Sailing Into Treasure Planet: A Look on Disney's Experimental Age

Oh My Disney

I would like to talk about something very important… Disney. I may not talk about it that much in my blog, but I happen to be the biggest Disnerd there is. I've seen the Disney classics, I cannot seem to pick to a favorite princess because I personally love them all, I know a majority of their songs (lyrics and voicing), and I watch the same movies over and over… including the ones that are deemed terrible or just 'meh'. Speaking of which, I was born in the nineties. Meaning, I did not get to experience the Disney Renaissance or at least I did not get to experience them in theaters. My childhood flourished during the 2000's and this was a time when Disney did not do so well. There were a lot of factors that contributed to this. There was the rise of 3D animation and the decline of the 2D, and the departure of major people like Michael Eisner and Jeffrey Katzenberg. As a kid who lived throughout that time, I personally enjoyed the cartoon series shown on television. 

This era for Disney was known as the Experimental Age. It had other names too, like the Post-Renaissance and the Second Dark Age. The latter seemed almost accurate for Disney Animation but I've always thought that the Experimental Age seemed much more fitting with what Disney was doing during the time. This was the era when they decided to buy Pixar, and I personally think the films they put out at the time were infinitely better. But our focus for this blog is just purely Disney and one of my favorite films during this period, which was Treasure Planet.

Today, we see these films like Treasure Planet as absolutely underrated. They have beautiful animation, realistic characters, and compelling stories! Yet they did not earn so much money, nor did they have the greatest reception among critics. What happened? 

Discogs

Treasure Planet is obviously Disney's rendition of the literature classic "Treasure Island", which was written by Robert Louis Stevenson. By rendition, I mean it's technically a scavenger quest set in outer space with some steampunk elements. It sounds pretty odd when I explain it, but this movie is visually stunning. I've always thought this was Disney's diamond in the rough, because it had such amazing characters and the story relied so much on them and how they grew. This movie totally thought out of the Disney box. Yet this movie did not make enough money, which kind of sucks. I learned this was a major passion project of Ron Clements and he has been pitching this idea to Katzenberg since "The Little Mermaid", and even if it was able to push through, it didn't nibble enough dough or credibility. Some critics thought the Sci-fi take was gimmicky and that the visuals and story didn't mesh well together. Well, these are criticisms I can understand, perfectly. "Lilo & Stitch" came out the same year and it is arguably a better film since it has the Disney undertones. Also there was still Hayao Miyazaki's "Spirited Away" taking the world by storm, so Treasure Planet had some major competitors and I guess it didn't hold up against them.

The Trailer

According to fellow Disnerds on the internet, Treasure Planet today is one of the most underrated Disney films due to the beautiful animation and unique take on story-telling. But why did it fail? Why did people prefer to see "Ice Age" or even "The Powerpuff Girls Movie" ? What did Disney exactly gamble during this time? 

THE DISNEY FORMULA

If you have seen at least fifty films from Disney, then you know how the Disney formula goes. It's safe to say they have been following this particular format-- almost strictly--since the rise of the Disney Renaissance ("The Little Mermaid") and is somewhat present in the current Disney and Pixar Blockbusters ("Zootopia", "Moana")

Here is a chart following the three-act structure to visualize:

My own version of the Disney Formula

Most Disney films follow this formula almost to a tee. But of course, they add their own variations to every film. Different characters, personalities, dynamics, settings, cultures, romances, dreams, trends, yadda yadda. But Disney keeps this because they know it works. The stories may be innately the same, but it does not matter because we get new forms of animation and character designs.

Saying Treasure Planet does not follow the Disney Formula, however, is a very biased lie. Of course it does! Only, it was able to get away with it because this was based on a book that already had a story. And it was not the buddy-cop kind that Disney usually cooked up.

For one thing, Jim Hawkins is nowhere near the Disney Protagonists during and before the Renaissance era. The closest similarity I can think of is Simba of "The Lion King", only Simba started out as very vain and just annoying as a kid. Jim, however, had this carefree and rebellious demeanor yet we eventually know that he's a clever kid. He's pretty much every 2000's chick flick's angst teen, but we understand why. His father left. Why? Nobody knows, but we do understand that this gave Jim the impression that he wasn't worthy of any attention. Because of this he was not the type of Disney character who had a vision or a dream. He didn't understand what he wanted until he held the map to Treasure Planet. Apart from the fact that he's been amazed by it since he was a kid, he realizes that he wanted to go on this quest because he wanted to prove himself useful, especially to his mother.

Throughout the film, he tries his very best to be someone useful. When people indirectly blame him for a tiny mistake, he takes it so hard because he simply hated the feeling of being a nuisance. This is why John Silver was a perfect compliment to his character. He's the supposed father figure Jim always wanted, and he tells things that Jim really needed to hear. 

