Why Treasure Planet is the Best Disney Movie

I recently rewatched Treasure Planet which I hadn’t seen in quite a few years. It was one if the Disney we didn’t own and had to rent so I didn’t get to watch it as much as I probably would have.

For those of you who some how don’t know this movie, Treasure Planet, released in 2002, is a sci-fi/steampunk adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island featuring the usual suspects of Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), a teenage adolescent unsure of who he is and pining for adventure and John Silver (Brian Murray), a cyborg pirate cook who is seeking Captain Flint’s legendary “loot of a thousand worlds”. Instead of a parrot, Silver’s companion is Morph (Dane Davis), a small creature that can morph into any form.

Other characters you meet include Dr. Delbert Doppler (David Hyde Pierce), an anthropomorphic dog and astronomer, the combination of Dr. Livesey and Squire Trelawney from Treasure Island, Captain Amelia (Emma Thompson), an anthropomorphic cat and the captain of the RLS Legacy (a hybrid of a spaceship and water ship based on Treasure Island's Hispaniola; "RLS" are Robert Louis Stevenson's initials), an analogue to Captain Alexander Smollett, B.E.N. (Martin Short), a robot who literally "lost his mind"; abandoned on Treasure Planet by Captain Flint based on Treasure Island's Ben Gunn, Scroop (Michael Wincott), a vicious spider-/crab-like crewman on the RLS Legacy, a rough analogue to Israel Hands in the book, and many more.

Not only did they do a great job of capturing Stevenson’s story and putting it in outer space, they also did an amazing job creating a visually stunning space world that seemed more warm, alive and real than most sci-fi depictions. They also created the concept of "Etherium," an outer space filled with atmosphere so the characters didn’t have to wear space suits and helmets. The whole movie is just beautiful to look at, from the space port to Treasure Planet itself and the wide areas of space in between. Also the music they chose ties so well into the movie and it’s themes being mostly orchestral in nature mixing the spirit of Star Wars and Celtic music though includes two moderately successful pop singles ("I'm Still Here" and "Always Know Where You Are") from The Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik.

The plot of the film pretty much follows that of the book (but, in space, of course). Jim Hawkins rescues Billy Bones (Patrick McGoohan) who’s ship crashes on the planet Montressor near the Benbow Inn that his mother owns. The dying pirate gives Jim a sphere and tells him to ‘beware the cyborg’. Later, the inn is attacked and burned to the ground and Jim, his mother and their family friend, Dr. Doppler, flee. Upon discovering the sphere is a map that leads to Captain Flint’s treasure, Doppler commissions the RLS Legacy to seek the hidden hoard. Friendships, deaths, mutiny, adventure and action ensues.

A thing I liked that they did was though the father-son relationship between Jim Hawkins and John Silver was present in the book, they emphasized it more in the movie. I always love it when media takes a break from the romance and show us another kind of love and relationship which are more relatable and more important.

A critique I heard about the movie was turning Jim Hawkins too old. Terry Rossio, who worked on the script said: ”Treasure Island, the book, is a boy's adventure, about a young cabin boy who matches wits with a crew of bloodthirsty pirates. All of the key scenes are made more dramatic by the fact that it's a young kid who is in danger... Treasure Planet made the kid into a young man. Which dilutes the drama of all the situations, start to finish... Instead of being an amazing and impressive kid, he became a petulant unimpressive teen.”

But, I think that in changing Jim’s age, it became something deeper than just an adventure. It became a story of finding yourself and your place in this wide universe and that is something we can all relate stronger to, no matter what age.

Treasure Planet has now made it onto my list of all-time favorite movies and definitely one I will watch with my kids whenever that happens. I highly recommend this movie and hope you all enjoy this tale of adventure, pirates and find yourself.