REVIEW: Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four

Things you can do with a million dollars:
-Buy a single bottle of DKNY Golden Delicious Perfume
-Buy a single bottle of Mendis Coconut Brandy
-Make a movie about the Fantastic 4

In 1992, a German production company by the name of Neue Constantin had legal ownership of the film rights to the Fantastic 4. Marvel was looking to reclaim the property and the deal was set to expire; as is becoming tradition for the Fantastic 4, the studio quickly threw together a movie in a desperate attempt to hold onto the rights. The budget was set at one million dollars, legendary schlockmaster Roger Corman was hired to direct, and the entire thing was filmed in less than a month. The film was set to premier Labor Day 1993, before being pushed back to 1994. Producer Bernd Eichinger apparently didn't intend the film to ever be seen by the public (though the cast was left unaware of this fact). Despite these intentions, The Fantastic Four was promoted through magazines, VHS copies of Roger Corman movies, and even at San Diego Comic Con. Eventually, word of the movie reached Marvel executive Avi Arad; worried that the film would cheapen the brand, he purchased the entire thing for a couple million dollars and ordered every print destroyed. The movie was never released, intended to be lost to the ages. But that was not the case. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four.

The plot is exactly what you'd expect from a Fantastic 4 movie born out of such a shotgun wedding of a production; four people go into space for a science experiment, get bombarded with cosmic goodness, and end up with superpowers. Reed Richards (Alex Hyde-White) can stretch his body to incredible lengths, Sue Storm (Rebecca Staab) can render herself invisible and generate force fields, Johnny Storm (Jay Underwood) can control fire, and Ben Grimm (Michael Bailey Smith/Carl Ciarfalio) turns into the super-strong rock monster known as The Thing. The four team up to stop Doctor Doom (Joseph Culp), evil ruler of the country of Latveria; his plan involves... something to do with a giant laser. Really, aside from vague revenge and building this laser, Doom doesn't really have a plan. But by golly they stop him in some of the silliest ways possible.

Now I went into this movie with the intention to be gentle. Compare the budget of this Fantastic 4 to the budget of the 2005 version; even adjusted for inflation, the 2005 film is literally almost one hundred times more expensive than this one. I honestly don't know what I was more surprised by, the fact that this film exists, or the fact that it's honestly not that terrible. It's certainly not GOOD by any stretch of the imagination, but considering how literally everything about it was a perfect storm of complete and utter garbage, it got off pretty easy. Granted, this film only works if you imagine that it's a 70's adaptation of the 60's comics, produced to be aired on TV; the second you remember this was intended to be released in theaters in 1993, the same year that gave us Jurassic Park, everything gets a whole lot sadder. But there's effort, dammit! The people involved in this are trying really hard, and I just can't fault them for that. I'd honestly hazard to say that this is the best portrayal of Reed Richards in a motion picture yet. I can also say with complete confidence that this film has the absolute best Doctor Doom I've ever seen on film; the following screencap of his throne room should indicate precisely why:

This is an over the top Doom that absolutely revels in the source material, producing a villain that is a pure joy to watch. Literally every time this character was on screen, I had a smile on my face. The actor behind the mask, Joseph Culp, relies very heavily on his hands to emote, making for a number of hilarious moments (my favorite is when he draws a little "12" in the air upon telling the Four that they have twelve hours to comply with his demands). In the comics, Doctor Doom is a scientist who was raised by gypsies and scarred in a horrible accident. He then becomes ruler of a sovereign nation, as well as a technological warlock, hellbent on destroying Reed Richards and ruling the Earth. In this movie, his character is essentially the same (though the gypsy and mystical aspects are somewhat absent); this is an adaptation of a comic book character that isn't embarrassed of the source material, which is refreshing to see in a superhero film. There's also a secondary villain by the name of The Jeweler (Ian Trigger); I'm thinking he was meant to be The Mole Man (that's what it says on the Marvel Comics Database, at least), but it's never stated in the film.

