treasure planet movie review

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FILM CRITIC Walt Disney's "Treasure Planet" has zest and humor and some lovable supporting characters, but do we really need this zapped-up version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic? Eighteenth century galleons and pirate ships go sailing through the stars, and it somehow just doesn't look right. The film wants to be a pirate movie dressed in "Star Wars" garb, but the pants are too short and the elbows stick out. For anyone who grew up on Disney's 1950 "Treasure Island," or remembers the 1934 Victor Fleming classic, this one feels like an impostor.

I am not concerned about technical matters. I do not question why space ships of the future would look like sailing ships of the past. I can believe they could be powered by both rockets and solar winds. It does not bother me that deep space turns out to be breathable. I do not wonder why swashbuckling is still in style, in an era of ray guns and laser beams. I accept all of that. It's just that I wonder why I have to. Why not make an animated version of the classic Treasure Island ? Why not challenge the kids with a version of an actual book written by a great writer, instead of catering to them with what looks like the prototype for a video game? These are, I suppose, the objections of a hidebound reactionary. I believe that one should review the movie that has been made, not the movie one wishes had been made, and here I violate my own rule. But there was something in me that ... resisted ... this movie. I hope it did not blind me to its undeniable charms.

There is, to begin with, a likable hero named Jim Hawkins, whose speaking voice is by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and singing voice by John Rzeznik (of rock's Goo Goo Dolls). Jim is a nice enough kid when we first see him being read to by his mother in his standard-issue Disney fatherless home. But he grows up into a troublemaker, and it is only the possession of a holographic treasure map and the journey in this movie that season him into a fine young man.

Hoping to sail away to a planet where "the treasures of a thousand worlds" have been deposited, Jim signs on as a cabin boy under the cat-eyed Capt. Amelia (voice by Emma Thompson ), and is soon befriended by the cook, John Silver ( Brian Murray ), a cyborg whose right arm contains an amazing collection of attachments and gadgets. Also on board is the wealthy Dr. Doppler ( David Hyde Pierce ), who is financing the voyage. (His doglike appearance and Amelia's feline nature make us wonder, when romance blooms, whether theirs is a relationship likely to last.) I will not be spoiling much, I assume, to suggest that John Silver is more than a cook, and less than a friend. He has mutiny in mind. And the troubles on board the ship are backdropped by troubles in space, where a black hole threatens, and there is a "space storm" as dangerous as any in the Caribbean.

It is obligatory in all Disney animated features that there be some sort of cute miniature sidekick, and the peppy little creature this time is Morph, a blue blob that can assume almost any shape, is cuddly and frisky, and takes sides. Another supporting character is B.E.N. ( Martin Short ), a cybernetic navigator who apparently has some fried memory boards, and lots of one-liners. He would be obnoxious unless you liked creatures like him, which I do.

Disney experiments with its animation methods in the movie (which is being released simultaneously in regular theaters and on the big IMAX screens, which have recently brought such an awesome presence to " Fantasia " and "Beauty & the Beast"). The foreground characters are two-dimensional in the classical animated style, but the backgrounds are 3-D and computer-generated ("painted," the Web site assures us, but with a computer stylus rather than a brush). Some may find a clash between the two styles, but the backgrounds function as, well, backgrounds, and I accepted them without question.

I'm aware that many, maybe most, of the audience members for this film will never have heard of Robert Louis Stevenson. They may learn in the opening sequence that he once wrote a book named Treasure Island, but when this book is opened by Jim's mother, it contains no old-fashioned words, only pop-up moving images. For these people, the loss of the story's literary roots may be meaningless. They may wonder what old sailing ships are doing in a futuristic universe, but then there's a lot to wonder about in all animated adventures, isn't there, since none of them are plausible. My guess is that most audiences will enjoy this film more than I did. I remain stubbornly convinced that pirate ships and ocean storms and real whales (as opposed to space whales) are exciting enough. Even more exciting, because they're less gimmicky. But there I go again.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

Treasure Planet (2002)

Rated PG For Adventure Action and Peril

Joseph Gordon-Levitt as Jim Hawkins (speaking voice)

John Rzeznik as Jim Hawkins (singing voice)

Brian Murray as John Silver (voice)

David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Doppler (voice)

Martin Short as B.E.N. (voice)

Emma Thompson as Capt. Amelia (voice)

Roscoe Lee Browne as Arrow (voice)

Michael Wincott as Scroop (voice)

Patrick McGoohan as Billy Bones (voice)

Laurie Metcalf as Sarah (voice)

Directed by

Ron Clements
John Musker
Rob Edwards

Based on the novel Treasure Island by

Robert Louis Stevens

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Treasure planet, common sense media reviewers.

Outer-space pirate treasure hunt lots of fun; fab animation.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Introduces a number of scientific terms, which cou

Jim Hawkins learns a great deal about coming to te

Consistently In trouble and nearly breaking his si

Cartoon action throughout: chases, battles, falls,

A few funny scenes occur in which interplanetary c

Educational Value

Introduces a number of scientific terms, which could be explored further (i.e., cyborg, astrophysicist, black hole). Places, events, and characters from Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island in the future and cleverly combines the two eras.

Positive Messages

Jim Hawkins learns a great deal about coming to terms with an early tragedy and overcoming grief with constructive behavior. He comes to understand the value of "charting his own course" and sticking with it. A seemingly heartless villain is redeemed, proving that change for the better is always a possibility.

Positive Role Models

Consistently In trouble and nearly breaking his single mother’s heart, Jim matures into a courageous, honest, and loyal young man who makes heroic choices. The female captain of the pirate ship is a leader of the first order: wise, strong, and in control. Villains and heroes come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and species.

Violence & Scariness

Cartoon action throughout: chases, battles, falls, all manner of weaponry from the swords of centuries ago to lasers, explosions and portals leading to the unknown. Two characters die; many others are nearly killed by firestorms, falls through space, explosives, gun and cannon fire, sabotage, and toothy, clawed aliens. The creatures are more bizarre and funny than truly scary, but some have sharp claws, fangs, fiery eyes, and weapons instead of arms and legs.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

A few funny scenes occur in which interplanetary characters speak "flatula" -- a barrage of farts and other bodily sounds (and smells).

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Treasure Planet is a swashbuckling pirate adventure in outer space that is a delight for kids who understand the difference between reality and fantasy. Time and again, the film puts young Jim Hawkins and his treasure-hunting partners in danger. Soaring cartoon mayhem and suspense come from mighty explosions, firestorms, black holes, mutinous interspecies creatures, air battles, and multiple narrow escapes. A few featured characters die; one falls into a black hole. Lots of comedy along with the derring-do, including a creature who speaks "flatula" loud, clear, and odiferous. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Community Reviews

Parents say (14)
Kids say (14)

Based on 14 parent reviews

Excellent dramatic space pirate adventure with some tense scenes

What's the story.

In TREASURE PLANET, Jim Hawkins (voice of Joseph Gordon-Levitt ) is a spirited kid who worries his single mother by getting into trouble with a contraption that is like a flying skateboard. A dying man gives him a map that can lead him to the planet where the greatest pirate in history hid his treasure. Dr. Doppler (voice of David Hyde Pierce), a family friend, finances an expedition to go in search of the treasure.

Doppler and Jim set off on a huge ship led by Captain Amelia (voice of Emma Thompson ). Jim is assigned to work with the ship's gruff cook, John Silver, a cyborg who is part human, part machine. Jim thinks John is his friend until he overhears him talking to the crew about plans to take over and steal the treasure for themselves. Once on the planet where the treasure is hidden, Jim meets BEN, an oddball robot with half his memory missing (voice of Martin Short ). Jim, John, and the others race each other and the pirate's booby-traps to get the treasure.

Is It Any Good?

This animated sci-fi adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story is a dazzling vision, with masted schooners sailing past stars and planets. If Treasure Planet is not Disney at its best, it's Disney at its still-pretty-much-better-than-anyone else. Computer and hand animation are brilliantly combined, using the best of both worlds so that the characters have a full range of expressions while the vistas are magnificently three-dimensional. This is exactly what animation should be about, presenting us with a thrillingly imaginative adventure that's utterly liberated from trivialities like the laws of physics and possibility.

Treasure Planet is wonderfully visually inventive, with dozens of witty details. John Silver is a marvel of animation integration and form tied to content, his mechanical parts created by computer and his human parts created by hand. The voice talent is marvelous, especially Thompson, playing the captain as a sort of starchy governess who happens to be extremely brave and have a wicked sense of humor, and Short, who was born to be animated.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about why it was hard for Jim to behave well before the trip and what will be different for him afterward.

How does Treasure Planet compare with pirate stories you've seen or read? What aspects are different? The same?

If you had all that treasure, what would you do with it?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 27, 2002
On DVD or streaming : April 29, 2003
Cast : Joseph Gordon-Levitt , Laurie Metcalf , Martin Short
Directors : John Musker , Ron Clements
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Walt Disney Pictures
Genre : Family and Kids
Topics : Magic and Fantasy , Adventures , Book Characters , Pirates , Robots , Space and Aliens
Run time : 95 minutes
MPAA rating : PG
MPAA explanation : scenes of peril, character death
Last updated : February 18, 2023

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Treasure Planet Reviews

While there are pieces of a great film scattered throughout Treasure Planet, the film is a clear disappointment.

