Two amazing nautical adventures to conclude our summer travels!
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001; Disney+)
Rejected Atlantis scholar Milo (Michael J. Fox) is whisked away by a motley crew to discover an undersea land beyond his wildest imagination. This movie is perhaps the most exciting animated Disney movie ever made. The plot moves quickly, but it somehow finds time for slow, quiet moments with its unique assortment of tough but lovable characters. The animation has a unique look for Disney: it combines the cartoony-ness of The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) or Lilo & Stitch (2002) with all the intensity of a live-action action film. Even the colors are unforgettable. And it’s a great tribute to a half-century of science fiction, with voice actors drawn from various sci-fi franchises—even Leonard Nimoy from Star Trek.
Like the animation, the tone of the film is unique for Disney. It’s not a kids’ movie—which may be why it wasn’t super popular. The filmmakers explain in the commentary that they thought about giving Milo an animal sidekick, maybe a rat, who could stand there and look sad when Milo was sad to tell the audience how to feel. Instead, they decided to make a movie about adults. Go into it expecting a live-action adventure film, and you won’t find a better one.
For sensitive viewers: Some mildly suggestive dialogue, like an old woman who says she sleeps in the nude. Unnamed characters die in intense action sequences. Milo bleeds a little. It’s PG.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954; free on Internet Archive, Disney+)
When a mysterious underwater machine sinks their ship, three unlikely comrades find themselves in a thrilling Technicolor adaptation of Jules Verne’s undersea adventure! It is easy to overlook the live-action films of 1950s Disney, but there are some real gems even before Mary Poppins. Walt Disney was always pushing the boundaries of special effects, and here he makes a film that wins two Oscars. This film is also no exception to his tendency to hire classic actors: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Peter Lorre! Who said a movie couldn’t be family-friendly and for adults at the same time? This is classic Hollywood at its best!
The special effects are so pervasive that you may stop noticing how unique they are. This was before computers let you make any background you wanted: these backgrounds are made by hand, as are the miniature and life-sized sets that give you a sense of being in a whole new world. Peter Ellenshaw outdoes himself on matte paintings and trick shots that establish immersive environments on an epic scale.
But just as importantly, this movie has heart. I’ve read the book (in the original French)—it’s great, and its characters have heart too, but the story is nothing like this. It’s 20,000 leagues long, mostly wandering around. This story manages to fit itself into a two-hour adventure with a plot while also maximizing our time with these unforgettable faces. Kirk Douglas the sailor, James Mason the brooding intellectual, and Peter Lorre are a very unlikely group! (A huggable Peter Lorre is in itself a special experience. Despite his famous roles with that famous creepy accent, he really did play a lot of fun characters—he just seems like a pleasant guy!) They’re like Kirk, Spock, and Bones on Star Trek: very different personalities, but ultimately, in this together.
This movie also has the best behind-the-scenes making-of I’ve ever seen, and it’s free on YouTube.
For sensitive viewers: Action sequences with sharks, explosions, and even a giant squid! Maybe one swear word. Kirk Douglas drinks and smokes a cigar and seldom wears a shirt.
Nathan’s Writing Update
Three of my articles that were under review this summer have come back rejected. The other one just came back (for the second time) asking me to make more changes to satisfy a still unsatisfied Reviewer 2.
On the bright side, I just discovered a treasure trove of free books two doors down from my university office. These were left by former professors for anyone who wants them, and they actually include several tomes in my niche field of study: Spanish film. Besides a few of those, I just picked up Bahktin’s Dialogic Imagination and Milton’s Paradise Lost & Regained.
This last one relates to a new writing project I just started. I got really intrigued last week reading Luke 4:1-13, where Jesus is tempted. What’s with that third temptation? Jump and God will catch you? When I’m not teaching, writing my book, or fixing that academic article, I’m spending some extra time listening to that rich and mysterious passage. I dream of writing a book about it, but either way, it’s speaking to my soul. Have a blessed week, all!