Whereas in the comics, The Mole Man is a nuclear engineer who becomes the ruler of an underground race of monsters, The Jeweler is a hobbit-ish jewel thief who rules over a gang of droogs in his mysterious hobo cave. While it's an interesting take on the character, it's all pretty silly and feels nonessential to the entire plot. Speaking of things that are nonessential to the entire plot, we have Kat Green as Alicia Masters, Ben Grimm's blind girlfriend. They meet once in the beginning of the film, then she gets kidnapped by The Jeweler until Thing rescues her near the end. This is by far the oddest scene in the movie (which, having seen the movie, is saying something) for two reasons. One, she is immediately able to recognize Ben Grimm despite her being blind, Ben being made of rocks, and the two only having met once before. Two, she immediately proclaims that she loves him (despite having only shared a minute of screentime with him at most). This declaration of love causes The Thing to instantly turn back into fleshy ol' Ben Grimm. The problem here is that, as is stated in the film, The Thing is unique from the rest of the team because he can't turn his power off. He's stuck looking like a monster, but chooses to do good anyway. That's what makes him The Thing instead of "orange Hulk who is made out of rocks and is not as strong". A minute later, he's turned back into The Thing and we never see him change back into Ben Grimm again. 

If it seems like I'm not ripping this thing apart as much as one would expect, there's two reasons behind that. The first is, honestly, I feel a little bad ripping on this. It was never intended to be seen by human eyes, let alone succeed; it was doomed from the start. Its purpose was to retain the rights, which it succeeded in doing. When I pick on this movie, I feel like I'm picking on a handicapped child; The Fantastic Four can't help that it's like this, it's not the movie's fault. If this had a multi-million dollar budget or a giant studio behind it, I would be tearing it to shreds, but as is it's a prime example of people making do with what they've got. The second reason is, honestly, I kinda genuinely like it. I honestly have no doubt that, with a bigger budget and more production time, this would have been a great adaptation of the comics, possibly even spawning a few terrible sequels. Sure, the special effects are bad, but it's because they're so bad that the entire thing is shot in really creative ways, so as to mask the badness that's visible on screen. In the end, it comes off as really charming. The score (or at the very least, the main theme) is surprisingly well done too; there are some parts of this that are pure schlock, but there's also a few moments where this really feels like an actual movie. The Fantastic Four was made just so the studio could hold onto the rights; by no means did Roger Corman and company actually have to TRY. Yet surprisingly, they took this contractual loophole and used it to make an actual movie. It's not a masterpiece, but I think it definitely qualifies as a curiosity of an underdog production. Check it out, it's a fun time.

REVIEW: The Punisher

It seems as though April has unintentionally become something of a month of Marvel, but 2004's The Punisher is one I've been meaning to check out for a while. Thomas Jane stars as Frank Castle, an ex-soldier who takes on the mantle of the titular vigilante after his family is murdered by a Tampa crime boss (John Travolta). After cheating death and returning to Florida, Frank modifies a Dodge Charger, amasses an absurd amount of munitions, and begins to hunt down those responsible for his family's death in some of the most entertainingly elaborate ways possible.

To be blunt, I was completely surprised that this was a movie from 2004. The entire thing is written and shot like a Commando-esque action flick from the late 80's or early 90's. It wasn't until I spotted "2003" on a gravestone that it dawned on me that this was a movie made in this century. All that said, an over-the-top action flick is exactly what a film adaptation of The Punisher should be. In the starring role we've got Thomas Jane, who is literally the perfect man to portray Frank on screen; his voice, his appearance, and the way he changes from a happy, contented family man to a dark and vengeful shell of a person are all spot-on. For the most part, the cast of this film is more or less unimpressive, but Jane definitely stands out as the highlight for all the right reasons.

Standing out for all the wrong reasons, we have John Travolta as Howard Saint. He's a Miami crime boss who chews scenery with all the enthusiasm of a spastic beaver. To give you a litmus test of the kind of villain John Travolta plays in this movie, imagine that he's just murdered someone by hurling them off of a bridge onto some train tracks. Soon after, they are killed by the speeding locomotive, only for him to later quip that this person "took the train". Know that this is not a hypothetical scenario; this is an actual scene read by the actual John Tavolta. He's by no means a good villain, but I can't bring myself to say that I didn't enjoy his performance. It's just so hilariously over-the-top that it's impossible not to have fun while he's on screen. When he's in the morgue, identifying his dead son's body, take a shot every time he talks to the corpse, caresses his son's face, or kisses him gently on the forehead. That's honestly the most intriguing thing about this movie; Thomas Jane is so perfect as Frank Castle while the rest of the cast is so ridiculous, it's almost as if a totally serious character wandered onto the set of a spoof.

