Treasure Planet (Review)

As always...

WARNING: There are definitely some spoilers in this post. Proceed with caution.

Treasure Planet is one of Disney's few lesser known movies. It was pitched in 1985 while the studio was busy with the making of The Black Cauldron, or what most now know as the film that almost killed Disney, because of this it was in development for a decade before it was finally made and launched in 2002.

Unfortunately since it was released after Hercules (1997), The Little Mermaid (1989) and Aladdin (1992) it managed to skate under the radar unnoticed by many. Which I think is a gross injustice to this magnificent piece of animation.

Nevertheless, I have noticed it. I absolutely adored this movie when it came out, of course I was six so I doubt my opinion meant much back then. I do however remember the character

of Mr. Scroop haunting my nightmares.

Then again, who wouldn't be frightened by that monstrosity of a spider/alien thing?!

I can sort of understand in other areas why this movie went unnoticed as the vocabulary used is quite mature and the accents can be difficult to understand at times but I think it only adds to the story.

Right, now to the story line...

Treasure Planet is either set in another dimension or the far future and it is loosely based on the classic story Treasure Island. It follows James "Jim" Hawkins and Dr. Doppler who, after being given a treasure map by Billy Bones, decide to pursue the map which may lead to the discovery of the treasure of a thousand worlds.

They 'sail' to this planet all while avoiding Mr. Scroop and his shady crew mates, including a suspicious cyborg names John Silver who is the ships cook and Jim's superior for most of the movie. Jim lost his father at a young age when he left Jim and his mother to sail away which seems to have made a bit of a rebel out of Jim but when he finds a father figure in Silver, someone to believe in him, he finds it hard to accept that the cunning cyborg might be the ring leader of the mutiny. I find this relationship to be one of those sneaky things that writers do to endear you to the villain and I have to admit that I simply could not hate Silver for what he did.

Through great odds they find the planet and B.E.N who provides some comic relief before they find the legendary treasure trove...But naturally there is always a catch where treasure is involved.

All in all, I would say that this is a severely underrated movie and that anyone who enjoys space movies (Of course the ones that don't make scientific sense.) or classic stories that have been adapted into gorgeous animation should definitely watch this movie.

Thanks for reading xx