Full Review | Dec 25, 2023

A splendid adventure film that doesn't mistreat its characters under the weight of the most hackneyed archetypes of the company. [Full Review in Spanish]

Full Review | Apr 25, 2020

Another artistically masterful animated classic from Disney, Treasure Planet is like a super-nova, energetically exploding in a panorama of eye-popping candy colors.

Full Review | Nov 9, 2019

To me it felt tedious, but I admire what they were trying to do.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Feb 22, 2019

an adventure with some incredibly creative ways to pay tribute to Disney's original classic while realistically updating the story for a new generation

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jan 10, 2016

The addition of an insufferable robot named B.E.N. (Martin Short) cripples much of the film's momentum and renders many of the latter scenes unwatchable (a friend once dubbed B.E.N. "the Jar-Jar Binks of animation," and she was absolutely right).

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jul 13, 2012

Given the amazing artwork, if a better character [than a cyborg John Silver] had been inserted, we'd be talking about "Treasure Planet" as another Disney classic.

Full Review | Original Score: 6/10 | Jul 7, 2012

The awkward trappings of this Disney adventure mechanize and blunt the tale's humanity. It pops and squeaks and rumbles, but Treasure Planet lacks the strength to transport audiences. [Blu-ray]

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Jul 5, 2012

Outer-space pirate treasure hunt lots of fun; fab animation.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 29, 2010

Like stepping forth, in an explosion of colors, weird body shapes and bad comedy, into somebody else's migraine.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Dec 10, 2009

By following its story as closely as they have, the filmmakers have retained much of what made the novel a classic.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Oct 29, 2008

It's laced with literate humor, and the directors cite N.C. Wyeth's illustrations for the 1911 Scribner's edition of Treasure Island as the inspiration for their marvelously detailed fantasy world.

Full Review | Sep 9, 2008

Swashbuckling, intergalactic fun.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 7, 2008

Inspired visuals and fluid animation, even blown up on IMAX, weren't enough to prevent me from being bored out of my skull.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Sep 17, 2007

While Pixar can do no wrong with its cutting edge CGI originals, Disney is falling back on old formulas

Full Review | Jun 24, 2006

Hey mom, I went to another planet and found money for you to buy back the family farm. Sure, I blew up the planet in the process, but aren't you proud of me?

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Dec 6, 2004

There is almost no coherence to the plot points, leaving another technically sound but disposable product that awaits its straight-to-video sequel.

Full Review | Feb 1, 2004

Esta curiosa releitura do clssico de Robert Louis Stevenson conta com um visual impressionante e boas seqncias de ao. Ainda assim, est longe de se equiparar aos grandes clssicos da Disney.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Sep 26, 2003

...just the sort of fast-paced adventure flick that today's kids aren't getting enough of.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 1, 2003

It's not one of Disney's greatest, but it's solid entertainment.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Jun 26, 2003

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DVD & Streaming

Treasure Planet

Action/Adventure , Animation , Drama , Kids , Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Content Caution

In Theaters

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Murray, Emma Thompson, David Hyde Pierce, Martin Short

Home Release Date

John Musker|Ron Clements

Distributor

Walt Disney

Movie Review

Picture a majestic galleon straight out of a Melville novel. Huge sails swell from the exhale of a hearty gale. The creaky planks of its enormous wooden deck await a good swabbing. Powerful rocket boosters fire enthusiastically, eager to transport the vessel on its quest to the outer reaches of the galaxy. While it may sound like an odd juxtaposition, that combination of 19th century swashbuckling and space-age technology mesh quite well in Treasure Planet , an exciting new animated adventure yarn that’s part Robert Louis Stevenson, part Gene Roddenberry.

Jim Hawkins is a sullen 15-year-old who has been in and out of trouble with the law since his father walked out. Among his Gen-Y transgressions are reckless skyboarding and wind-surfing in restricted areas. He dreams of more, but lacks direction and a strong male influence in his life. Jim��s mom does her best to raise the angst-ridden lad alone while tending to the diverse alien clientele at her inn. One night, when a one-man spaceship crash-lands nearby, Jim helps the wounded pilot reach the inn, only to have the creature hand him a holographic treasure map and wheeze a few cryptic words before dying. Young Hawkins sees this turn of events as his ticket to redemption. “I know I keep letting you down,” Jim tells his cautious mother, “but this is my chance to make it up to you.”

Accompanied by scholarly dog-man Dr. Doppler ( Frasier ’s David Hyde Pierce), Jim sets off to find Treasure Planet and “the loot of a thousand worlds” with a professional group of spacers led by the feline Captain Amelia (voiced by Emma Thompson with spit-and-polish aplomb). She’s on the level, but most of her crew are actually bloodthirsty interstellar pirates waiting for an opportune moment to mutiny. As they traverse the cosmos, Jim discovers the rewards of labor, teamwork and responsibility in the role of cabin boy. His mentor is the genial John Silver who is half-human, half-cyborg. Silver becomes a friend and father figure to Jim, and tells him, “You’ve got the makin’s of greatness in you!” Imagine Jim’s shock and disappointment when, just before the scheming band of thieves decides to strike, he learns that Silver is their ringleader. The remainder of the story involves wild chases, amazing discoveries and an unlikely romance.

Written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker (the same duo who helmed The Little Mermaid, Hercules and Aladdin ), Treasure Planet is a cleverly offbeat, yet faithful adaptation of Stevenson’s literary classic. Instead of crashing waves and heaving swells, the ship gets buffeted by space storms, cosmic debris and a black hole. Rather than a peg leg and an eye patch, John Silver sports a mechanical leg, cybertronic eye and a right arm that functions like a high-tech Swiss army knife. This version also injects playful comic relief by substituting a shape-shifting blob named Morph for Silver’s parrot, and a hilarious robot (voiced by the manic Martin Short) for the person of Ben Gunn.

“We wanted it to be as if Stevenson had written science fiction,” says Clements. “It’s the future from an 18th century perspective. There are no computers, televisions or microwave ovens, but rather things that someone from that time period might picture the future as having. Our retro combination of elements—with a strong emphasis on the past—gives the film a warmth the genre doesn’t usually have.”

In addition to being visually dynamic and flat-out entertaining, the movie includes themes parents and teens can explore together: The source of true wealth. Choosing friends and judging character. The transformation of Jim from an aimless troublemaker to a young man of purpose. Self-sacrifice. Loyalty. Mercy. Justice. Treasure Planet is a coming-of-age story with a young hero to whom preteens can relate, and a villain far more complex than most animated antagonists.

Furthermore, while Disney is notorious for doing away with one or both of the hero’s parents in its films, Treasure Planet does more than just use an absentee dad as a convenient device to imply a transition to adulthood. It explores the specific implications of that abandonment on Jim’s character. His angst. His delinquency. At one point his mother says, “Ever since his father left, Jim has just never recovered.” A rock tune courtesy of Goo Goo Dolls vocalist/guitarist John Rzeznik lays over a montage of bonding moments between Jim and John Silver, which are interspersed with Jim’s painful memories of his father’s indifference. It’s a powerful sequence that illustrates every boy’s need for a caring, involved dad.

Families may wonder if a film with so much going for it has anything working against it. Not really. There’s some bloodless gunfire and swordplay. Several characters—including a noble shipmate—die by disappearing into voids or floating off into space. A few scenes feature comic crudities (an alien’s native tongue sounds like flatulence) or gross images (an eyeball bobs to the top of a bowl of soup), but nothing parents of adolescents should find objectionable.

Meanwhile, Disney hopes the thrill-seeking young males they’re targeting haven’t already written off animated fare as beneath them. In the summer of 2001, Disney tried to create a profitable sub-genre by aiming at preadolescent boys “too cool for kiddie cartoons” with a slightly more mature ink-and-paint saga. But the PG-rated Atlantis: The Lost Empire failed to make a strong impression, and further disappointed Christian families with its New Age spirituality. Fortunately, the studio’s second PG journey to a legendary locale is a vast improvement. It would be a shame for teens to cast it off. In a movie season sure to be dominated by Hogwarts and Hobbits, Treasure Planet may not be the most anticipated holiday release, but it’s definitely one of the best.

dvd bonus material: On the whole, Treasure Planet ’s bonus features are very educational and well worth having on the shelf. Highlights include “Disney’s Animation Magic,” a 14-minute backstage tour that examines the evolution of ideas from models and storyboards to the film’s final blend of CGI and hand-drawn animation. Children will enjoy the disc’s dynamic, 11-minute history of pirate origins, their flags, treasure and more. While it takes patience to scroll through the stills, impressive galleries of concept art are loaded with hundreds of drawings, detailed schematics, character sketches and fully realized paintings so lush and colorful that you’ll wish you could use them as computer wallpaper. There are also movie trailers, three-dimensional set designs and a stylish rock music video for John Rzeznik’s “I’m Still Here (Jim’s Theme)” that subtly ties to the film without lazily lifting montages of animated scenes and dumping music on top—it’s an MTV-ready artistic creation in its own right.

For behind-the-scenes insights, you can’t beat the “Visual Commentary” which operates like a normal DVD commentary (filmmakers talk over the top of the action, discussing the scenes as they play out) … but with a twist. Every few minutes we’re transported out of the action to view a deleted scene, an illustrator’s discussion of a character, etc. While this is a novel idea, it also brings up one of two problems with these bonus materials: redundancy. At first glance it looks like there’s more content on the disc than there really is. Once you start clicking icons, the same clip will show up under several headings. You click it only to realize you’ve already seen it. For example, an animation test in which John Silver’s CGI arm was attached to Peter Pan ’s Captain Hook is cool the first time, but you’ll stumble across the exact same clip four times throughout the extras. If you’ve already worked through those bits one by one, watching the Visual Commentary will start to feel like surfing the Web and being assaulted with intrusive pop-up ads. Every time it pulls you away for an extracurricular moment, it’s a familiar clip. To avoid frustration, I’d recommend watching the Visual Commentary before bouncing through the other add-ons for a more fluid experience. Then pick and choose from among the individual clips to fill in the gaps later.