As I mentioned, the supporting cast is pretty forgettable. There's Frank's neighbors, Joan (a kind waitress played by Rebecca Romijn), Dave (a heavily-pierced geek portrayed by Ben Foster), and Bumpo. Just based on his name, I'd like anyone who isn't familiar with The Punisher comics to identify what Bumpo's singular trait is. If you guessed that he's a big fat guy played by John Pinette who enjoys food, congratulations, you're right. All of these characters appeared in the comics, so kudos to the filmmakers for sticking to the source material, but they don't really add anything to the movie. Dave has a pretty good scene in which he is interrogated by Travolta's lackeys, but that's about it. The only good thing I can say about Bumpo is that he likes to play opera records while cooking. The sound of opera serves as the background music for what I think is one of the best fight scenes I've ever seen in a comic book film.

For anyone who's already familiar with the movie, you of course know I'm referring to the iconic fight scene between Frank Castle and The Russian (played by the incomparable Kevin Nash, of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2: The Secret of the Ooze fame). It's a classic gag; something wild is happening, but no one notices it because there's loud music playing. Whenever they're about to see it, something happens that just manages to block the action from their view. As old as this cliche is, it's put to spectacular use here; these two huge men just beat the stuffing out of each other to the tune of La Donna È Mobile. The entire sequence is just fantastically shot and goes on for a surprising amount of time; so many superhero fights these days only last a short while, due to the expensive special effects required to bring the action from the page to the screen. In this situation, the only special effects needed involve two big guys, some stunt weapons, and a few breakable walls. Really, all of the action in the film is pretty top-knotch, but the fight with The Russian is easily the highlight. It's one in a long list of "cool Punisher moments" this film has to offer.

As a "film" film, The Punisher is not a great movie. With the exception of Thomas Jane (who, again, gives a spectacular performance), the entire cast is pretty lackluster, the story is basically a bunch of action scenes strung together by an inane master plan, and overall it's just a pretty silly picture. That said, as a fun action flick, The Punisher is a fantastic good time. There weren't many moments during its runtime that I wasn't genuinely enjoying myself and, while it's not a perfect adaptation of the comics, Thomas Jane is the perfect Frank Castle. If you're a fan of The Punisher or cheesy action heroes in general, I highly recommend it. It's the best Punisher film we've got until the inevitable MCU Netflix series, but then even if that turns out to be amazing, it probably won't star Thomas Jane.

REVIEW: Daredevil (2004 Director's Cut)

Seeing how Marvel's Daredevil series premiered on Netflix last week, I thought it only fitting to revisit 2003's Daredevil, starring Ben Affleck. I remember watching the theatrical cut as a kid and not really knowing what to make of it; all I knew about Daredevil, I learned from times he'd teamed up with Spider-Man. He was blind, saw using a sort of radar sense, and carried around a billy club/grappling hook. Having come out in the Marvel superhero boom of the early 2000's, Daredevil is a lot darker than your standard Marvel fare like Spider-Man and X-Men, both literally and figuratively. It didn't leave much of an impression on me back then and I always figured it was just another crummy adaptation; which is why I was surprised to hear a while back that the R-rated director's cut (released in 2004) was apparently far superior to the original product. Admittedly, that's not saying much, but I feel as though this version still deserves a watch.

The plot is about as basic as they come; Ben Affleck plays Matt Murdock, a blind lawyer who moonlights as a satan-themed vigilante named Daredevil. He finds love in the form of a billionaire's daughter by the name of Elektra Natchios (Jennifer Garner) and goes up against the criminal forces of the Kingpin (Michael Clarke Duncan) and Bullseye (Collin Farrell). Some people die, there's a few fights, and it's all over in about two hours. The plot's nothing special, but it never really drags, so I'm in no position to complain. I wasn't impressed, but I certainly wasn't bored.

