Review of Captain EO (1986) by Bentley L — 11 Apr 2011

"Captain EO" is a 3D short film that I got to see at Disneyland yesterday. It stars Michael Jackson as the title character as he and his ragtag space crew of aliens and robots head to a desolate planet to give the ruler (played by Angelica Huston is prostetic makeup) a gift that will change the world and the entire universe itself.

The film is directed by, believe it or not, Francis Ford Coppola, and produced by George Lucas. This is totally something George would produce. "Captain EO" is like a mixup of "Star Wars", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", and "Thriller". The direction was good and the choreography in the musical number was impressive.

Even for a 20-minute short, the story isn't that good. I wished it would've been a bit longer that way it can have a little more plot development. The 3D was okay. I like my 3D effects to hurdle their way toward my face and then go over my head. "EO"'s effects fly over your head or disappear before they go toward your face. The most diappointing part is they the film is still kind of blurry with your glasses on.

Angelica Huston and MJ were good. Not great. Huston is a professional actress so we should expect her to impress. I loved her in "Ever After"! Michael Jackson is obviously a singer and entertainer and has very little acting experience. But this man knows how to act in front of a camera. That is if he isn't being interviewed about his whereabouts with little boys!

Unless you've been living under a rock, Disney parks have resumed playing the film due to popular demand after Jackson's death. While this isn't the best short film I've seen, "Captain EO" is still fun for both young and old.

"You ate it?!".