Amazing.
A lot of people have been comparing "Atlantis" with "Tomb Raider" (usually with the conclusion that "Atlantis" is better.) I'm tempted to say the same thing, but then I remember it's like comparing apples to apple pie. They're both movies and they both contain action, but they're quite different otherwise. Where "Tomb Raider" is a popcorn flick with little brain, "Atlantis" is a stunning film with not just A script, but a darn good one.
"Atlantis" is very much a graphic novel animated. Unlike most Disney fair, this movie has no songs, no cutesy mascots, sentient animals, things like that. It's very much a more mature, higher minded movie. It's story, alas, is pretty basic though. Jules Verne-esque exploration to the deep, find ancient culture, someone falls in love, treacherous action follows greed, ending with...well, I'll leave the ending be because it's truly stunning and alone is worth the price of admission. However, what makes this basic story rise head and five bodies over "Tomb Raider's" is the dialogue and characterizations. For one thing, there WERE characters as opposed to actors phoning in their performances. Sure you say, it's animated, of course the characters will be more colorful. Not necessarily the same thing my friend. Colorful does not equal quality. Ever seen "Heavy Metal?" Case closed. The actors who gave their voices for "Atlantis" were obviously in tune with who their characters were. James Garner for example did a better voice job in this movie than I've ever seen him give in a non-animated. The dialogue is witty, it's believable (yes, even in a fantasy, the dialogue has to be believable if we're going to be expected to suspend our disbelief regarding the environment,) and the actors respond TO each other instead of waiting for their turn to speak. OK, that could be good editing of many takes, but it's the end result that matters anyway.
The animation style is very...stylized. Angular, interesting. It doesn't try to be super realistic like the trend currently is. Like Japanese Anime, it's not concerned with being extremely realistic, and that's fantastic! One of the reasons a movie is done in animation instead of special effects is to be able to use style and interesting visuals to create a feel that may not be possible in film. "Atlantis" captures a feeling that invokes that 1914 feel. It's not Art Nuevo, but it's not trying to NOT be animation. And speaking of Anime, the ending sequence involving stone giants looks like a direct homage to Japanese Animation. Who, by the way, have long ago figured out how to make a feeling, intellectual, interesting, deep movie with animation. Despite all the McDonalds commercials geared for grade schoolers, "Atlantis" will be highly enjoyed by adults.
Category: Movie
Genre: Sci-Fi
Date Reviewed: 2001-01-01
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Rating: 7