The interesting thing about this movie that I noticed right away is just how consistently inconsistent it is. For literally its entire runtime, it flip-flops between actually being legitimately good to being unintentionally hilarious. Take the beginning, for example. We get a really nicely put together look at Matt's childhood; it establishes his relationship with his father, his moral code, and the whole reason he was blinded in the first place. It's well shot and, for the most part, well acted. But then we get a scene where young Matt fights a group of bullies by whapping them with his walking stick. Later on, when he's all grown up and flipping around as Daredevil, he goes to a biker bar in order to enact justice on a rapist who got off scott-free. This sounds like a really cool premise, except that the biker bar in question looks like the Ninja Turtles will bust in at any moment to fight the Foot Clan. When the thugs notice Daredevil just hanging out in the rafters and ask what he wants, he replies "JUSTICE" in his best Batman voice and proceeds to kick a little butt. It's a really cool fight scene (he surfs down a flight of stairs on top of an unconscious perp, for God's sake), but there's little odd moments that break up the impressive stuff with something completely laughable. Even in the climax (which is honestly fantastic), where Ol' Hornhead is beating on the Kingpin. He's about to finish him off when he stops; "I'm not the bad guy", he says. This is literally less than ten minutes after Daredevil picked up a man who was on his knees, pleading for mercy, flung him through a stained-glass window, and made a little quip as he landed head-first on the hood of a car at least two stories below. The movie fluctuates from something legitimately good to complete and utter schlock so often it's downright fascinating.

Speaking of fascinating, I happened to notice that nearly every character who isn't adapted from the comics is just named after someone who worked at Marvel; there's Lee, Kirby, Romita, Millar, Quesada (just to name a few). I wonder how Joe Quesada felt about having his name assigned to a character who gloats about the fact that he was acquitted of rape, only to be murdered by a subway train a few minutes later. If I ever meet Mr. Quesada at a convention, I'll be sure to ask him.

But anyways, in the supporting cast we've got Happy Hogan himself, Jon Favreau as Foggy Nelson; honestly, he and Affleck have some legitimately good chemistry. The scenes they share are very obviously the "comedic" moments in between all the punching and Evanescence, but Favreau is good at what he does in this role. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Jennifer Garner. I honestly couldn't care less about her romance with Ben Affleck and as a result, felt next to nothing at the various emotional beats sprinkled throughout. I know that the two are married in real life, so this is especially unfortunate, but I'm just calling it like I see it; the romantic subplot in this movie is kinda garbage. Luckily, we don't need to care about the romance; it's a pittance compared to what I believe to be two of the most underrated villain performances ever committed to a film adaptation of a comic book.

Collin Farrell and Michael Clarke Duncan completely steal the show here; if there's one thing director Mark Johnson understood about the source material, it's the villains. Duncan's Kingpin is honestly the reason I felt so underwhelmed by Vincent D'Onofrio's turn in the recent Netflix series; this version of Wilson Fisk is a classic crime lord, raised in the Bronx, only to end up with all of New York City deep in his pocket. The very first time we're introduced to him, he's smoking a massive cigar in his office while Lapdance by N.E.R.D. blares in the background. The man exudes class, affluence, and influence. He can go from smooth and confident one second to raging and violent in the next. Underneath his pressed suit is a solid wall of muscle; he feels threatening and in control no matter what he's doing. On the other side is Farrell's Bullseye; the character in the comics has three basic traits that need to be retained in any adaptation. The first, he never misses. Second, he's almost comically Irish. Third, he's completely and utterly insane. Collin Farrell cranks all three of those traits up to eleven and the result is an utter joy to watch. He's a villain who absolutely loves what he does, and what he does is kill people in really showy, impressive ways. He's good at it and it gives him purpose. Villains who are sympathetic and relatable are all well and good, but there's something I love about a complete and utter bastard who just loves being a complete and utter bastard.

