Cinema Review (From Barry And District News)

Cinema Review

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (U) ***

THIS hasn't been a good year for Disney. With Pearl Harbor being battered and Shrek a laughing stock, only Atlantis (a traditional Disney flick) could save them from humiliation.

Milo Thatch is a enthusiastic wannabe explorer who wants to look for Atlantis, a city engulfed in a huge flood. When a wealthy philanthropist funds Milo's quest, he teams up with a band of mercenaries.

Unlucky Disney: this was the biggest flop of the summer as it struggled to make $80 million in 20 weeks at the US box office. But the film doesn't have many faults and still manages to please audiences.

There are no furry characters. The story is captivating despite some brief elements of Stargate and Sphere but subtitles are not very wise when your target audience are children.

Kids are not into Snow White and Jungle Book any more. They like a bit of action in their films and Atlantis gives them what they want. Of course the love interest and the daft characters are still there - but times have changed and so have kids.

Michael J Fox as the voice of Milo really does put some life into the character.

It is flawed, but kids won't notice - so who cares?