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Show SUMMER THE UTAH C H R 0 N I L C JEREMY MATHEWS Chronicle Feature Columnist "Atl.mtis: The Lost Fmpirc" Walt Disney Pictures Directed by Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise Produced by Don Hahn Screenplay by Tab Murphy Rating: PG ""A"3" (out of four) 3-- "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" is not your typical Disney cartoon. Sure, it contains cute stuff and is appropriate for all but the youngest children. Hut the film action. It's will also impress fans of an adrenaline rush of visual delights. The story starts in 1914 with Milo (voiced by Michael J. Fox), an anthropologist obsessed with finding the legendary lost city of Atlantis. The problem is no one will fund his expedition. This is solved when an eccentric billionaire (John Mahoney) gives Milo an ancient journal Milo's grandfather found and grants him fundadventure. ing for a Milo is to lend his expertise to a team of specialists, including Commander Rouvke (James Helga Garner), (Cbudia Christian), Dr. Sweet (Phil Morris), explosives expert Vinny (Don Novella), geoloMolicre (an energetic gist and mechanic and Audrey (JacqueCorey Burton) line Obradors). This diverse team, along with a switchboard operator (Florence Stanley), provide the comic relief as Milo boards the high-lev- full-sca- el le ss hole-digg- er fast-talki- hi-te- CHRONICLE submarine "Ulysses" and tries to fit in. Instead of a musical sequence, the first dose of action arrives as the submarine nears the suspected location of Atlantis. A wild sequence involving a robotic crustacean that guards the city takes place. This sequence, which seamlessly blends traditional animation with digital effects, is just as n as film this adventure any good 3-- D 2-- D live-actio- year. The scene fully utilizes the CinemaScope a format rarely used in animation. But the width sure comes in handy when the team arrives in Atlantis. The city is a master wide-scree- n, FEATURE EDITOR piece of design, full of elaborate details. The architecture is fascinating, as is the city's exotic location in the center of the earth. There, the Atlantan civilization, led by its old king (Leonard Nimoy) and his daughter, Princess Kida (Cree Summer), is in danger of dying out. Perhaps Milo's knowledge will be able to help save Atlantis. The plot that follows contains twists that won't surprise the Disney savvy, but will hopefully inspire thought from the youngsters watching. What makes the plot and effects worthwhile is the carefully drawn Milo. The detailed ani CASSANDRA HARTLEY mations capture the spirit of Fox's excellent voice-over- s. Of course, animated movies are never just for the kids, and the striking visuals will impress everyone. The ending recalls the old tale about the pot smokers who'd sneak into "2001: A Space Odyssey" and lie on the floor in front of the screen, amazed at Stanley Kubrick's visual genius. In the year 2001, this practice could be revived through the wild visuals near the conclusion of "Atlantis." Far out. CHARTLEYCHRONICLE.UTAH.EDU jmathewschronicle.utah.edu 581-704- 1 |