Wattpad and Fanpop

We also see a rational conversation between mother and son, which is usually rare for Disney. Heck, the idea of having a live biological mother in a Disney movie was rare. Again, this is probably because of the original story of Treasure Island. But we all know most Disney movies that involve parents, always have some sort of death scene or at least some bickering that challenges the main protagonists' dreams and wants. But here, Jim's mother was just hesitant. She wants her son to be more open, but when she sees Jim suddenly having a vision for the two of them, she hesitantly (emphasis on hesitantly) agrees to let him go on this possibly dangerous journey. That is very odd but very meaningful for Disney. 

This movie also had the balls to shoehorn the romance in this, and it was done in a subtle way. Doctor Doppler and Captain Amelia don't really see eye to eye, due to their difference in character. But when they were able to spend some time together, they open up and become closer. The couple initiates the chemistry by merely respecting each other's presence. Again, very odd but meaningful for Disney. 

If Treasure Planet had these amazing relationships shown, why did it still fail? Why weren't the audiences able to see it at the time? 

DISNEY'S OTHERWORLDLY GLAMOUR

Oh My Disney and Fanpop

If I had to point out the weaker aspects of this film, it would be the overall tone. It is fairly consistent, but it was utterly serious, to the point that the visuals and setting did almost look…dare I say it, gimmicky. The grandeurs of the ship and different planets almost felt like a veil of glamour to cover the serious stuff that was actually the meat of the story. But Treasure Island was a really dragging story, if you think about it. The only thing that was worth investing on was the relationship between Jim Hawkins and Captain John Silver, and the movie did really well in pinpointing that.

But the conversations and the supposed emotional moments just looked way too mundane and adult. It is a shame not everyone gets to appreciate these scenes, because they carry the important weight of the movie and what it was all about. I remember the day after I saw the film in the movie house…I honestly did not remember the storyline. All I remembered was just the animation and how glorious the supernovas and black holes looked. When I got the VHS, it took me a few replays to understand what was up.

"Now you listen to me James hawkins! You got the makings of greatness in ya! But you gotta take the helm and chart your own course, stick to it! No matter the squalls! And when the time comes you get the chance to really test the cut of your sails, and show what you're made of, well....I hope I'm there, catching some of the light coming off of you that day" - John Silver to Jim Hawkins, Treasure Planet (2002)

Disney would usually be able to make this simple and clear by complimenting it with some fantastical elements, or sometimes through a song number. A perfect example of this is the "Lion King"; In the part when Simba is at the grasslands and he sees Mufasa in the night sky, that is a scene worth looking at because it is so otherworldly. The colors and the voice of James Earl Jones just encapsulates you so much, that you actually pay attention to what is happening and ultimately, to what they're saying. Admit it, we watch Disney because it shows so much possibilities that are not actually possible. But we don't care because it entertains us and it makes us…feel something. They also keep the messages very short and simple, and I think this is what Treasure Planet was not able to do.

The otherworldly elements in this movie were just used as parts to build the setting. The characters are designed to only interact with these steampunk-like items, and because of that they only appear mundane. That's not necessarily bad, but when you have something as awesome as a flying ship in space and you complement it with just a couple of guys having a pep talk…you can end up losing the attention of your audience…especially if they are children and most especially if you are a company like Disney. I can see a young adult getting engaged whilst watching the whole movie, but not a kid below fourteen.

Disney uses otherworldly concepts to tell the story. They show rather than tell by having a world filled with magic or a person with an odd or "magical" flaw. This drives your motivation to keep watching. Disney is very known for making surreal moments that do not really require that much dialogue. They are the experts of letting the scenes speak for themselves. Another few examples would be the dancing sequences in "Cinderella", "Sleeping Beauty", and even in "Beauty & the Beast". We enjoy these sequences, because we immediately understand what was being conveyed. Disney can make the simplest moments or feelings seem magical. 

Treasure Planet was just too listless in between the lines, making it very... "un-Disney". Is this a bad thing? Not really. 

QUIPPY VS. SERIOUSNESS: THE OVERALL MESSAGE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL AGE

Behind the Voice Actors and Fanpop

Treasure Planet and some of the films during the Experimental Age were not able capture the "Disney-ness". In the case of this movie, the entire world was just a museum that you just look at, then you go back to the usual problems the story needed to address. "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" was able to do capture that magical feeling somehow, but that film's problem lies more in the conflict it was trying to establish rather than the tone because at least it was much more self-aware. "Lilo & Stitch" had the emotional scenes with Nani and Lilo. It was not necessarily magical, but the realism behind their relationship was emotional. It seemed more effective in this case, because the story took place in a  much more realistic setting so we already know what to expect.

Pocahontas and the Disney Renaissance building up moments and emotions

Treasure Planet and Disney Experimental Age building up moments and emotions

When Pocahontas taught us to listen with our hearts, films of the Experimental Age taught us to listen with our other senses. They introduced a lot of new ideas and new concepts during this time, and it did not require that much of the usual Disney glamour. It got a pretty underwhelming response, because movies like Treasure Planet gave us very real moments in animation.  