I mentioned two problems. The other is a sluggish 3D virtual tour of the sailing ship. The first pass is a bit of a chore, but the very same tour occurs three times—move for move—with different voiceovers describing different issues. That gets tedious very quickly. But in the grand scheme of things, those shortcomings are overshadowed by fascinating discussions of character development, story structure and the tough artistic decisions that get made at the highest levels of the craft.

Bob Smithouser

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Treasure Planet (2002)

Treasure Planet is Robert Louis Stevenson meets George Lucas. More specifically, it’s Treasure Island meets The Phantom Menace .

Artistic/Entertainment Value

Moral/spiritual value, age appropriateness, mpaa rating, caveat spectator.

The movie’s story is substantially that of Stevenson’s classic tale of pirates and adventure on the high seas, while its setting and visual storytelling language draws heavily on Lucas’s classic Star Wars series.

This movie turns on the concept of irony, but unless you’re a literary purist, this beautifully-drawn fusion of the past and the future works. The spaceships in Treasure Planet are elegant seafaring ships fitted with solar sails to push them between the stars. (They actually look a good bit like the airships designed by Dallas-area artist Real Musgrave.) The costumes are reminiscent of the eighteenth century, but usually there are extraterrestrials inside them.

The plot follows Treasure Island more than one might guess. It would be impossible to do the entire book in a movie with a run time of 95 minutes, so many things have been omitted or compressed, but the basic plot of the movie intersects with the book a great deal. Stevenson’s book is a ripping adventure tale with more plot twists and more character depth than many children’s books. By following its story as closely as they have, the filmmakers have retained much of what made the novel a classic.

The movie also pulls much from Lucas’s work, particularly from The Phantom Menace . In fact, in some ways it even bests what Lucas did. For example, less than five minutes into the movie there is a sequence that not only mirrors Phantom Menace ’s pod race but in significant respects improves on it. In this sequence we meet the teenage hero of the movie, Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), riding a floating, solar-sail surfboard through a dangerous, twisty valley that looks just like Beggar’s Canyon on Tatooine. He’s clearly a monster-cool board rider, pulling off death-defying, better-than-X-Games stunts. But unlike Lucas’s pod-race sequence, Jim’s escapade doesn’t drag on for twelve minutes and there is no heavy "This kid has got to win or we’re all doomed" atmosphere hanging over it. Jim’s doing his solar surfing for the sheer joy of it, and we get to share that joy with him.

That is not to say that Treasure Planet is successful in every respect. There are plot holes, some of which could have been fixed with a single line of dialogue. For example, when Jim and his travelling companion, Dr. Doppler (David Hyde Pierce), charter a space-faring vessel to take them to Treasure Planet , there is no onscreen explanation why the captain assigns Jim — one of her employers — to duties as a cabin boy.

Also, the plot is usually quite predictable. Though there are a large number of plot twists, the set-ups for these are so obvious that it is quite easy to tell what’s coming (at least if you’re an adult).

Despite the plot’s predictability, the pace of the action is quite brisk, with one notable exception: The denouement is just too long. After we get past the movie’s action-intense climax, we just don’t need another five to seven minutes of talky supplemental material showing what happened to the characters afterward. Half of that would have done.

For some viewers, one of the weak points in the film will seem eerily reminiscent of The Phantom Menace . Two-thirds of the way through the movie a character is introduce who is a rapid-talking, spastic robot (Martin Short) who likes to give (entirely innocent) hugs. He is almost as annoying as Jar-Jar Binks. Fortunately, he isn’t in that much of the movie.

Another potentially annoying character is one of the sailors on Jim’s ship, a blob-like alien who speaks a language that is entirely made up of flatulence noises. Fortuately, they don’t come from his posterior region, and he doesn’t have that many lines in the film. (Actually, in small doses, this character can be really funny.)

On the other hand, Emma Thompson’s character, Captain Amelia, is a real treat to watch and listen to. Physically beautiful and feline, Amelia makes an eighteenth-century captain’s uniform look better than it has in centuries. Her strict spit-and-polish attitude is excellently realized by Thompson, whose formal British enunciation also suits the droll dialogue Amelia is frequently given.

Like the recent Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Lilo & Stitch , Treasure Planet departs somewhat from the formerly iron-clad Disney Formula hammered out and rigorously enforced between The Little Mermaid and Mulan .

For example, there are no show-stopping musical numbers. For another, characters die (offscreen) in this film. We never actually see the deaths, but several characters fall or float into oblivion. Older kids will realize the implied deaths, though younger children probably will think of these characters as just "gone" (especially since nobody ever dies in most of the cartoons they see).

Still, substantial elements of the Disney Formula are still in place. We have a young hero (Jim Hawkins) who must strike out on his own (find Treasure Planet) because things are bad at home (it burned down and his mother has no money to rebuild). He has an absent or defective father (actually both: Jim’s father abandoned his family) and a goofy animal (-like) sidekick (a tiny, shapeshifting blob named Morph).

The level of Political Correctness in the movie is lower than one might fear. True, Jim’s father is both gone and a jerk, but as in Lilo & Stitch Disney gives the brokenness of the protagonist’s family a pro-family spin. Far from normalizing Jim’s family situation, the film is so clear about the nature of the problem that I began to wonder whether it might prove disturbing to children from broken homes.

It is made very clear that what Jim’s father did was wrong and that his wife and son suffered as a result. In particular, Jim has not matured has he should, due to the absence of a father to teach him the ways of manhood. It is fortunate for Jim, then, when he is assigned to serve the ship’s cook, Silver (Brian Murray), who begins to function as a surrogate father and who teaches him the responsibility he needs to become a man.

Ironically, Silver is more than just a wholesome role model for Jim. As in Treasure Island , the ship’s cook is secretly a pirate — Long John Silver — only in this case he has way-cool cyborg prosthetics instead of the stereotypical eye-patch, wooden leg, and hook for a hand. (Morph functions in place of a parrot on his shoulder.) The morally ambiguous status of Silver — based on a parallel ambiguity in Long John Silver — adds significant character depth and moral drama that one usually doesn’t find in movies of this sort.

Of course, these aren’t the elements that one is most looking for in Treasure Planet . The audience is really there to see a collision of the eighteenth century and the twenty-eighth century, of galleons and clipper ships rigged with solar sails and exotic aliens in the place of exotic natives. All that is there in spades.

The eye-candy factor is extreme. The animation — a combination of hand-drawn and computer-generated — is gorgeous. We get to see incredible architectures and landscapes that are realized in amazing detail. (It’s a pity that we get to see several of them for only a second or two!) A lot of inventiveness went into making this movie — the locations, the aliens, the technology. It’s a real kaleidoscope. Even on the level of dialogue there’s a lot of cleverness here. It’s as if Disney said to its production crew, "Make us a movie that’s really interesting to watch."

Which is ironic, because Robert Louis Stevenson wrote Treasure Island when his stepson challenged him to "write something that’s really interesting to read."

He did. The original Treasure Island has its own kind of adventure thrills, as well as its own lessons about life (including the evils of too much drink). If your kids are old enough, make sure they read it after seeing Treasure Planet — if not before.

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

With its swashbuckling action and blend of traditional and 3D computer animation, Sinbad most resembles Disney’s Treasure Planet — yet for once DreamWorks handily outdoes its archrival, with bravura action set pieces, a surprisingly complex romantic triangle, and an even more remarkably thoughtful exploration of moral issues and character.

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Treasure Planet (2002)

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‘Treasure Planet’ at 20: Disney’s Failed Space Odyssey Deserved to Soar

This maligned flight of fancy contains a trove of underrated accomplishments worthy of reappraisal.

A ship floats in space, with a planet behind it.

By Carlos Aguilar

Retro futuristic sailing ships and dazzling action scenes failed to entice audiences when Disney’s “Treasure Planet” opened in theaters on Thanksgiving weekend 20 years ago.

The interstellar adventure followed an angsty teenager, Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), his deceitful cyborg mentor, John Silver (Brian Murray), and a crew of aliens and anthropomorphic animals across dangerous space phenomena and celestial bodies to find riches in a remote location. The stellar voice cast also featured Emma Thompson as the strict Captain Amelia and Martin Short as the talking robot B.E.N.

For the directors Ron Clements and John Musker, who were responsible for some of the studio’s most profitable animated releases including “The Little Mermaid” and “Aladdin,” this outer space retelling of Robert Louis Stevenson’s seminal novel “Treasure Island” had been a beloved brainchild for 17 years before its fateful release in 2002.

Over the five-day holiday weekend, the space odyssey took in only $16.7 million at the domestic box office, on a budget of $140 million, as well as plenty of unfavorable reviews. Analysts scrambled to determine the cause of such a cataclysmic financial disappointment.

Some experts considered it a casualty of an oversaturated family market (“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets” and “The Santa Clause 2” were still occupying screens), or perhaps it was a victim of a self-serious marketing campaign with a troublemaker animated protagonist.