On the technical side, we get some really good cinematography for the most part; I can appreciate that the people behind this tried to make it something more than just another superhero blockbuster. For instance, there's a scene in which Daredevil chases down a crook and starts beating on him, only to notice the thug's son cowering in fear, terrified that Matt will turn his wrath on him. Just as Matt saw his dad suffer for getting involved with organized crime, now this kid gets to watch his father be beaten for working for the wrong guy. It gives him a good motivation to go after the Kingpin; it's not just that he's a big bad evil guy. Fisk's influence has poisoned the lifeblood of Murdock's neighborhood; this is why Daredevil does what he does. The way his radar-sense is portrayed is pretty neat too; we get to see things through Matt's eyes, watching sound waves ping across an environment, tracing out a sonar map. When the sound changes, so does his view of the world around him. It's a neat visual trick that helps make some moments have a little more impact that they would have had if they were shot normally. All that said, this is a movie from 2003; the action is for the most part pretty great, except for when Ben Affleck turns into a computer-generated puppet-man, flipping and flopping across rooftops and fire escapes. The soundtrack is painfully dated as well; the orchestrated stuff is fine, but the abundance of licensed early 2000's tween-metal is just insufferable. There's a training montage set to Evanescence's Bring Me To Life that is played 100% straight. That should sum up the state of the music in this film perfectly (though the songs that introduce Kingpin and Bullseye are both superb).

All in all, Daredevil is an interesting film. It's not exactly good overall, but that doesn't mean that there's nothing of value to be found. Michael Clarke Duncan and Collin Farrell are worth the price of admission alone, and there's enough stuff here that manages to be either legitimately cool or hilariously terrible that I was never really bored while watching it (which is better than I can say for some of the other things I've watched for this site). If you like the comics (or *gag* Evanescence) or you want to see an oddball leftover from the early days of Marvel movies (before the unstoppable juggernaut we know as the MCU was even a twinkle in Kevin Feige's eye), grab yourself a copy of the director's cut and give it a watch.

REVIEW: Marvel's Daredevil

After a great deal of anticipation, Marvel Studios has finally released the first of their 2015 offerings in the form of Daredevil, a series distributed through Netflix which ties into the ongoing Marvel Cinematic Universe. The series was promised to show a darker side of the world we see on screen, one that is fairly disconnected from the whiz-bang adventures of Iron Man and Captain America; having watched the entire thing, I can safely say that Drew Goddard and crew have definitely kept that promise. Anyone who was worried that Daredevil would be dumbed down for a wider audience, relying on references to the movies in order to stay relevant (like ABC's Agents of SHIELD) should be pleasantly surprised; this is a show that exists in the same world as Hulk and Groot, yet manages to be its own totally grounded thing.

The premise of the series revolves around Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox); blinded as a child, he is trained to use his heightened senses to his advantage. Donning a mask, he sets out to clean up his city as the vigilante known as Daredevil. By day, he is a lawyer alongside his best friend and business partner, Foggy Nelson (Elden Henson). The two set up shop in their childhood home of Hell's Kitchen, a seedy section of NYC that has fallen on particularly hard times following the Chituari invasion in The Avengers. Leading the cleanup effort is Wilson Fisk (Vincent D'Onofrio), better known to comic fans as the Kingpin of Crime. A shadowy crime lord/businessman, Fisk seeks to rebuild the city he grew up in into his own ideal vision, even if that means destroying the old one in the process. After defending a young woman by the name of Karen Page (Deborah Ann Woll), Murdock sets out to expose Fisk for the monster he is, dismantling his criminal empire bit by bit.

One thing that should be known before diving into this series is that this is not a show that follows a "character of the day" format. There are no appearances from Bullseye, Elektra, or Stilt-Man. This series is a thirteen episode-long origin story. Not just for Daredevil, but also for Wilson Fisk. D'Onofrio gives an interesting performance; this version of the Kingpin is a far cry from Michael Clarke Duncan's intimidating wall of muscle. Here we see Fisk as he first emerges into the public eye; he's essentially an extremely powerful child, unaccustomed to social situations. He's quiet, reserved, and awkward until he flies into a sudden fit of rage. This is a villain that feels very strongly and reacts in turn. That said, those looking for the confident, self-assured crime lord found in the comics will be disappointed; it isn't until the last episode that Daredevil appears in the iconic red suit and it isn't until the last episode that you really feel as though the Kingpin on screen is the same character as the one from the comics. As I said, it's an origin story in every sense of the word; a preamble to something bigger. It's a double-edged sword; on one hand, it's a bit of a cop-out that it ends just as it sets the stage for something bigger and better. On the other hand, the entire season was spent establishing characters, fleshing out their personalities, and building the world. There are some moments that don't relate directly to the plot, but it's hardly fair to call these moments filler, since they give us more time to get a feel for this cast of characters and how different an environment Hell's Kitchen is compared to Avenger's Tower (which doesn't appear in the skyline even once). To put it simply, this entire season feels like one long pilot.

