Review of Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) by Tommy K — 23 Dec 2016

After making absolutely no impression on me as a small kid when I saw it in the theaters, I finally re-watched it today as an adult (after every millennial I know swears its a masterpiece), and WOW, was I disappointed. This movie is paced WAYYY too fast, around the 30 minute mark, Milo (the main character) had already told us his plan, got through the typical rejected/ nobody believes you stuff, found someone that believes in him, and had found Atlantis. Yikes. The pacing doesn't get any better from there either. Not to mention their cringeworthy Microsoft Powerpoint-style cutaways.

One of the things people always rave about though is the characters, specifically the side ones. And while I found them enjoyable, the side ones honestly didn't redeem themselves to me after the climax. (Next sentence is spoiler-y?) They seem kind of hypocritical and stupid, like, they don't want people to be hurt, but they always knew the repercussions of what they wanted, and didn't care until Milo reminded them? Just comes across as weird to me.

The plot is convoluted too. By the third act, I pretty much had no idea what was going on. Wayyyy too much made up lore. As a kid, I remember not understanding A LOT of the movie, and though I'm sure I understand it more as an adult, I have a hard time believing kids would get too much joy out of this since it's hard for even adults to grasp.

In the end, the only things I can come away with that I liked was the scene with Milo and Kida swimming and discovering Atlantis history (the only characters I truly liked by the end), Kida's design (though her eyes were a bit too bulgy), and the background visuals.

Honestly, this movie is just forgettable to me. Even just 20 minutes later, I'm not coming away with much of anything from it. I thought the fact that I didn't really remember it at all as a kid was because I was... well, a kid. And I must have just forgotten a good movie over time. But no, I think I just forgot it because its bland and forgettable.

Why so many people (especially millennials) are praising it, I have no idea. Could be from nostalgia, but I think this movie really falls under "You love it, or you hate it." There doesn't seem to be any in-between. So I'm hesitant to tell people in general to just not watch it, because I know SO many people who enjoy it! I would say, watch at your own risk, and just know that there are criticisms out there. I would mainly recommend just adults watching it though. Not because its too inappropriate for kids, I just can't see them getting much enjoyment out of it.