At the time, the Variety critic Andy Klein praised the visuals as up to the “studio’s best,” but felt the “film’s total appeal may be undercut by a script that rarely feels inspired.” Roger Ebert wasn’t taken with the adaptation, writing that “pirate ships and ocean storms and real whales (as opposed to space whales) are exciting enough.”

Other experts thought of it as further proof of young viewers’ resistance to animated features in the science fiction genre after the stumbles of “Titan A.E.,” released in 2000, and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire,” which debuted in 2001. And still some blamed video games for having captured the attention of preadolescent boys — the perceived target audience. The most concerned went as far as to suggest that Disney should rethink its entire investment in animation. (As we now know, the studio didn’t yield, but two decades later its $180 million sci-fi saga “Strange World” stumbled on the same weekend, bringing in only $18.6 million this past Thanksgiving.)

Despite the troubled history of “Treasure Planet,” this maligned flight of fancy contains a trove of underrated accomplishments worthy of reappraisal. Both its technologically advanced visuals and the poignancy of its interpersonal conflicts make it a bright anomaly in the constellation of early 2000s animation that deserved to soar.

Told in a world where 18th-century designs and futuristic stylization collide, this is the story of a teenage hero evolving from a boy into a man. Constantly straddling the line between the old and the new, in form and in narrative, Musker and Clements steered the literary classic into the new millennium and beyond the stars.

The interstitial essence that defines the film is also reflected in the craftsmanship behind it. An unsung triumph of technical innovation, “Treasure Planet” marked a turning point in the use of 3-D computer graphics in Disney animated features.

The veteran animator Glen Keane’s work on John Silver highlighted this transition. The pirate’s body was animated by hand while his bionic arm came to life via computer-generated imagery.

Most of the characters, with the exception of the robot B.E.N., were hand-drawn and inhabited virtual sets conceived through a process known as “deep canvas,” which allows artists to draw detailed 3-D environments, for a striking hybrid aesthetic.

A sequence where the main vessel, RLS Legacy (named after Robert Louis Stevenson), must traverse a dangerous supernova serves as imposing example of one of the many instances in which this visionary combination of modern tools and old-fashioned handmade animation astounds. The traditionally animated sailors face the realistically rendered fiery supernova as it becomes a black hole for an action-packed set piece full of interplanetary explosions.

Among the final Disney productions to implement substantial 2-D components, “Treasure Planet” was caught between the past and the future of animation.

By the early 2000s, the advent of 3-D computer graphic animation as a preferred cost-cutting approach over hand-drawn animation had begun to take hold with competitors like DreamWorks, who found success with the Oscar-winning “Shrek,” or Blue Sky Studios, with its box-office hit “Ice Age.”

Outside of its irreplicable conception, “Treasure Planet” also tapped into adolescent woes that powerfully spoke to many teens because it treated the flood of emotions young people grapple with as legitimate. The hero here was rough around the edges.

For their intergalactic coming-of-age tale, the directors turned Hawkins into a rebellious 15-year-old with a braided rat tail who surfs the skies on a solar-powered board. His father left when he was a child and his loving but worried mother can’t seem to get through to him. To find himself and mature, this brooding heartthrob must leave on an epic quest.

Back when it hit theaters, observers may have deemed this version of Jim an unsympathetic lead, but it’s precisely his temperamental attitude, defiance toward authority and guarded vulnerability that make his unconventionally heroic character profoundly relatable.

Though not a musical, “Treasure Planet” features a touching montage to the tune of the singer’s John Rzeznik’s “I’m Still Here,” a song written for the film, that bridges Hawkins’s abandonment trauma and his burgeoning relationship with Silver, a figure filling that paternal void.

That aching search for validation — the need for a flawed role model to tell you how proud they are of you — comes across with a deep emotional maturity in Musker and Clements’s passion project, written with Rob Edwards.

Months after its disastrous stint in cinemas, “Treasure Planet” received an Academy Award nomination for best animated feature, an accolade that, according to reports , came as a surprise to those at Disney. The worldwide gross was a meager $109.5 million. That it was met with disinterest in its time is a tragic outcome for one of the most indelibly out-of-the-box efforts Disney has ever produced.

Still underappreciated but not entirely forgotten among those who would discover it on home video growing up, the movie embodies the pioneering spirit of honoring, but still surpassing, what was done before in order to reach new heights.

That’s what Hawkins and his band of extraterrestrial misfits are after, and exactly what the pair of seasoned storytellers that brought them to life did with the source material, warts and all.

Treasure Planet Review

Well, at least i still want to see the movie....

Treasure Planet , then, is better than both Monsters Inc. and Ishtar . It is not, however, better than a genuinely good platform adventure, a genre in which the PS2 is experiencing something of an embarassment of riches. Treasure Planet occupies a rung roughly halfway between the rarefied heights of Sly Cooper and the Stygian pits wherein Monsters Inc. is hopefully tortured for all eternity. While it could be worse, it is not good enough to be worth climbing down for a closer look.

Gameplay Two different types of levels make up Treasure Planet 's circuit through the galaxy. There are basic platforming levels, which feel a bit like Jaz & Daxter , and levels built around the "Solar Surfer," which feel like the worst imitation of Tony Hawk's Pro Skater ever made.

The platforming bits, of course, are the best part, relatively speaking. Our hero can hop and spin with the same aplomb as Naughty Dog's creations, and there's an assortment of fun gadgets used to solve puzzles -- a jetpack to fly for a brief time, cyborg arms to smash things or heft heavy objects. Their chief affliction is a bad case of whatever disease also afflicts most Rare games, that strange compulsion to make the player collect things instead of presenting a genuinely engaging challenge. The game's cast seems to think it terribly important to collect 100 coins and 10 bits of green energy in every level, but I frankly don't give a damn. Thankfully, the majority of the tasks in the later levels are more complex than just "get umpteen of these,"

The Solar Surfer bits, which looked like a good time when demo'd in limited form at E3, are pretty awful in their finished form. The first Surfer level almost works, because it presents a linear circuit, rather than attempting to design an effective non-linear level. The holes in the concept start showing at the end of that one, though, when you have to go through an entire lap around the level to try and take a jump just right to grab that very last coin. Then, it all falls down. The non-linear, Tony Hawk -style Surfer levels have terribly limited challenges, dead simple rail-riding mechanics (just press L1 and forward), glitchy collision detection, and inconsistent controls. On top of that, the same case of Rare-itis afflicts these levels as well, with the addition of more imprecise controls when you're trying to grab that one chunk of green energy. There is the occasional fun bit of platforming in this game, and when the Solar Surfer portion of the game does what it should have done -- be a racing game with a touch of platforming, a la NiGHTS -- it works well enough. For the vast majority of the time, though, Treasure Planet reaches well beyond its capacity, and falls on its face in ugly fashion.

Graphics This is certainly a decent advertisement for the movie itself, since the design elements it borrows from Disney's production are very good. The characters are very original, mechanical widgets like the Solar Surfer feature smart hybrid concepts, and the general blend of science fiction and 19th-century England is quite inventive. But eventually the game's engine has to carry its share of the weight, and Treasure Planet has technical failings that design can't make up for.

Usually, Disney films are a bit more colorful than this. Treasure Planet has a distinctly brownish palette, though, with textures that repeat themselves fairly often. It also doesn't project the same sense of a unified world as Jak & Daxter , which it seems to be trying to resemble with regard to its animation design. There's a clear demarcation between the accessible level and the background elements far beyond it, and generally a very linear character to platforming-oriented levels -- the first task is here, the next task is shortly after it, and so on.

Everything is noticeably aliased, characters and backgrounds alike. Other glitches include invisible barriers that enforce a certain path of level progression -- there are spots where it looks like you could fly up to a certain point with the jet pack, but since the game didn't intend for you to cut that corner, it won't let you. There's also some strange spots of draw-in, not affecting background architecture, but instead causing objects in the environment, like rocks or weeds sprouting out of the ground, to pop in and out of existence. It's strange that the game would have such errors, because while the framerate is constant, it's never drawing anything exceptionally taxing.

Sound When it's borrowing music and effects from the movie, Treasure Planet sounds pretty good, and the voice acting in the animated cutscenes is naturally excellent, but the quality takes a bit of a dip when the game switches over to original creations. The effects are limited by the lack of original enemies -- since most of the bad guys are the same, they all make the same basic boinkety and grunty noises -- and outside the cutscenes, the characters say hardly anything at all. Jim Hawkins, the hero, seems limited to a single vocalization, an obnoxiously loud whoop triggered by the completion of a level goal.

Treasure Planet hearkens back to the bygone age of movie-licensed games, back when all of them were published by Ocean and they all played more or less the same. The difference now is that they're boring 3D platformers, rather than boring side-scrollers and/or boring top-down shooters. Back then, there was no reason to buy a movie-licensed game when you could play something like Mario or Gunstar Heroes. Now, there is no reason to buy Treasure Planet when you can play something like Ratchet & Clank or Sly Cooper. As the saying goes, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

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Treasure Planet Review

14 Feb 2003

Treasure Planet

Disproving Empire’s recent theory that any movie is better simply by being set in space, Disney’s latest re-run of Robert Louis Stevenson’s yarn doesn’t benefit from its Star Wars-styled fittings. Graced with an impressive look, Treasure Planet lacks the verve and fizz of its premise.