Special consideration must be given to the action in this show; there are no alien lasers or vibranium shields to be found here. Every fight scene is impressive as it is brutal. If there was a Daredevil Drinking Game, it would definitely involve taking a sip every time Matt Murdock does a flip-kick or every time a bone pops out of a limb. This is precisely what I wanted out of this kind of series; while Thor is fighting frost giants and Captain America is punching techno-Nazis, characters like Daredevil are beating up junkies, rapists, and human traffickers. Hell's Kitchen is the seedy underbelly in which colorful costumed heroes are seldom found; it creates a stellar contrast to the dynamic adventures we see in theaters. One fight scene in particular is utterly spectacular, consisting of one, unbroken shot as the camera simply pans around a dumpy hallway. This happens relatively early on in the series, so it's a shame that we don't really get anything this impressive for the rest of the series (though several fights come close, especially if they involve Wilson Fisk).

The cast all play their parts well. Cox is likable and nuanced as Matt Murdock (I particularly enjoy his discussions with Father Lantom, played by Peter McRobbie). Elden Henson's Foggy Nelson manages to be both good comedic relief and an actual character; something that is sadly rare to find in the role of "not as good looking best friend to the protagonist" these days. Vondie Curtis-Hall joins the supporting cast early on as Ben Urich, a reporter for The New York Bulletin (sadly, The Daily Bugle is never mentioned) who works with Karen Page to dig up dirt on both Fisk's operation and his past. The role of the old reporter looking to make a difference in the world of fluff pieces is hardly a new convention, but Curtis-Hall makes Ben into a really enjoyable character, struggling between doing what he knows is right and what he feels is best for himself and his family. Rosario Dawson appears as Claire Temple, an ER nurse who tends to Murdock's wounds after his daring escapades; truthfully, I feel as though she didn't appear nearly as much as she should have. Her character explores some interesting themes in her first appearance, yet disappears less than halfway through the season, only to briefly show up later. Other highlights to the ensemble include Toby Leonard Moore as Wesley, Fisk's right hand man, Scott Glenn as Stick, the enigmatic blind man who trained Matt as a child, and John Patrick Hayden as Matt's father, Battlin' Jack Murdock. Out of a cast of enjoyable performances, I feel as though these three in particular did excellent work that I hope to see more of in Season 2.

While the entire thing feels like it's building to a payoff that we won't get to see until later, Daredevil definitely did not feel like a waste of time. It's full of twists and turns and brilliant little moments that I feel fills the gap for something a little more subtle and nuanced that has been missing from the MCU. It not only helps round out the world that has been established by the dozen or so blockbuster movies, it also stands alone as its own perfectly competent production. For anyone looking for something a little different than the usual superhero offerings from Marvel Studios, I highly recommend you take thirteen hours and give Daredevil a watch; just be prepared to be left wanting to see more.

Holy Cow, 1,000 Pageviews!

This is incredible. One THOUSAND pageviews. Obviously, a big thank you goes out to every one of those thousand people who took the time to check out my humble little blog. An additional thank you to anyone who's taken the time to spread the word around, sharing my posts and reviews as if my opinion really mattered. Honestly, it means a lot.

That said, no New Review today.

But have no fear! I've got something daring (one might even say, devilish) planned for this weekend, so as always, stay tuned!

REVIEW: Treasure Planet

It wasn't until recently that I actually saw Disney's 2002 animated film, Treasure Planet. As a kid, I never saw it in theaters when it was originally released; judging from it's less than spectacular box office earnings, I'm not the only one in that proverbial boat. Regardless, it must be said that if you haven't seen Treasure Planet yet, I would definitely recommend that you go out and give it a watch. Even if you're not a fan of the usual animated offerings from Disney, this is a truly well-made, well-acted, and all-around imaginative adaptation of Robert Louis Steveson's classic pirate novel, Treasure Island.

