First look at “Treasure Planet”

Walt Disney Pictures, who seems to have ditched the fairy tale motif permenantly (or has run out of material), is working on finishing their 2nd Sci-Fi themed animated feature for 2002, Treasure Planet. The first, Lilo & Stich opens June 21st.

Based on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic Treasure Island, Disney’s Planet sets the stage with the same basic characters (Jim Hawkins, Long John Silver, etc.), with a Sci-Fi twist. As an example, the ships, while old-styled, cruise through space and the villianous Silver is a cyborg (silver, cyborg, get it?).

The teaser looks impressive, using Disney’s mastery of blending classic hand-drawn characters with 3D backgrounds and objects.

With that in mind, what classic novels/stories would you like to see updated with a Sci-Fi twist? My vote: Herman Melville’s classic, Moby Dick. Just let your mind wander the possibilites.

9 replies on “First look at “Treasure Planet””

  1. Sun Tzu

    Well, I’d say Frankenstein, but that was already
    sci-fi. That’s the only “classic” I really enjoyed. I’d
    be willing to see others, though. (I’m not a fan of “The
    Tempest,” but Forbidden Planet was good.)

    Actually, there is one. Sun Tzu’s Art Of War.

    • Re: Sun Tzu

      Actually, there is one. Sun Tzu’s Art Of War.

      I think it would be difficult for disney to make a manual on how to wage war into a children’s movie. I mean first you have to surmount the fact that it lacks plot :-).

      -Jack

      • Re: Sun Tzu

        I think it would be difficult for disney to make a
        manual on how to wage war into a children’s movie. I mean
        first you have to surmount the fact that it lacks plot
        :-).

        I never said Disney had to do it. The
        plot point is hard to get around, though.

  2. wow
    treasure planet looks good. hope it doesn’t have any useless, completely inappropriate, talking animal sidekicks, like every other bloody animated film they put out in the last 6+ years or so.

    • Re: wow

      …hope it doesn’t have any useless, completely inappropriate, talking animal sidekicks…

      Now THERE’S a fantasy….my bet is on a robot parrot…

      • Re: wow

        …hope it doesn’t have any useless, completely inappropriate, talking animal sidekicks…

        Now THERE’S a fantasy….my bet is on a robot parrot…

        but a robot parrot would be fairly appropriate, especially a talking one. i’m talking more along the lines of the stupid ass talking gargoyles in hunchback, or the animal sidekick thingies (if i remember correctly) in pocahantas. or mulan. or others that i’ve forgotten about.

    • Re: wow

      treasure planet looks good. hope it doesn’t have any
      useless, completely inappropriate, talking animal
      sidekicks, like every other bloody animated film they put
      out in the last 6+ years or so.

      I just checked the IMDB page for it, and
      all the names sound like humans or robots for the
      characters. Also, Frank Welker has been in virtually every
      recent Disney movie that had talking animals (or
      non-talking animals) and he’s nowhere to be seen. I hope
      that means we’re safe. Oh, and if you watched cartoons in
      the 1980s, you’ve probably heard Frank
      Welker
      a few times.

      • Re: wow

        Oh, and if you watched cartoons in
        the 1980s, you’ve probably heard Frank
        Welker
        a few times.

        Wow.

        Reading That Link Is Like Walking Down My Childhood Television’s Memory Lane. I Stopped Reading Before It Got too Familiar (Around ‘The Real Ghostbusters’).

  3. Well
    Seems this is kind of a loaded question, because almost any true ‘classic’ literature is timeless, and can be transposed to any local/species/time.

    I’ll not resist to add my short list however.

    • The Count of Monte Cristo
    • Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
    • The Odyssey

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