Aimed squarely at current kid culture, Gordon-Levitt’s Jim Hawkins is a pony-tailed skate kid with attitude meaning we have a sullen hero who is difficult to root for. From Hawkins’ benefactor, Dr. Doppler, to Emma Thompson’s Captain Amelia, via the pivotal John Silver (here a cyborg), the character dynamics are ill-delineated.

That said, the film’s signature imagery is impressive and there are some good set-pieces: Jim steering a turbo-powered surfboard through rocky canyons (very Podrace). But factor in some misguided attempts at comedy and a few unmemorable rock tracks, and the result is Disney in a minor key.

TREASURE PLANET

"a fast, fun, family-friendly fantasy".

What You Need To Know:

(BBB, C, V, N, M) Very strong moral worldview with clear portrayal of the need for good fathering, the decision to not compromise, the ugly fruit of greedy ambition, the victory of self-sacrifice, the need for repentance and forgiveness, and the redemptive triumph of good over evil; some action violence with pirate fights and some scary, STAR WARS-type frightening monsters, a skeleton, man goes overboard and falls into black hole and dying, and aliens fall into deep pit with molten lava; brief upper alien nudity where pirate on a ship has his shirt off; and, false accusation, greed, selfish ambition, poor parenting, rebelliousness, and betrayal are all rebuked.

More Detail:

TREASURE ISLAND gives a modern, animated spin to Robert Louis Stevenson’s famous, timeless story. It is a wonderful family movie full of heart and creativity.

In this version, 15-year-old Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is an expert at maneuvering around his STAR WARS-type futuristic town on his rocket-powered skateboard, but his adventures often get him in trouble with the robot police. His single mother, who runs an inn, is at her wit’s end, and Jim’s father is a distant and painful memory of abandonment.

Jim hears a noise one day and sees that a spaceship has crashed onto their property, whose captain seems to be dying. The captain gives Jim a golden ball with some markings on it and tells him to guard it . . . and to especially beware of the cyborg. Soon thereafter, Jim and his mother are forced to flee a group of pirates, who burn down the inn.

With the help of the bumbling professor, Dr. Doppler (David Hyde Pierce), Jim figures out that the ball is a 3-D map of the galaxy, showing a hidden planet filled with the booty of the notorious Captain Flint, a legendary pirate whose ship seemed to appear and vanish at will. Jim’s mother reluctantly agrees to let Jim and Dr. Doppler hire a crew and take a spaceship (a glittering space galleon) away on a great, intergalactic expedition. On the ship, however, Jim is startled when Captain Amelia places Jim as apprentice to the cyborg cook, Long John Silver.

As time passes, Jim overcomes his suspicions of Silver and becomes friends with him. Though he is rough and kind of scary with his “Edward Scissorhands” appendages, Silver encourages Jim that he has the makings of a fine “spacer” as he and the alien crew battle supernovas, black holes and violent space storms. Silver tells Jim such things as, “You’ve got the makings of greatness. When the time comes to show what yer made of, I hope I’m there to catch some o’ the light comin’ off ya that day!”

Unknown to Jim, however, Silver and the rest of the nasty-looking alien crew are scheming to find the treasure map and take over the ship. Things come to a head when Jim discovers their plans. Confronted with the pain of betrayal, Jim must grow up quickly as he faces life-and-death challenges.

TREASURE ISLAND is the fifth film that John Musker and Ron Clements have written, directed and produced. Others include such classics as THE LITTLE MERMAID and ALADDIN. The movie includes hand-drawn animation and incredible 3D “virtual sets,” and it is being released in both 35mm and large format (IMAX) settings.

The characters in this movie are fun, especially Long John Silver’s character, who’s voiced by Broadway star Brian Murray, and a robot that Jim finds on Treasure Planet named Ben, short for “Bio Electronic Navigator,” which is voiced by the hilarious Martin Short. Musker and Clements have wonderfully captured the essence of the complex, ultimately heartwarming relationship between Long John Silver and Jim Hawkins. Their story is brilliantly written, presenting a beautiful mix of adventure, science fiction mystery, humor, and heart.

TREASURE PLANET is an excellent movie for the whole family. In fact, it may be the best animated movie of the whole year. Many moral, biblical lessons are played out, such as the ugliness of personal greed, the emptiness that children can feel when they have poor or absent fathers, the resulting rebelliousness in such abandoned children, the ability of father figures to draw younger men into the joys and challenges of life through encouragement and example, the seriousness of betrayal and false accusation, the need for repentance and forgiveness, and the redemptive triumph of good over evil. Some of the space monsters might scare very little children, but the movie is very tame in its portrayals of violence and evil. Parents, therefore, should have no problems with taking their any of their children to see this funny, exciting, family-friendly animated adventure.

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Treasure Planet Parent Guide

Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island , this futuristic tale follows the adventures of a rebellious teen named Jim Hawkins (voice of Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who inherits a pirate map and travel the universe in the quest to find the treasure.

Release date November 26, 2002

Run Time: 95 minutes

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The guide to our grades, parent movie review by kerry bennett.

With nearly 50 film versions of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island already made, you would have to go out of this world to come up with a new version - and Disney did.

As the unmanageable son of a struggling spaceport innkeeper, Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) would rather go boarding than sweep floors or clear tables. One stormy night after the police bring the errant teenager home, a strange character bangs at the door of the humble establishment. Before dying on their floor, the aged and injured pirate gives Jim a mysterious golden ball and a stern warning to watch out for cyborgs.

Hiring the services of Captain Amelia (Emma Thompson) and her first mate Arrow (Roscoe Lee Browne), Jim and the doctor set out to recover the buried riches. Aboard the ship, the young adventurer is assigned to work with the ship’s cyborg cook, Long John Silver (Brian Murray), a chef who serves floating eyeballs in his soup. In time, the two mates develop a type of father-son friendship that betters both men but leaves Jim unsuspecting of the pirate’s plans.

Creatively melding antiquated, seafaring ships with a futuristic setting, this interplanetary coming-of-age adventure depicts the moral dilemmas faced by Jim and Long John when they surface on opposite sides of a mutiny. As well, the cook’s helper must face the disillusionment of being betrayed by someone he considers a friend.

Besides a crewmember that communicates in flatulent-type noises, the only rough waters in this voyage are recurring battle scenes, moments of peril and a teenager who appears to grow in wisdom even though he faces limited consequences for his actions.

Opening in IMAX in larger cities, Treasure Planet looks even better on the bigger screen and is a unique twist on Stevenson’s old classic which should appeal to space sailors of all ages and give parents little reason to pull up anchor.

About author

Kerry Bennett

Treasure planet parents' guide.

Jim’s father deserted him and his mother when he was very young. How did this lack of a father figure affect Jim’s life? What kind of role model was John Silver? What attributes would you choose in a role model for your life?

Jim felt a certain loyalty even after he discovered Long John’s betrayal. What is the difference between befriending someone and being drawn into their lifestyle?

How did Jim respond when he overheard Silver talking with the other pirates about their plan to take over the ship? What can you do when you feel betrayed by a friend?

The most recent home video release of Treasure Planet movie is July 2, 2012. Here are some details…

Home Video Notes: Treasure Plant - 10 Anniversary Edition

Release Date: 3 July 2012

Treasure Planet releases on to home video in a 10th Anniversary Edition.The Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack offers:

- Deleted Scenes

- Visual Commentary

- RLS Legacy: Virtual 3D Tour & Treasure Hunt

- DisneyPedia: The Life of a Pirate Revealed

Related news about Treasure Planet

10+ Swashbuckling Pirate Movies to Bring Home to Your Hearties

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Treasure Planet

Reviewed by: Douglas M. Downs CONTRIBUTOR

R obert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island was one of my favorite books as a young child. Stevenson himself had a difficult relationship with his own father. He felt that his dad was extremely overbearing. The end result was often reflected in stories about boys that were, in fact, fatherless. Many of his stories were also about the conflict between good and evil. Treasure Island was one of the last stories Stevenson penned, inspired to write it while drawing a map for one of his stepsons. This story summed up Robert’s desire to escape life and travel.

The original plot was about a young man named Jim Hawkins, the son of a family who owned a local inn. Following the death of an old sea captain named Billy Bones, Jim and his mother open the sailor’s trunk and discover a map. It is later revealed that this is a treasure map of the famous pirate Captain Flint. The rest of the story follows this young boy’s journey through mutiny, trust and a quest for riches.

“Treasure Planet” is an animated re-envisioning of this classic story in a SciFi setting. If you can imagine taking Stevenson’s story and mixing in one part “Star Wars”, one part “Stargate” and one part X-games, you’ll have the substance of “Treasure Planet”. This combination makes for an interesting hybrid as you can imagine.

This is Disney’s second animated film for the 2002 film year. Directors John Musker and Ron Clements add the technique of “camera movements” to the animation. This is the first major release to use this ground breaking technology. The rest is an interesting mix of computer and hand drawn animation. All of these elements are used to soup up our 18th century pirate’s story.

Voices of David Hyde Pierce, Joseph Gordon Levitt and Emma Thompson in “Treasure Planet”

There are moments when Silvers and Jim have sparks of friendship and moments when the two seem to be extreme rivals. “Treasure Planet” is an excellent “PG” visual adventure for children. It uses all 95 minutes in a fast paced story. The film does cover the themes of single parenting and the challenges it raises, greed and rebellion. If you liked and understood the original Stevenson’s classic, you will no doubt enjoy this film. There are plenty of likeable Disney characters (my favorite was a character named Morph). If you do plan to see this film, I recommend the IMAX version (and don’t forget that most IMAX theaters will let you bring your own refreshments, which helps to balance the higher admission charge.)

