*** Official "TREASURE PLANET" Discussion Thread (1 Viewer)

[Robert Crawford]

This thread is now designated the Official Discussion Thread for "Treasure Planet". Please, post all comments, links to outside reviews, film and box office discussion items to this thread.
All HTF member film reviews of "Treasure Planet" should be posted to the Official Review Thread.
Thank you for your consideration in this matter.
Crawdaddy

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

I have been very critical before and even vocal, to some extent, about the lack of imagination and creativity about Disney's recent crop of feature films including Lilo & Stitch, The Santa Clause 2 and most especially, The Country Bears, in addition to the less than satisying marketing job it has done with Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away.
But Treasure Planet certainly makes up for in what has been, in my opinion, a very lackluster year (if not more) for Disney.
~Edwin

 

[Robert Crawford]

Edwin,
I'm sure this is a fine film, since it got a seal of approval from your critical eyes. Could this film be a sort of a sleeper hit for Disney in the midst of the Harry Potter and LOTR craze? I know it has a big budget, but there is little buzz about it among the general public.




Crawdaddy

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Could this film be a sort of a sleeper hit for Disney in the midst of the Harry Potter and LOTR craze?

Robert, it certainly has the potential to become one. But keep in mind, in some respects, this is different from most Disney animated films. It takes on a more adult-oriented approach.

I also think that the film will mostly appeal to young boys rather than young girls. But one thing is for sure, there has to be enough support for this film or we are back to the same old song and dance Disney animated films.

~Edwin

 

[Ray Chuang]

Edwin,
If your review is correct, it appears that Disney HAS successfully learned from the horrible experience of Atlantis: The Lost Empire and created a good movie for a change!
It appears that Thomas Schumacher has decided on a more hands off attitude for doing Disney animated features. After all, the fact that Dean DeBlois and Chris Sanders pretty much had very little interference from Disney management was a big reason why Lilo & Stitch came out so good.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

In my view, the problem with Atlantis is that it had a story and characters that were hard to care about. On the other hand, Treasure Planet has it all: a classic story, good animation and interesting characters.

~Edwin

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Well, the critical reviews are out and there are those who have a hard time reconciling or accepting such elements as a pirate ship in a futuristic world or why are the characters wearing 18th century clothes in a film set in the year 3000?

This is, after all, a re-imagination and is not meant to be taken literally. I wonder if others here would have the same problems with the film’s concepts.

~Edwin

 

[Chris Atkins]

Edwin:

Roger Ebert's review is a perfect example of what you mention...and I find it hard to believe that he would pan a movie simply because it has "pirate ships in space."

I mean...from the same man who gave a thumbs up to the Star Wars OT, TPM, Lord of the Rings, etc.

His reviews are becoming more and more entertaining, for sure.

 

[steve jaros]

I'm a big fan of Disney animated films, but i give Treasure Planet a big thumbs-down. I was bored stiff. The human characters had no charisma and looked like they were straight out of Disney central-casting. The robots and space critters were similarly unappealing. Worst of all, the story was drained of all excitement.

This movie falls flatter than a pancake. dullsville.

 

[Allen Hirsch]

(Moderators, please move this if a thread already exists that this belongs in. Search was down so I couldn't be sure.)
From today's Wall Street Journal:
"Treasure Planet," which cost nearly $140 million to produce, bombed after opening over the five-day Thanksgiving weekend, selling just $16.6 million worth of tickets. That is much worse than the company had expected, and Disney said that it is obliged under current accounting rules to take a $74 million pretax write-down for the fourth quarter of 2002 to reflect a lower book value for the film. That will result in net income for the quarter ended Sept. 30 that is lower by $47 million, or two cents a share, than the earnings Disney reported in early November.
Wow, so they're writing down HALF of their investment now, even though it's only been out a week. I'd guess TP (hmm - unfortunate acronym, huh? ) will have decent box-office "legs" with kids as Christmas school breaks kicks in, UNLESS word of mouth has been bad - which is NOT the case so far, from the reviews here at HTF.

 

[Edwin Pereyra]

Why am I not surprised? The masses want talking animals, a massive merchandise tie-in complete with plush and goo-goo toys, musical numbers up the wazoo and the same old formula. Disney, give 'em what they want! :frowning:
~Edwin

 

[Rob Lutter]

Hear that?
That is the sound of writers and animators working on the next formulatic Disney animated movie (with loads of singing and dancing). :frowning:
I am going to see this film on the weekend at the theatre... while it is still there.

 

[Jeff Kohn]

I think it's a shame that movies like Treasure Planet, Titan AE, and to some extent Atlantis keep failing. Personally I hate the standard Disney formula.

I have to wonder though. I know computer animation can be expensive, but how in the hell did they spend $140M on this thing?

 

[Ken_McAlinden]

Actually, Treasure Planet is much less of a departure from the Disney formula than Atlantis was. It probably would have made a good musical, too.
In hindsight, it does seem kind of foolish for them to have released their 140 million dollar film in the wake of a Thanksgiving weekend that was bound to be owned by Harry Potter. They almost should have started with the IMAX release only and then rolled out bigger after a week or two.
Regards,

 

[JamieD]

I'm sorry Rob, but I happened to like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Hercules, The Emperor's New Groove, AND I have Titan A.E. in my collection, as well as Final Fantasy. All among my favourite movies, but I expected this to bomb theatrically just like those two. Older teens and adults won't go see animation, and "cutting edge" animation costs too much to loose the mainstream market. Plus, in the case of Titan A.E. especially, it cut a few too many corners story and science wise to be taken seriously as it was begging to be. With that said, I did enjoy it.

 

[Edwin-S]

The obsession with opening day box office results is getting ridiculous. The movie has been out for one week, didn't open BIG and now, suddenly, is a bomb. I wish these guys would get their heads out of their butts and start judging the results from a film's entire run, before calling it a bomb. I still intend to go to this film and I'm sure there are lots of people out there who also intend to go to it. I just don't like going to films on opening day because it is a hassle. I'm sure there are lots of other people out there that feel the same way as I do, but our admission dollars will be discounted because all that matters is the opening day numbers.

Anyway, it's a crock to call a film a bomb because of opening day domestic numbers. It fails to take into account how a film will be received overseas or the numbers that will be generated when the film releases on home video. The fact of the matter is, this "bomb" is going to make them a lot of money when the totals from every revenue stream are added up.

 

[Jeff Kleist]

They should have gone all out and done it properly. You can even see in the commercials the juvenille humor and sidekicks

Make it kick ass, and it should do so at the box office

Oh, and stop blaspheming classic stories while you're at it. AND ripping off 2 year old competing animated films that bombed

 

[Edwin-S]

Plus, in the case of Titan A.E. especially, it cut a few too many corners story and science wise to be taken seriously as it was begging to be. With that said, I did enjoy it.
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I don't buy the argument about the film suffering because of loose science. STAR WARS isn't any paragon of scientific accuracy but it doesn't stop people from lapping up Lucas's pap. The latest STAR WARS movies, as good stories, haven't been much better than TITAN AE was and, as far as I'm concerned, in some respects are a good deal worse.

 

[ThomasC]

Would it help if they tried a re-release campaign during not so competitive months, such as February through April?

 

[JasenP]

Does this mean no straight-to-video sequel?