The creators at Walt Disney Animation Studios have produced some of the most iconic and beloved animated films of all time, fromCinderellatoBeauty and the BeasttoTangled, and even last year’sEncanto. However, not all of Disney’s animated movies have enjoyed equal time in the limelight — while some are masterpieces that have become a fixture of pop culture, there’s also been a fair share of films that failed to make a splash on release.
Many of Disney’s films in the 2000s, in the era following the Disney Renaissance of the 90s, failed to win thesame acclaim as their predecessorslikeThe Lion KingorMulan.But while there’s little love these days for the likes ofDinosaur,Home on the Range,orBolt, movies likeThe Emperor’s New Groove,Atlantis: The Lost EmpireandMeet The Robinsonshave gone on to become cult classics, due in no small part to the generation who grew up with these films sharing their love on the internet. And 2002’s sci-fi adventureTreasure Planetis no exception to this phenomenon.
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Lost in Space
Treasure Planetis the brainchild of Ron Clements and John Musker, the writer-director duo behind such films asThe Great Mouse Detective,The Little Mermaid,Aladdin,Hercules, and more recentlyThe Princess and the FrogandMoana.The idea began as a simple one: an adaptation of the 1883 novelTreasure Islandby Robert Louis Stevenson, but with a sci-fi twist. Clements and Musker began pitching the idea to Disney all the way back in the 80s, under the working titleTreasure Island in Space. However, their passion project was turned down time and time again, until the film was finally greenlit following the release ofHercules.
The premise ofTreasure Planetis about as simple as its working title would suggest — it’sTreasure Island, but in space. Many of the novel’s characters, like Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver, Mr. Arrow, and Captain Flint appear in the film with the same names, albeitreinvented for the sci-fi setting.Just like in the original novel, the film’s plot features young Jim Hawkins receive a map to the lost pirate treasure of Captain Flint from a dying sailor named Billy Bones. Jim embarks on a voyage to find the treasure, serving as the cabin boy on a ship that eventually undergoes a mutiny led by the pirate John Silver. From a purely plot-based standpoint,Treasure Planetis a pretty straightforward adaptation of the novel on which it’s based.
However, much of the appeal ofTreasure Planetlies in its visuals. Even after 20 years, the film is an absolute treat for the eyes, combining Disney’s traditional 2D animation at its peak with some inventive use of CGI. But by far the most striking aspect of the movie’s art style isthe way it blends spacefaring sci-fiwith the Victorian aesthetic of the originalTreasure Island. The spaceships are based on sailing vessels, while the cast of weird and wild aliens are all dressed in 19th-century clothes. The pirates’ laser guns are all based on cannons and flintlock pistols. Even Long John Silver, the archetypical peg-legged pirate, is reimagined as a cyborg. The movie’s distinct look is a perfect blend of antiquated and futuristic, giving it a striking and unique style that no other film has managed to replicate.
Father and Son
But while the actual plot of the movie may not be anything special, the actual heart of the story lies in its emotional core — the relationship between Jim and Silver. While the original Long John Silver wasa rather two-dimensional villain,Clements and Musker decided to turn their take on Silver into a more nuanced figure: a rarity for Disney antagonists at the time. Likewise, the Jim Hawkins ofTreasure Islandwas a typically heroic young boy, a far cry from the moody teenager ofTreasure Planet.
Jim is introduced as a moody teenager who longs for adventure, but is haunted by the shadow of the father who abandoned him. When Jim and Silver first meet on the ship, they butt heads right away. But over the course of the voyage, they begin to bond, and it soon becomes clear that they bring out the best in each other. Of course, their relationship takes a turn for the worse once Silver’strue colors as a vicious pirateare revealed. But in the end, when faced with a choice between claiming Flint’s treasure as his own and rescuing Jim, Silver chooses to save the life of his surrogate son.
To this day, John Silver remains one of the most complex and compelling antagonists in Disney history. He can’t truly be called a villain, for despite his greedy ambitions, he ends up finding redemption through his fatherly relationship with Jim. Underneath all the spectacle and adventure,Treasure Planetis the story of two lost, broken people who learn to become kinder, happier people by finding family in one another.
It’s not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, of course — but then again, what film is? Betweenits imaginative world,spectacular visuals, and heartwarming story,Treasure Planethas plenty of strengths that make it a voyage worth remembering. If you haven’t seen this sci-fi adventure yet, it’s definitely worth a try.
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