Young people

Treasure Planet

By: debbie lynn elias

Thanks to Walt Disney Pictures, reading may become a thing of the past for children everywhere – and that is not a good thing. What is good, though, is Disney’s latest very updated book to movie version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 19th Century classic “Treasure Island” in the form of “Treasure Planet.” For those that haven’t read the book or seen earlier live action versions on film, “Treasure Island” is the tale of the adventures of young Jim Hawkins when he joins up with a group of adult adventurers who set sail in search of buried treasure. Along the way, they meet up with pirates (Long John Silver, for one), face horrific storms at sea and encounter death and danger at every turn. “Treasure Planet” now takes young Hawkins out of the 19th Century and out of the sea, setting him far in the future and on a distant planet where he still seeks treasure, but this time out gets to meet, greet and blast aliens.

In “Treasure Planet”, Jim Hawkins is still a dreamer in search of big adventures – at least bigger than helping his mother wait tables at the Benbow Inn, a waystation in space catering to intergalactic travelers. A pony-tailed earring wearing “spacer”, Jim whoops it up all over the galaxy on his cloud-skimming wind surfer, with all the joy of today’s thrill-seeking youngsters on boogie boards, skateboards and roller blades. But alas, wind surfing just doesn’t quite cut it for Jim. He still yearns for something bigger, better and more dangerous and adventurous. Enter Billy Bones, an alien who crash lands outside the diner and just before gasping his last breath, gives Jim a map leading to the location of the treasure of the infamous Captain Flint. Naturally, “X” marks the spot and instead of skulls and crossbones as warnings, Jim is now warned to “Beware the Cyborg.” Together with his trusty “dog” Dr. Delbert Doppler, Jim sets out to find Flint’s treasure. Aboard the space ship Legacy (and in this case, I mean a galleon as opposed to the USS Enterprise), Jim meets up with the ship’s cook John Silver, a cyborg who has a Swiss army knife for a prosthesis and a protoplasmic pet named Morph.

As comes as no surprise, Silver may be the cyborg the map warns of and things get nasty when Jim abandons ship together with Doppler, Morph, and the Legacy’s captain, Amelia, as they all head to Treasure Planet. Meeting up with Flint’s 100 year old robot navigator B.E.N., madness and mayhem, danger and daring, rule the day as Jim and Silver meet up in the inevitable confrontation that forces Jim to make choices between money and friendship.

Directed by winning Disney veterans Ron Clements and John Musker (“Hercules”, “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid” just to name a few)”, “Treasure Planet” is a thrill-seeking boy’s dream (and girl’s too!). A rock-and-roll roller coaster ride that seamlessly combines hand drawn animation with 3-D computer animation into a palette of emotional expressiveness, never before accomplished so effectively – even by Disney! With a backdrop of the vast expanse of space, animators had carte blanche not only with imaginative creatures (check out my favorite, pink protoplasmic Morph who, well, morphs!) but by juxtapositioning well known objects from the past and present with the as yet to be discovered intergalactic wonders of the future, like worm holes and flying schools. Think “The Jetsons” meets “Mutiny on the Bounty.” And for all you film buffs out there, FYI: “Treasure Planet” is the first film ever released simultaneously in 35mm and 70mm.

Not short on voicing talents here, we’ve got one of everyone’s favorite space adventurers, “Third Rock from the Sun’s” Joseph Gordon Levitt as Jim, the incomparable David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Doppler, Oscar winner Emma Thompson as Amelia, “The Prisoner’s” Patrick McGhoohan as Billy Bones, and the talent-to-end-all-talent, Martin Short as B.E.N. Not since Robin Williams as the Genie in “Aladdin” has there been a character as funny or lovable as B.E.N. And not since Williams has there been a voice-over done with such elan and unadultered joy until now with Martin Short.

Another artistically masterful animated classic from Disney, “Treasure Planet” is like a super-nova, energetically exploding in a panorama of eye-popping candy colors. Long on fun and frolic, and filled with futuristic swashbuckling excitement and adventure, this is one sure fire winner for the kids this holiday season. And after they’ve seen it and yelled for more, take them to the nearest book store and get “Treasure Island” – it will make for lots of nights of great bedtime reading.

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Movie Review: Treasure Planet

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The forty-third full-length animated feature in Disney history, Treasure Planet was theatrically released on November 27, 2002. It is based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel Treasure Island and is ninety-five minutes in length.

Plot Summary

On the planet Montressor, a world inhabited by both humans and aliens, a teenage boy named Jim Hawkins and his mother, Sarah, are enduring personal difficulties. Jim possesses a brilliant mind but, scarred by his father’s sudden departure from the family, is directionless. He is frequently in trouble with the law and openly questions his worth. Sarah, meanwhile, is frustrated and heartbroken by her son’s behavior, which is occurring while she is running a tavern called Benbow Inn to make ends meet.

People often receive opportunities to redeem themselves, and Jim is afforded such a chance when he comes into possession of a pirate’s treasure map. The map reveals the existence of Treasure Planet, a famed locale that holds the “loot of a thousand worlds” as placed by Captain Nathaniel Flint one-hundred years earlier. With the Benbow Inn having been destroyed in a pirate raid, Jim is determined to make amends to his mother by using the map to attain the prized specie. A noted astrophysicist named Dr. Delbert Doppler is also eager to embark on an adventure and convinces Sarah to allow Jim to accompany him on the voyage. Jim, thus, has a chance to turn his life around. Will he take advantage of it?

A Quality Disaster

Treasure Planet brought much good to the table, having been conceived and developed by superior talent, and utilizing new techniques in both production and distribution.

The idea for Treasure Planet originated nearly two decades prior to its release, in 1985. At one of CEO Michael Eisner’s “gong shows,” which were meetings where animators proposed ideas for new movies, animator Ron Clements voiced a pair of notable concepts, both of which were denied by Eisner. These rejected proposals involved a mermaid transforming into a human upon meeting her prince and “Treasure Island in Space,” respectively.

Though Clements was discouraged, it soon became clear that animation chairman Roy E. Disney and Walt Disney Studios chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg both liked Clements’ former proposal, which Eisner had shot down because Disney-owned Touchstone Pictures had released a live-action mermaid flick, Splash , in 1984. (1)

With Roy Disney and Katzenberg onboard, Clements’ rejected mermaid proposal developed into arguably the most important film in Disney history, The Little Mermaid . Released in 1989, The Little Mermaid became a hit and commenced an eleven-year golden age for Disney animation called the “Disney Renaissance.” Clements’ “Treasure Island in Space” idea did not garner as much support, but by the time of Hercules ’ release in 1997, the project had been greenlit. (2)

Treasure Planet broke new ground in a couple of ways. It was the first movie in history to be released concurrently in both IMAX and standard formats at theatres, and it was the first film ever to juxtapose hand-drawn animation with 3D digital animation in a single frame. (3)

Unfortunately for Disney, Treasure Planet did not shine at theatres. On the contrary, it emerged as the biggest box-office bomb in the history of Disney animation to that time, a dubious fate that has since been surpassed by Mars Needs Moms (2011). (4) Within a week of the film’s release, Disney took a $74 million write-down on Treasure Planet , the largest write-down in animation history at the time. (5)

Sometimes it is difficult to know who you can trust because people are complicated, not fitting into simple categories of “good” and “evil.” Jim faces such a problem with John Silver, the cyborg cook on the ship, who is alternately kind and cruel to the boy.

Characterization

Though the film’s players are interesting, I found the characterization of Treasure Planet to be poor. Emotional moments abound in the flick, but I do not think the protagonists and situations are developed enough to truly engage the audience in the trials and triumphs of the individual characters. That said, the plot is extremely suspenseful, so your attention will likely be held regardless.

The mixture of animation styles produced mediocre results in my opinion. Several scenes, most notably the battle sequences, the arrival of Jim and Doppler at Montressor Space Port, and the struggle to keep the ship from sinking into a black hole, are visually brilliant, but I thought the juxtaposition was awkward at other points.

In addition to the background music, Treasure Planet features one major song, “I’m Still Here.” Upbeat yet soothing, this song voices the struggles of growing up and is well incorporated into the movie. The number is enjoyable but forgettable in my opinion. In other words, you probably will not be humming the tune for hours after the movie ends.

I was not expecting this film to be funny, but I found it hilarious, with humor arising from nearly all of the characters.

Dr. Doppler has a way with children, fashion, and proverbs. He also possesses entertaining dance moves and demonstrates an adequate command of the language flatula. Umm, yeah; toot, toot to you too.

B.E.N (Bio-Electronic Navigator), Captain Flint’s old robotic navigator, is crazy energetic and delivers eccentric tangents through both his words and his mannerisms. Jim has to harness B.E.N.’s enthusiasm.

Jim knows the laws better than the police and immediately solves puzzles that take astrophysicists with “vast experience and superior intellect” years to crack.

The changes of the adorable Morph provide both fun and chaos.

Finally, John Silver concocts a concurrently mean and nasty eyeball stew, while voicing exaggerated compliments to others. Yeah, John; buttering me up is not going to earn you a promotion, so go butter the toast instead.

Relationship to Other Disney Films

Lilo and Stitch (2002) and Mars Needs Moms also incorporate astronomical themes.

A more traditional interpretation of Treasure Island was rendered by Disney in the 1950 live-action film of the same name.

