As Disney animation evolves in its transition from films for all ages to targeting older children and new teenagers (“Dinosaur”, “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”, “Lilo & Stitch”), they continue to deal with the fickleness of that market, one that has a shorter attention span than ever and tastes that encompass more vicarious forms of entertainment. “Treasure Planet” is an attempt to meet that audience while updating source material that might have a more universal appeal. It’s probably the most cohesive and engrossing Disney animated feature in years, filled with awe-inspiring set pieces (altering “Treasure Island” to take place in space is a marvelous concept) and with many of the psychological insights that have made Disney films gentle but astute tutors on childhood. This time, though, the theme is more mature (the search for the father who has abandoned you and being able to let him go once you’ve found him), aimed at a crowd perhaps old enough to understand it explicitly. To that end, they make Jim Hawkins, the main character (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt from “3rd Rock From The Sun”), something of a delinquent (though one a danger only to himself) whose self-esteem is directly tied to his need for a father-figure. Fortunately, to keep things entertaining, there’s plenty of (mostly) low humor provided by the most jovial of the current crop of Disney directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, whose introduction of slapstick into “Aladdin” via Robin Williams was perhaps the animation unit’s masterstroke. This time around, comic relief is in the form of Martin Short as a wacked-out robot and Mona Marshall as Morph, the best sidekick since Iago in “Aladdin”. The other voice cast members, all appealing, include Emma Thompson as Captain Amelia and David Hyde Pierce as Dr. Doppler; but it’s the gifted Brian Murray as John Silver that makes the most impact, bringing sensitivity as well as menace to a role that is exactly what the underlying text calls for. A great film.
(Note: this film was seen on an IMAX screen which probably was an important consideration in my enjoyment of the film. But the dazzling clarity and depth of color in the large format cannot be overstated.)
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