I guess you can say that they faced tonal problems, or at least, they were not sure which tone to go with. They either relied too much on quips or pop cultural references to make the overall film comedic in nature ("The Emperor's New Groove", "Home on the Range"), or they just take their films too seriously like Treasure Planet. But one thing's for sure, Science Fiction and Aliens will get the kids' attention. If I had to point any issue between these movies, it's just this. Sometimes they worked, but often times they didn't. 

These films along with the others almost forgot to make relatable moments seem surreal, let alone magical, except maybe Atlantis or Lilo and Stitch. But these two different films gave us two different feelings. In a way, the experimental films kind of gave us different viewing experiences. They encouraged us to either look into the story with much more thought, or we could just let loose and have fun with it. 

As for Treasure Planet, it had a lot riding on its shoulders. The relationships are visibly present and the characters are self-realized, yet their transformations or character arcs were not easily grasped because of how average they appeared. That's okay, because we get explosions and awesome anti-gravity fight scenes to keep our eyes peeled on the screen. Unfortunately, we know deep down that it is a different use of the Disney Otherworldly Glamour (D.O.G. LOL); it is something that's used to fill in the gaps, rather it is the conduit of an entire Disney movie.

But like I said, this isn't really a bad thing. Doesn't mean Disney didn't put enough magic and sparkles in a scene, doesn't mean that it is a terrible movie. Treasure Planet and the other movies during the Experimental Age tried a different way of expressing emotions. They just showed conversations and meaningful communications the way they are, which is exactly how we express emotions to other people. 

Now that's over, Disney decided to recapture that magic with "The Princess and the Frog", which was ironically the last hand-drawn animation they have ever made. Then it became trial and error from that point on. But hey, at least they got it with "Coco" and "Moana" right? Right???

THE LOST TREASURE

Fanpop, Charactour, TV Tropes, Fanpop, Pinterest

It is very obvious that during the Experimental Age, people at Disney were trying to veer away from this magical, fairy-tale stuff that they have been doing for some time (meanwhile, Dreamworks is making fun of that aspect, with the help of a green ogre living in a franchise known for making fun of the same magical, fairy-tale stuff) and they wanted to try something very new and more importantly, they wanted to challenge their audience. 

You gotta give them some gold stars for trying something different, and this is why we now think they are so underrated. Mostly because they lacked the fantastical elements, but we now see this as an attempt to be unique. But at the same time, people were kind of looking for that pizzazz Disney had before. Since then, we gave Disney a new expectation; change but still be yourself. So when Frozen came out with ice powers and all, we all pooped it was another peak.

In the end, I still think Treasure Planet still holds up as a decent Disney movie. It has its flaws, but I think they can be easily overlooked now that I can comprehend things more. I hold the same opinion for most of the movies shown in the Experimental Age. Not all of them possessed the Disney flare or glamour, but that's what these films are truly known for. They kept the old Disney branding at bay. By doing that, they turned their back on the identity of their brand (something that they've worked so hard for decades, I might add) and decided to give a new facet or rather, a new mindset to the industry.

Instead of the following your heart lessons that the Disney Renaissance kept shoving down our throats, Experimental Age simply teaches us to think and observe. They gave us characters that not only thought about themselves or their dreams, but about other things.

Jim Hawkins is probably one of the few smart Disney protagonists that actually used their smarts to get out of a situation. He is also one of the firsts to have a very relatable back story, because he was designed to be like this typical teen.

Kuzco of Emperor's New Groove is another Disney Protagonist that actually learns a lesson in the end, and it's to think about others more.

Lilo is another compelling female protagonist because you actually believe that she is a child, and a very troubled one. You can't help but feel for her and you really want her to have a happy ending because of everything that she had to go through with her sister.

Couples like Milo and Kida of Atlantis or Amelia and Doppler of Treasure Planet tell us that if we want to have a strong relationship, respect, honesty, and open communication are the requirements to get your happily ever after.

These characters don't really tell us to follow our dreams nor are they glamoured. They're just regular beings that we may be able to relate to. This was something to get used to because Disney always showed us monarchs who had a life that almost seemed idealistic to us. They showed things we wanted to see, but this time they showed us things that we needed to see. Nowadays, a good Disney film is a mixture of both visions. 

The Experimental Age tried to tell us stories without the need to sugarcoat them with magic or romance, and that's an effort that I think that needs to be recognized. Sure, these films gambled their chances to earn more recognition and more money, but I think it was worth it. Time is their magic and it has a funny way of changing people's perspectives on one thing. If it weren't for the Experimental Age, I don't think Disney would be able to come up with better ways of storytelling and in creating more inspiring characters. Mistakes are inevitable and costly, but it is through trying or experimentation, that we truly learn. And this is one of Disney's newest facets.

How about you? Did you like the Experimental Age of Disney? Let me know in the comments below what you personally thought of it or if you have a favorite film from that era! It has been a while since I've done some sort of discussion on my blog and it feels good to do so. Till the next post~

Sources:
http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Disney_Post-Renaissance
http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Treasure_Planet
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