Pirates also wreak havoc in Peter Pan (1953), a film that also questions the line between fantasy and reality regarding specific bedtime stories.

Disney issued a live-action flick involving black holes, The Black Hole , in 1979.

Tony Jay, the narrator of Treasure Planet , voiced Judge Claude Frollo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996).

In the Parks

Although no attractions or regular character meets based on Treasure Planet itself are featured at Disney’s theme parks, guests can experience numerous adventures pertaining to the themes of outer space and pirates.

At all five of the Magic Kingdom-style parks around the world, guests can enjoy “Space Mountain,” an indoor roller coaster set to the vistas of outer space. The elements of the coaster differ among the parks, with Disneyland Paris featuring the most intense version. Paris’ Space Mountain includes a high-speed launch and inversions. The Space Mountains at the other resorts, including Walt Disney World and Disneyland, California, are tame yet exhilarating, with darkness masking speeds of less than thirty miles-per-hour.

Epcot houses “Mission: Space,” a motion simulator attraction that mimics the launch of a rocket ship. Guests can choose between the intense “orange” version and the tamer “green” version.

“The Pirates League” at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park allows boys and girls to undergo a temporary makeover into a pirate. This experience must be purchased in addition to theme park admission.

Guests at the Magic Kingdom can partake in an interactive pirate game, “A Pirate’s Adventure—Treasures of the Seven Seas.”

Finally, at Walt Disney World, adults and children alike can embark on the “Pirates and Pals Fireworks Voyage.” Following a pre-cruise reception at the Contemporary Resort, where guests can enjoy snacks and interact with Captain Hook and Mr. Smee from Peter Pan , partakers board a boat to view the Magic Kingdom’s “Wishes” firework show.

Although I found the animation, music, and characterization of Treasure Planet to be less than stellar, I actually really enjoyed the movie. The suspense of the plot, the action, and the humor combined to keep me interested, and I thought the flick felt shorter than its actual run time.

1) Stewart, J. (2005). The Wonderful World of Disney. In Disney War (pp. 71-72). New York: Simon & Schuster.

2) TREASURE PLANET Q&A with producers / directors / co-writers RON CLEMENTS & JOHN MUSKER. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.phase9.tv/moviefeatures/treasureplanetq&a-ronclements&johnmusker1.shtml

3) The 15 Biggest Box Office Bombs. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.cnbc.com/id/38815985/page/7

4) Wray, N. (2014, November 26). The 25 Biggest Box Office Bombs Of All Time. Retrieved from http://www.buzzfeed.com/nicholaswray/bombs-away#.uk3PryGnev

5) Stewart, J. (2005). Disenchanted Kingdom. In Disney War (p. 415). New York: Simon & Schuster.

What do you think of Treasure Planet? Let me know in the comments!

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Disney Needs to Revisit a Franchise It Killed Before It Even Started

Treasure Planet had the potential to be an iconic science fiction series. But what caused the franchise to stop before it started?

Disney's Treasure Planet was supposed to get a sequel but never saw the light of day.
Rumors swirled of Treasure Planet receiving a live-action adaptation.
The saga could be revisited to freshen up Disney's slate.

Disney has such a deep archive and so many wonderful projects to explore on Disney+ that it's difficult for the company to give attention, promotion and focus to everything it has created. There are a few cult classics among the House of Mouse's filmography that might not quite get the accolades they deserve, but are still a celebrated part of the studio's history. Treasure Planet is a particular standout, with the science fiction film reinterpreting the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson for a modern audience.

Treasure Planet had heaps of potential and there are constantly rumors of follow-ups, live-action adaptations and re-releases, giving hope to fans looking to see more done with the franchise. But just like releases such as Atlantis: The Lost Empire or The Hunchback of Notre Dame, right now, Treasure Planet is being kept alive by those very audiences who have a sense of nostalgia attached to the project. Treasure Planet is far from the traditional fairytale that Disney is so used to working with, but that's what makes it so special. Despite its uniqueness, history has not been kind to it.

Treasure Planet is an Underrated Gem With a Lot of Untapped Potential

A firm fanbase remains for the disney release.

Treasure Planet was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island .

Disney Confirms Unfortunate Update on Live-Action Moana Remake

It's always tough to say why a specific film stands out among a litany of fantastic releases. But something about Treasure Planet has appealed to audiences years after its release. While it might not have been an instant classic at the time of its launch, a firm fanbase has built up in the years since. That will be partially down to nostalgia, as those who grew up in the 2000s will remember watching the film on VHS before streaming services were even a viable concept. It may also be due to the uniqueness of the project. In a sea of fantasy and fairytale pictures, Treasure Planet is a science fiction movie that really honors the genre while paying homage to the original text. And, of course, it's hard to overlook the power of Treasure Island itself, which Disney has a strong affinity for; who could forget Muppets Treasure Island after all?

Treasure Planet wasn't released during Disney's golden age or renaissance, nor did it break any significant new ground besides its immense use of 3D CGI animation to complement the classic 2D Disney style. But Treasure Island's core character arc, the coming-of-age tale of Jim Hawkins, is what has stayed with audiences the most. It's that relationship with John Silver, who he looks to as a father figure even after his dramatic betrayal, that provides the heart of the film. While there are plenty of action-packed set pieces that set Treasure Planet apart from its contemporaries, and numerous instances of Disney's trademark whimsicality, it's that tense dynamic that ultimately keeps audiences coming back for more. Treasure Planet isn't featured on the posters at Disney World, nor is its merch particularly wide-ranging. It rarely gets a nod in shared universe spinoff material, and there's never been a ride inspired by the story. But Treasure Planet is a hidden gem that almost got the chance to shine so much brighter.

The Saga Was Set to Expand

A sequel was in the works.

Treasure Planet 2 was set to be directed by Jun Falkenstein.

It isn't just the hardcore fans who feel that Treasure Planet has so much more to give. The fact is, the creatives behind the original production also thought that there were more stories to tell within this incredible landscape. So much so that they started work on a sequel. Not much is known about Treasure Planet 2 outside of its initial plot , but it seemed to have most of the major cast on board and likely would have been a direct-to-DVD affair. In an interview , director Jun Falkenstein noted that the follow-up would have started where the last left off, with Jim Hawkins enrolling in the Royal Interstellar Academy but failing to fit in. With Hawkins and a new love interest, Kate, fleeing the pirate Ironbeard after he conquers a royal ship by the name of the Centurian, the duo turn to John Silver as an ally with experience. This action-packed adventure would have paid homage to the first and brought in Willem Defoe as the villainous Ironbeard, a new foe to be reckoned with.

Of course, early concepts can go in many different directions, as fans recently learned with the initial plans for Wish . Whether Treasure Planet 2 would have ended up being the film as described is anyone's guess, but it would have been fascinating to see how that journey unfolded. The sequel seemed to want to expand the world that audiences had fallen in love with and introduce new supporting characters to shape Jim Hawkins in his own evolution while reuniting him with Silver, who no doubt would have hoped to run away to a new life with his former pupil. Giving Jim a love interest in the form of Kate, whose father was an Admiral in the military, also would have brought about new conflict to explore. Treasure Planet 2 seemed to be onto all the right beats, but alas, it never got going. If that had been successful, it could have continued to grow, perhaps with an animated TV show set at the academy. But instead, fate revealed an alternative plan. If Disney were to return to the franchise, then the ideas put forward as part of this development process are certainly worth revisiting.

Disney Lost Faith in Its Concept

The film hadn't found treasure at the box office.

Treasure Planet made $109.6 million at the box office against a budget of $130 million.

This Pixar Movie Has a Scene More Heartbreaking Than Up or Toy Story 3

Unfortunately for those at Disney who were working on the Treasure Planet sequel, the company pulled the plug during the production. The reason given was that the initial film simply didn't make enough at the box office to warrant further exploration. Although there were big ideas left to portray, it seemed the audience did not have an appetite for this world. However, a great deal of context has to be given to the time period. It's not like today, where Disney+ can give a film like Wish or The Marvels a second life, allowing it to find its audience. Movies had to show out at the box office and then be locked in the Disney vault to get a DVD or VHS release for major anniversaries. Straight-to-DVD sales often made even less profit, and so to invest in a sequel that didn't have an audience, to begin with would have been disastrous financially.

This was during an interesting period of experimentation for Disney, where projects like Atlantis, Lilo & Stitch, The Emperor's New Groove, Home on the Range and Chicken Little released either side of Treasure Planet. It wasn't until The Princess and the Frog and then Tangled that the company started finding its feet again. Treasure Planet might have been the right film released at the wrong time, therefore, and returning to the franchise might throw it a much-needed lifeline. With the nostalgia of the original, the existence of Disney+, and a concept ready to go, today could be a perfect time to give the project a fighting chance. As is always the case with Disney though, the franchise might not have any more potential as an animated series at all; not if the live-action department gets their way.

There Were Rumors that Lucasfilm Could Oversee the Project

The star wars studio never moved forward with the adaptation.

Lucasfilm's current cinematic slate includes The Mandalorian & Grogu and Rogue Squadron .

Disney has crafted a reputation for taking animated cinematic classics and turning them into live-action money-making machines. Remakes like Aladdin and Cinederalla have demonstrated how a revival of an old story can bring fresh angles, humor and heart to a production. It seems that after The Little Mermaid, Disney will continue to focus on its live-action storytelling. There's always a chance that they turn to known franchises like Pirates of the Caribbean to bank on a surefire favorite, but the animation vault is so deep that there are plenty of gems to uncover. It seemed for a time that Treasure Planet could be one of them.

