As I had to return to Chicago tomorrow, I recommended to my aunt that we view this as a parting gift. It was the first time I had seen this film in over 16 years, so it felt fascinating to view it on VHS after all this time between her house and some theater I don't remember from my infancy. So what do I appreciate about this film?The story is rather nice with its idea of combining modern technology with what people in 1914 believed would be the near future, as well as providing a different perspective on Atlantis than the usual mythology. It isn't acted to its fullest (I noted some parts where Michael J. Fox's performance as Milo felt really off), but does pull off the occasional gag and passable action. I believe Lyle to be in the mid-tier of Disney Villains, as he has an impressive motivation but doesn't carry it out too effectively. The characters are a rather strong suit of this movie, with Milo of course having a familial legacy to develop and the Atlanteans being significantly more sophisticated than a society buried for centuries underwater would suggest initially. I found the specialists to be a tad above standard for somewhat minor characters, but they did contribute enough in the action and gags departments that I did have some fun. By far, however, the animation is the best thing about this movie; the character designs are really catching and the environments are among the best I have ever seen in a Disney movie. And oh goodness, the effects... I just can't describe them. And it's at that point when you know Disney is on another level altogether.As forgotten as this movie is in the Disney canon, the animation is sure to please Disney fans. Ones who have sci-fi hold them to captivity will likely get something out of this, though it's more for a slightly older audience compared to the average Disney movie. That said, families can enjoy it just fine.

There have been many animated Disney movies that have come and gone, and most of them had cutesy characters and memorable songs. Not here though. But that makes this a black sheep among the Disney lineup. Don't get me wrong; I did enjoy this movie and it took me a while to see it. But it turned out to be entertaining. Steampunk and action, as well as a plot that looked like it came out of Jules Verne or Indiana Jones. If you want a different kind of animated movie, great. If you still enjoyed those musicals with cutesy characters, no deal. But that depends on what you like. So try to go in with an open mind and you'll enjoy it.

I love to put my movie marathon on pause from time to time and watch some Disney cartoon for a change. It's healthy for a soul. From this one I did not expect anything at all and I was in for a pleasant surprise. Young and silly scientist gathers expedition to find Atlantis, but his crew are not who he thought they are. After about 20 minutes I lost any feeling that I am watching cartoon and I experienced this same as feature movie. It would be great if they would really make one. It hold attention and does not irritate you with too much niceness and morality, so it is not annoying to non-kids audience. It's not on the level with greatest Disney masterpieces but it definitely is worth watching. I really enjoyed it.7,5/10

This film credits eight people for its screenplay and story, one of them Joss Whedon. And yeah, it shows. In the worst way possible.So what's the story? Milo Thatch is a linguist and cartographer, living in 1914, who believes he has cracked the case of Atlantis, believing the answers to its disappearance and lost location lie in an ancient Icelandic book written by a man who has lived on the island. After the university rejects his proposal for being ill-though and far too unlikely to produce results - not undeservedly so, I must admit - he is approached by a mysterious benefactor, who was a friend of his grandfather, the first Thatch to seek the lost Atlantis. All the classical elements for a great pulp adventure are here and this opening act is easily the strongest segment in the film story-wise. The characters are instantly identifiable, have great designs, the dialogues are interesting and funny, and as a whole the film evokes the feel of the era and style beautifully.The animation also has a style of its own and it is a gorgeous movie in every visual way possible. Especially the scenes in Atlantis are simply majestic, with amazing colours, designs and depth of field.But alas, the bad stuff. First of all, there are too many characters, which is the fault where I can see Whedon's influence the most. This is a cast for a TV series about the finding of Atlantis, not a cast for a movie only hour and a half long. They're all introduced properly and given good, funny characters, but then the film has to drop them to move the plot along. The expedition crew alone has nine members, including Milo. The movie needs Milo plus a crew of three plus the people in Atlantis. Milo plus a crew of two, if you want to be skimpy, but three wouldn't have felt crowded at all.The plot itself also has some minor problems, most notably a few gaping plot holes that could have been fixed without the story being in any way different. Usually I don't mind all that much, but the script draws attention to them and tries to handwave them away through some linguistic mumbo jumbo that's in no way believable. These holes don't ruin the film but they, combined with the general feel of rush caused by the cast overpopulation, make the film feel like it would have been significantly better with one more re-write or perhaps with a slightly longer running time.All in all the film is definitely worth a watch if you're a fan of Disney or pulp adventures. It has a distinct style, fun characters, phenomenal visuals and a story which, while flawed, still delivers good entertainment.