Until the release of "Frozen", "Treasure Planet" may have been the most over marketed Disney film of all time upon release. Back in 2002, it was EVERYWHERE. TV Spots for it were played almost religiously, "Treasure Planet" action figures and games were constantly being advertised between commercials on pretty much every kids entertainment channel and various fast food restaurants and cereal brands included "Treasure Planet" toys with their products. So obviously under-marketing was not the movie's problem...Which baffles me as the film was a massive financial flop earning only $109.6 million on a $140 million budget. So taking that into consideration, along with the fact that Disney would follow up "Treasure Planet" with the dismal "The Jungle Book 2" and the atrocious "Home On The Range", that MUST mean the movie was awful right? WRONG. Not only is "Treasure Planet" a childhood favorite, but is hands down one of the best, most emotional, most exciting and most investing Disney movies of all time. It's the most underrated without question.
The visuals shown in the movie are unforgettable. Director Ron Clements and his production team have created a gorgeous, expansive and diverse universe; the planets, the aliens, the technology, the architecture, the weaponry. The world of "Treasure Planet" is one I was disappointed to leave by the end of its 95 minute run-time. The imagination behind the world building is "Star Wars" like in its scale.
The film is also extremely well paced. From beginning to end, there was not a single moment where I was bored, expertly balancing character scenes, action sequences and comedic moments. It's almost to the point where I'm genuinely frustrated when the film ends as I was just having so much fun. On top of that, "Treasure Planet" is a film that's not afraid to put its character's through down-right traumatizing danger. Make no mistake about it, whether characters getting torn apart in black holes or melted in volcanic, planetary destructions, "Treasure Planet" can be extremely dark in its tone.
Fortunately, "Treasure Planet" has the deep, investing characters to back up its gorgeous visuals. Jim Hawkins is extremely relatable and likable, a born rebel who just wants to make his loved ones proud of him. On the surface, his desire to find Flint's trove seems to be motivated by casual greed, but this is little more than a mask for his true motivation; to prove to his mother, his paternal figure John Silver and most importantly to himself that he can be somebody. Underneath his angsty exterior is a very emotionally vulnerable and broken person finally given a spark of hope by fate, and the movie has us consistently rooting for him to succeed. John Silver is very much a kindred spirit to Jim; he represents both the best (His compassion, determination, drive and loving nature) and worst (His anger, greed, stubbornness and impulsivity) personality traits of Hawkins, and thus works extremely well as a mentor figure. If Jim represents the youthful pursuit of one's validation and dreams, Silver represents how that passion can burn bright even into one's veteran years, strengthened by lessons learned along the way. In many ways, it is Silver's development and arc into a selfless, noble person that sparks Jim's transition into adulthood.
Long before "500 Days Of Summer" made him a star, Joseph Gordon Levitt did a phenomenal job as Jim Hawkins. The passion and sincerity that Levitt gets out of the character has to have come from a personal place, as Hawkins inner torment and plight felt as real to me as an animated character's suffering could be. The diversity of Levitt's emotional range here is staggering, from beginning to end he is giving nothing less than 500% of his effort.
As impressive as Levitt's performance is here, Brian Murray as John Silver is even better. How Murray is not consistently getting A-List work after this movie is completely beyond me. Murray can be charming, hilarious, intimidating and emotional as Silver, making the absolute most of a very complex character. The range of emotions Murray has to portray as John Silver is seemingly endless, and there isn't a single one that he doesn't nail on the head. His final scene with Jim Hawkins gets serious tears out of me to this very day.
Emma Thompson is electrifying in her portrayal of Captain Amelia, and much like Levitt and Murray, delivers serious emotional range. Effective in both the film's comedic and serious scenes, Thompson displays great comedic timing and infectious charisma as the no- nonsense Captain of the RLS Legacy, and she is clearly having an absolute blast here.
The lack of attention "Treasure Planet" gets as a Disney classic is extremely frustrating. It's not JUST an underrated film, it's not JUST a diamond in the rough, it's hands down one of the best and most mature works Disney has ever or will ever pump out. The movie has achieved somewhat of a cult status among Disney fans, but Lord knows that it deserved so much more. Definitive proof that you don't have to break box office records to make a masterpiece.