Speculation was abound that Treasure Planet could be getting a live-action reboot, with Lucasfilm overseeing the production. It seems like a natural fit, considering the Star Wars studio has a lot of experience with intergalactic tales of swashbuckling pirates and young heroes. Fans even got excited by how similar the map in Ahsoka was to the one Jim Hawkins used to find the titular hoard of gold, but it seems a bit of a stretch to suggest this was a tease as to what's to come. As of this writing, a live-action Treasure Planet still has not been confirmed, but of all the projects in the company's filmography, Treasure Planet is the most fitting, both visually and emotionally, for LucasFilm's style of storytelling. Treasure Planet is a fantastic film to bring across mediums because of its ambitious scale and need for a new audience. The live-action remakes are all about refreshing material for a different generation, and because it hasn't been given the love it deserves, this could be a way to showcase everything Treasure Planet has to offer. It would also give Disney a very different style of live-action film which contrasts well to the rest of its slate.

Disney's Slate Would Benefit From These Lesser-Known Films

Treasure planet has too much potential to waste.

Disney's live-action slate includes Moana , Snow White , and Mufasa: The Lion King .
Disney's animated slate includes Moana 2 , Toy Story 5 (with Pixar), and Frozen 3 .

Disney's Huge Losses From Indiana Jones 5 Revealed

Both for theatrical release and for Disney+, the House of Mouse is looking for new concepts that will bring in alternative fanbases. The recent investment into Doctor Who already shows that Disney is particularly interested in that science fiction audience, and the increased focus on Star Wars exemplifies that the size of that target market is huge. There's only one Disney-owned franchise that has the depth and breadth to garner both an animated sequel and a live-action remake while tapping into the genre and representing the classic archetypes of Disney's brand. Treasure Planet is that movie. Since its release, Treasure Planet has only been given one chance to thrive, and that was at the initial box office. It could be time for Disney to take a risk and see how the concept holds up today.

Just like Treasure Planet, there's a legion of other movies from the time period, like Atlantis: The Lost Empire, The Emperor's New Groove and Brother Bear, which hold a special place in the hearts of the fans but aren't given a needed spotlight. Disney+ as a platform provides an amazing way to showcase these projects and expand upon them in meaningful ways. Treasure Planet is raring to go, and Disney could test that concept today simply by advertising the film on a streaming banner and seeing how well it performs. There's an audience out there for all of these projects; they just haven't been reached yet. So, forget the need for a specific genre and the desire to tell good stories. Forget the nostalgia and the potential Treasure Planet 2 held. Fundamentally, Treasure Planet, at its core, is emotionally entertaining and can connect with anyone of any age. Disney would be wise to remember its limitless reach.

Treasure Planet

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COMMENTS

Treasure Planet movie review & film summary (2002)
FILM CRITIC Walt Disney's "Treasure Planet" has zest and humor and some lovable supporting characters, but do we really need this zapped-up version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic? Eighteenth century galleons and pirate ships go sailing through the stars, and it somehow just doesn't look right. The film wants to be a pirate movie dressed in "Star Wars" garb, but the pants are too short ...
Treasure Planet
Jul 04, 2015. Disney's track record of animated classics is much more on the impressive side than not. "Treasure Planet" however, teeters on the middle ground. After having a rough childhood, Jim ...
Treasure Planet Movie Review
Our review: Parents say ( 14 ): Kids say ( 14 ): This animated sci-fi adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic story is a dazzling vision, with masted schooners sailing past stars and planets. If Treasure Planet is not Disney at its best, it's Disney at its still-pretty-much-better-than-anyone else.
Treasure Planet (2002)
Treasure Planet: Directed by Ron Clements, John Musker. With Roscoe Lee Browne, Corey Burton, Dane A. Davis, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Jim Hawkins is a teenager who finds the map of a great treasure hidden by a space pirate. Together with some friends, he sets off in a large spaceship, shaped like a caravel, on his quest.
Treasure Planet
While there are pieces of a great film scattered throughout Treasure Planet, the film is a clear disappointment. Full Review | Dec 25, 2023. Sergio Benítez Espinof. A splendid adventure film that ...
Review of Treasure Planet
Overall, Treasure Planet is superb family entertainment, and one of the very best Disney films in years (in many ways, it's the picture they tried - and failed - to make with the deeply-flawed ...
Treasure Planet
Movie Review. Picture a majestic galleon straight out of a Melville novel. Huge sails swell from the exhale of a hearty gale. The creaky planks of its enormous wooden deck await a good swabbing. ... Treasure Planet is a coming-of-age story with a young hero to whom preteens can relate, and a villain far more complex than most animated antagonists.
Treasure Planet
Instead of opting for a movie called "Treasure Island," Disney made the ridiculous mistake of making this pile of gimmicky garbage called "Treasure Planet." Personally, I blame this movie for destroying 2-d animated movies in the early 2000s, and I was really disappointed by Ron Clements and John Musker here, considering they've created the ...
BBC
Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island". In space. Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) is a tearaway teen who escapes dreary domesticity when he's given a map to the mythological Treasure Planet.
Treasure Planet (2002)
This movie turns on the concept of irony, but unless you're a literary purist, this beautifully-drawn fusion of the past and the future works. The spaceships in Treasure Planet are elegant seafaring ships fitted with solar sails to push them between the stars. (They actually look a good bit like the airships designed by Dallas-area artist ...
Treasure Planet (2002)
Treasure Planet is the adaptation of the classic swashbuckling children's tale of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. R.L.S originally wrote Treasure Island chapter by chapter for his son, as a bed time story for each night. When the story was first published it was actually condemned by some!
'Treasure Planet' at 20: Disney's Failed ...
Dec. 28, 2022. Retro futuristic sailing ships and dazzling action scenes failed to entice audiences when Disney's "Treasure Planet" opened in theaters on Thanksgiving weekend 20 years ago ...
Cinematic Flashback: Treasure Planet (2002) Review
Cinematic Flashback Score: 4.1 Out of 5. Fun Fact: Treasure Planet took 10 years to make, having had the longest production cycle of any other film in Disney's Post Renaissance Era, after it went through production hell, though the production mainly started after the release of Hercules (1997).
Treasure Planet movie review: that Disney magic
In moving the story of a boy and his treasure map to a science-fiction realm, Disney has invited its artists to let their imaginations run wild, and Treasure Planet is populated by more aliens than George Lucas ever conceived — the film is like a 90-minute version the Star Wars cantina, only the aliens are funnier, meaner, cuter, uglier. They ...
Treasure Planet Review
Treasure Planet, the SCEA-published adaptation of the upcoming Disney film, is almost exactly what you would expect from a game of this sort. Well, perhaps it's a little more than you'd expect ...
Treasure Planet Movie Review
Carson Timar reviews Treasure Planet. Treasure Planet (2002) ... how the film still wants a somewhat parental figure to accompany Jim as he grows over the course of the journey so the movie shoe horns her friend, Dr. Delbert Doppler (David Hyde Pierce), onto the journey to fill this role. Even if this more closely represents the events of the ...
Treasure Planet Review
U. Original Title: Treasure Planet. Disproving Empire's recent theory that any movie is better simply by being set in space, Disney's latest re-run of Robert Louis Stevenson's yarn doesn't ...
TREASURE PLANET
TREASURE PLANET is a brilliantly written, exciting, often funny animated adventure with many good moral lessons for both parents and children. It provides a great mix of adventure, mystery, humor, and heart. The writing and directing team of John Musker and Ron Clements have created another classic example of Disney animation for the whole family.
Treasure Planet Movie Review for Parents
The most recent home video release of Treasure Planet movie is July 2, 2012. Here are some details… Home Video Notes: Treasure Plant - 10 Anniversary Edition. Release Date: 3 July 2012. Treasure Planet releases on to home video in a 10th Anniversary Edition.The Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack offers: - Deleted Scenes - Visual Commentary
Treasure Planet (2002)
MOVIE REVIEW. Treasure Planet MPA Rating: Reviewed by: Douglas M. Downs CONTRIBUTOR. Moral Rating: Good Moviemaking Quality: Primary Audience: 6 to Adult Genre: Animation Adventure IMAX ... "Treasure Planet" is an animated re-envisioning of this classic story in a SciFi setting. If you can imagine taking Stevenson's story and mixing in ...
Treasure Planet
Meeting up with Flint's 100 year old robot navigator B.E.N., madness and mayhem, danger and daring, rule the day as Jim and Silver meet up in the inevitable confrontation that forces Jim to make choices between money and friendship. Directed by winning Disney veterans Ron Clements and John Musker ("Hercules", "Aladdin" and "The ...
Movie Review: Treasure Planet
The forty-third full-length animated feature in Disney history, Treasure Planet was theatrically released on November 27, 2002.It is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's novel Treasure Island and is ninety-five minutes in length.. Plot Summary. On the planet Montressor, a world inhabited by both humans and aliens, a teenage boy named Jim Hawkins and his mother, Sarah, are enduring personal ...
Disney Needs to Revisit a Franchise It Killed Before It Even Started
Treasure Planet is a particular standout, with the science fiction film reinterpreting the classic novel by Robert Louis Stevenson for a modern audience. Treasure Planet had heaps of potential and there are constantly rumors of follow-ups, live-action adaptations and re-releases, giving hope to fans looking to see more done with the franchise.

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