This week, I’d like to discuss one of my favorite films to date, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire.” Unfortunately, it is one of Disney’s most underrated films and is relatively unknown. Every time I talk about this movie, I always hear, “I’ve never even heard of that one!” or “Oh, I forgot about that movie!” It makes me sad because I know this film had the potential to be a fan favorite to plenty of Disney fans out there, but today it is only known as a cult classic.

There is a documentary that’s free to watch on YouTube about the making of Atlantis, and I encourage everyone interested in this movie or animation in general to watch it. Not only does it go into depth about the writing and animation aspects of the film, it discusses the issues and push-back the team faced during production. Directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise discussed making “Atlantis” shortly after finishing “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”

So much went into this movie; an entire written and spoken language was developed for the film, specific drawing styles were developed and hours of both drawn and almost fully animated scenes were scrapped to keep the film under 90 minutes. What I always find myself going back to is how the final scene’s shot was drawn on multiple animation cells put together to create that zoom-out of the entire city of Atlantis. 

The heart of Atlantis lies with the characters that appear in this film. “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” came out in 2001, yet it is one of the most diverse Disney films from its era. The characters in this film all feel real, not like caricatures or jokes. A young man raised by his grandfather, an Afro-Indigenous army medic, an 18-year-old Latina who serves as the chief mechanic and a POC warrior princess who was technically Disney’s first princess to become a queen, just to name a few. 

TThis film is known for its notable and hilarious cast. They don’t just feel like kid’s cartoon characters, they feel real and fit perfectly into the film’s 1900’s semi-steampunk aesthetic. This film isn’t afraid to use these characters either: they fight, shoot at each other, they nearly curse and they have tangible goals and motivations. Even the villains are entertaining and, despite their 2-D world, are very 3-dimensional.

Unfortunately, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” was made during the end of an era. In the early 2000’s, Disney was pushing for less 2-D animated films and more 3-D animation. With computer software becoming more developed, Disney wanted to step away from the tried-and-true traditions of classic animation styles. 

My problem with Disney’s treatment of this film stems from the fact that “Atlantis” did use 3-D animation. It blends the styles in such a way that the animation still stands up today, but its stellar cast, soundtrack, visuals and plot just wasn’t enough for Disney and most viewers. Disney also didn’t market this film well and spoiled who the main villain was and the major plot points in the trailers. It was also released around the same time as “Shrek,” contributing to “Atlantis’” flop. It earned only $186 million worldwide, barely surpassing its $120 million budget.

I will always love this film, despite what the box office or critics say. I mourn for the discarded plans to create Atlantis themed rides in Disney World’s Adventureland and the reception of the film itself, but I can still remember what really mattered to me when I sat down in front of our family TV and popped in my favorite VHS tape. The music swelled, the Atlantean letters shifted and revealed:“Atlantis: The Lost Empire.”