As the name implies, this version of the story doesn't take place on the open sea so much as it takes place in the far reaches of outer space. Intrepid captains and crews sail amongst the stars in sprawling galleons in search of adventure, riches, and sometimes both. It's a risky take on the story (considering how the film flopped financially when it originally premiered, it's safe to say that the risk didn't pay off), but I personally adore the look of this film and the world(s) it takes place in. The phrase "feast for the eyes" is thrown around a lot these days, but the art design of Treasure Planet is truly something to behold. The people behind the film basically had to invent how everything in the universe of the picture would work; as a result, we're left with a sci-fi setting with remarkable depth. From all of the mysterious technologies, to the intriguing alien creatures wandering around, to the far-off locales of the movie, this is a universe that feels thoroughly lived-in and real. Everything we see is utterly fantastical, yet it all makes perfect sense within the logic of the film. It's truly a shame that we have next to no chance of ever getting a sequel, as I would simply adore to see more of this world we've been shown.

With all that said, Treasure Planet is most definitely not an example of style-over-substance; the story and characters are all as top-notch as their surroundings. As dazzling as the aesthetics of the film are, they don't overshine the performances displayed within. The plot more or less follows the story of Treasure Island; a young lad named Jim Hawkins (voiced surprisingly enough by Joseph Gordon Levitt) comes into the possession of an enigmatic treasure map, said to lead to the plundered riches of the notorious Captain Flint. He and his traveling companion, Dr. Delbert Doppler (a neurotic dog-man voiced by David Hyde Pierce) embark upon the RLS Legacy, a chartered ship under the command of the catlike Captain Amelia (Emma Thompson). Jim ends up working as a cabin boy to the ship's cyborg cook, John Silver (Brain Murray) and a swashbuckling tale of adventure, betrayal, and (as the name would imply) treasure unfolds.

Other additions to the cast include Roscoe Lee Browne (as the stone-faced first mate, Mr. Arrow), Laurie Metcalf (as Mrs. Sarah Hawkins, making this her fifty-third appearance as a mother in an animated Disney film), and Martin Short (as the amnesiac robot, B.E.N.). Each of them does their job well, but Martin Short's automatomic comedic relief tends to come off as flat-out annoying. For the most part, this is an animated film that carries itself with a fair amount of dignity, so the jokes that try to appeal to younger audiences (such as most of B.E.N.'s lines or an alien crewman that communicates through fart noises) tend to fall thoroughly flat. That said, those jokes are few and far between. Emma Thompson's Captain Amelia is certainly the highlight of the film, delivering rapid-fire wit with impressive ease. In the original story, the captain of the ship was a man (famously portrayed in 1996 by Kermit the Frog), yet the change of gender doesn't feel forced or out of place in the slightest. Amelia is capable, tough, and sharp-tongued while at the same time being vulnerable; she's the captain of the ship and she happens to be female. It's an example of a strong female protagonist that many modern works could certainly learn a lot from.

Special consideration must also be given to Brian Murray's portrayal of John Silver; as far as Disney antagonists go, Silver is a villain who manages to have a tremendous amount of depth to him. He develops a strong fatherly bond with Jim over the course of their journey; mutinies and action setpieces aside, the conflict that arises because of this bond is the real driving force behind the drama and emotion of the film. By the end of the movie, some might hesitate to even call him a villain at all. Murray manages to evoke a great deal of emotion from the cutthroat cook, making him appear jovial and supportive one moment, conflicted and sinister the next. This is a film that, despite the relatively young age of its target audience, is not entirely black and white in its depiction of morality. Most Disney animated features manage to be fun and entertaining, but very few manage to be as flat-out interesting as Treasure Planet.

If I had to try to explain the appeal of Treasure Planet through an overly complicated metaphor, I'd say to imagine a piece of really intriguing fan art of an existing franchise. Something really well-made that takes the characters from an established piece of work and re-imagines them in a different setting or time period. Something in the same vein as "Star Wars in feudal Japan" or "Batman as a pirate captain". Now imagine that this fan art is turned into a feature-length adaptation with a positively absurd dedication to detail and world-building, animated by a respected studio and voiced by a supremely talented cast of actors and actresses. If that sounds at all appealing to you (or if you're a fan of Disney, animation, art design, space, pirates, or space pirates), do yourself a favor and go watch Treasure Planet as soon as possible.