at the hands of their cyborg cook, John Silver, who wants the treasure for himself.

I read Treasure Island when I was a kid and I recall enjoying it very much. I do not know if it was the full version or the children’s edition but it was exciting nonetheless. The heart of Treasure Island is still very much alive in Treasure Planet and the film could have worked if it had not been adapted so literally. In my mind, there is no reason for the spaceships too look like the sailing vessels of yore. At times that gimmick just doesn’t work. Maybe the science nerd in me is being too picky, but I cannot swallow travelling through deep space without an enclosed spaceship. Give it a Star Wars-esque worn-future look and it just might work.

Some of the animation in this film is pretty spectacular, with 2-D characters worked into 3-D environments. Unfortunately, for every scene where things look spectacular there is a scene where the animation is either unremarkable or the blending doesn’t quite work. That falls far short from the lofty standards set by Disney’s finest films. To top it off, only one song is even memorable from the film and it is not sung by any of the characters. It’s a fine tune by the Goo Goo Dolls but its status as the only noteworthy tune is an indictment upon Disney’s music department.

It’s clear that the Disney Renaissance is a thing of the past. I don’t know if they are just running out of ideas or if their ability to express their ideas is stuck in a lower gear. I appreciate that they try to push the envelope but either Disney is trying to push the wrong envelope or they need to push harder. Too many more films like Treasure Planet and Disney will find itself smack in the middle of a new Dark Age. At least their relationship with Pixar helps even things out.

RATING: 3 out of 5