Treasure Planet - Disney's Lost Trove

Treasure Planet (2002) is an underrated work of pure art and a labour of love. Many have written about its failure, and some have mourned the passing of one of Disney's final traditionally animated adventures; casualty to a gear-shifting pivot towards the new glorious age of computer generation.

A bitter echoing farewell to the Renaissance Era of Disney storytelling, a generation which hailed the likes of:

The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), Aladdin (1992), The Lion King (1994), Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), Hercules (1997), Mulan (1998), and Tarzan (1999).

Chances are, as likely as not, that you have not even heard of Treasure Planet. If this is indeed the case, you need to watch this as soon as possible. Why?

Because it is a beautiful, emotional and powerful masterpiece. Even the most hardened old-soul will be touched by this humble exploration of abandonment and redemption. This may be shallowly described as a 'kids movie', but do not be deceived. The messages are deeply universal.

What is Treasure Planet?

Treasure Planet was directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the duo behind the directing, producing and screenwriting for a number of the Renaissance releases. Despite all their successes, they craved one particular creative outlet. Their baby as it were. Que Robert Louise Stevenson's novel, Treasure Island but catapulted into space. After several rejections by then Walt Disney CEO Michael Eisner, the project was finally green-lit, on condition that Clements and Musker completed Hercules first.

Once the contractually obligated chores were wrapped up, they took a famed classic and gave it a coat of space paint. This is only the second time the original tale has been teleported to the great beyond, if we take note of the 1987 Italian mini-series. Whilst maintaining faithfulness to the original novel, character arcs were tweaked and given far greater emotional weight than their plot functions would otherwise suggest.

A coming of age story, we follow the life of Jim Hawkins, a troubled youngster entranced by tales of an infamous Pirate Captain named Nathaniel Flint. Abandoned by his father and left to support a grieving mother, Jim craves a life of adrenaline and adventure. Life in a small independent inn simply doesn't cut it for this repressed teen.

Several themes are woven into the movie. For one, the futility of greed. No matter how hard you try to fill the void in your heart with wealth, happiness will always be an abyss away. Things can be lost in the pursuit of a dream, be it loved ones, prized possessions or even limbs in the case of one character.

This is also a commentary on the search for role-models and father figures, something which took on a far greater emphasis than the novel. But when it comes down to it, what counts is finding your own path and forging your destiny. This is not just a quest for riches, ego and mindless materialism, but a redemption arc. Jim wants to prove his worth to his mother and to himself, pursuing the only dream he has ever pined for; to cross the stars and discover the legendary 'loot of a thousand worlds'.

Conceptually the film does away with space helmets and costumes, to breathe more warmth and colour into the cold depths of space. The Etherium gives space an atmosphere of its own, which allows travellers to breathe freely aboard victorian/steampunk hybrid vessels. This deliberate and seamless blend of 70% eighteenth century and 30% sci-fi tropes exudes an extremely romantic and unique vision of galactic life in an alternative world.

Where did it all go wrong?

The short answer? Money.

Coming out on 27th November 2002, Treasure Planet found itself mired in an extremely competitive release window, namely stampeded by Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, fired upon by Die Another Day and betrayed by Disney's very own Santa Claus 2. Christmas being just around the corner did nothing to help set the mood for a journey to the stars.

Ultimately, despite a final budget cost of $140 million (+approx. $40 million in marketing), the movie would earn just $109.5 million at the worldwide box office. Just 34.8% of this was sourced from the domestic gross. Its opening week saw it trailing in fourth place.

Perhaps more unforgivable than the decision to release two titles in the same time-frame, was the chaotic marketing 'strategy'. Watch the trailer below, and tell me this doesn't spoil the entire story. Maybe give this a miss if you have not yet seen it!

Compare this lacklustre ad campaign and contrast it with the series of 'Inter-Stitch-als' for Lilo & Stitch (a film released in June of the same year) which essentially put the new movie on an equal footing with classic Disney hits:

Don't get me wrong. I love Lilo & Stitch and have very fond memories of seeing it for the first time. But you can see where Disney's priorities were, and the noticeable difference in marketing quality. You are led to the inescapable conclusion that Treasure Planet was not held in the highest esteem by the boys in the big suits.

Pixar and Dreamworks were dominating the scene with incredible 3D computer-generated titles, such as Shrek and Monsters Inc. Why utilise a far more expensive and time-consuming tradition of hand-drawn illustrations and software like deep canvassing when CGI was a cheaper, faster alternative?

Why you should watch this

It's a spectacular visual treat, replete with heart, relatable characters and marvellous conceptual details. This was a film unafraid to take risks, or to experiment. It engineering a unique art style by making full use of Deep Canvas, allowing a two-dimensional individual to move freely throughout a 3D painted rendering. The technique, developed by the team behind Tarzan, was used to craft roughly 75% of the feature. And the result is nothing short of extraordinary.

There is a reason why this is my favourite Disney film, and why it left an impression on me so many years ago. It looks and feels nothing like any of its vastly more celebrated peers, and I can cheer for an underdog; especially an underdog with this much wit, charm, fun and feeling. It saddens me to know that the planned and storyboarded sequel will never be unearthed from the dusty vaults of the mouse house.

If you can ignore all the snooty critics, naysayers and saboteurs, give this a watch. I guarantee you will not be disappointed.

See you in the Etherium, buccaneers!

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