Disney
modernizes classic book in film
By Jack Schneider
On-line Forty-Niner
 On
the surface, the story of Robert Louis Stevenson’s
“Treasure Island” may seem mundane or “old
hat.” But, add some cutting edge animation
and have the story take place in the frontier
of space, then you’ve got a dynamic new
look in Walt Disney’s new film, “Treasure
Planet.”
Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) dreams
of a life of adventure in the galaxy beyond.
He is a reckless man living in poverty and
getting lectured by his mother.
When he hears of a buried treasure on a
far away planet, Jim and his companion Dr.
Doppler (David Hyde-Pierce) hire a crew
and set sail on the starlit skies. Jim is
taught how to be a true space traveler by
veteran voyager John Silver, a cyborg —
part man and part machine.
Jim looks up to John Silver, but is dealing
with tough issues of companionship and double
crossing the humans.
The crew along with the valiant feline Captain
Amelia (Emma Thompson) encounter black holes
and asteroids in hope of reaching the treasure.
Disney’s new release offers state of the
art graphics and beautiful Irish background
music, but the plot and the sequence of
the film seem over dramatic.
“Treasure Planet” at times seems formulaic
by offering a cycle of action to drama to
comedy and back again. The film does offer
comic relief with a buffoon named B.E.N
(Martin Short) a neurotic robot who navigates
the crew around Treasure Island.
Issues of identity, bravery and betrayal
are present in the film, but at times they
come off as clichés.
The movie received a PG rating, but mass
explosions are prevalent throughout the
film, which may upset those younger than
five. Some characters do live happily ever
after, like most Disney films, but the characters
go through numerous twists and turns to
get their pay off.
“Treasure Planet” will no doubt be a universal
hit throughout the holidays. Although the
typical Disney plot blueprint is widely
seen in this film, the glorious animation
and aesthetic imagery does have a winning
payoff.
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