6.8 | / 10 |
Users | 0.0 | |
Reviewer | 4.0 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
A young adventurer named Milo Thatch joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis.
Starring: Michael J. Fox, Cree Summer, John Mahoney, Leonard Nimoy, James GarnerFamily | 100% |
Animation | 90% |
Adventure | 68% |
Fantasy | 52% |
Sci-Fi | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.35:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
English: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1 (640 kbps)
Portuguese: Dolby Digital 5.1
Portuguese Track is also 640 kbps.
English, English SDH, French, Portuguese, Spanish
25GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Region A (B, C untested)
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 3.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.0 |
Disney is well aware of the appeal and reach of its catalog, down to the best and worst films in its canon. Titles like Cinderella and Peter Pan arrive separately and to great fanfare, while other titles shuffle onto shelves en masse, sans the red-carpet treatment afforded their Platinum and Diamond Edition brethren. In August 2012, it was The Aristocats, The Rescuers, The Rescuers Down Under, Pocahontas, Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World, The Tigger Movie and Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, all released on the same day. Earlier this year, in March, it was The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Mulan, Mulan II, Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2. And now animation fans can add six more movies to their Blu-ray collection with Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Atlantis 2: Milo's Return, Lilo & Stitch, Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch, The Emperor's New Groove and Kronk's New Groove.
But something is amiss this go around. Once again, the original films and their direct-to-video sequels are paired on single BD-50 discs. This time, though, only Atlantis includes special features on the Blu-ray disc itself. Extras for Lilo & Stitch and The Emperor's New Groove (and their sequels) are relegated to the bonus DVD copies in each 2-Movie set. Moreover, video and audio are vastly improved, but the transfers suffer from a number of (admittedly minor) issues. Combined with the displaced extras, it's hard to miss Disney's diminishing standards. Packing a 2-Movie Collection on a single disc is becoming more and more important to the studio; more important than delivering the fullest, most intuitive experience.
And the films? The theatrically released features are as divisive as ever. Some will find them decidedly desperate and unimaginative; a pale imitation of the Disney Renaissance greats. Others, like myself, will find a few flawed but fun, and one -- Lilo & Stitch -- a bonafide classic, seeing the trio as a not-so-distant spiritual extension to those same Renaissance classics. The direct-to-video sequels, though, aren't nearly as polished or entertaining on the whole, making the 2-Movie Collections hit or miss pairings primed to placate longtime fans and underwhelm the unconverted.
The Ulysses
First things first. Atlantis: The Lost Empire's remastered 1080p/AVC-encoded video presentation bests its long-outdated DVD counterparts in every conceivable way. The short version of this review is that fans owe it to themselves to upgrade, no matter what problems plague Disney's 2-Movie Collection release. However, that doesn't mean there aren't a few issues to discuss. Aliasing, inherent and otherwise, is a (thankfully mild) frequent offender, and minor macroblocking, banding and ringing appear throughout. Some of the anomalies no doubt trace back to the source and the integration of CG and hand-drawn elements. I'm willing to give those a pass. Other eyesores, though, don't appear to be the result of a dated source, and in fact suggest the overuse of artificial sharpening. No one issue is a deal breaker, and there are just too many positives to rattle off to declare the presentation an out-and-out disappointment. Colors are often restrained but always lovely. Black levels are rich and inky. Primaries boast real power. Contrast is filmic and consistent. Detail is exacting, and the animator's line art is crisp and refined. And every nuance and touch that went into the film has been preserved. All in all, I'm not about to hail Disney a conquering hero on this one, but as someone with affection for Atlantis, I'm still pleased.
The high point of Atlantis: The Lost Empire -- and, really, the entire two-movie disc -- is Disney's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, which lends heft, presence, immersion and authority to a mix that benefits from everything the lossless experience has to offer. Dialogue is clean, clear and capably prioritized, and effects and James Newton Howard's score are never short-changed or under-supported. LFE output is strong and assertive, with deep, earthy dooms and hard-hitting thooms. Explosions, eruptions and rending metal sound particularly good, and the rear speakers only help. The soundfield is enveloping and well-managed, surrounding the listener believably without resorting to gimmicks or overbearing directional bells and whistles. Cross-channel pans are smooth, directionality is accurate, and dynamics are excellent. I'm a happy man.
The 2-Movie Collection release of Atlantis: The Lost Empire / Atlantis: Milo's Return is a 3-disc set. However, in what has now become Disney's practice, the feature films are housed on a single BD-50, with two standard DVDs -- one for each movie -- rounding out the set. It's far from perfect; some will deem it convenient, others an irritation.
Atlantis weathered the worst Disney Animation's early 21st century storms and has retained its dignity, which is more than can be said for other Disney animated features released between 2000 and 2009. With plenty of style, character and charm, it's a terrifically entertaining adventure, even if it's admittedly as divisive a classic as ever. Imperfect as it may be, though, Disney's Blu-ray release deserves both praise and caution. Praise for the upgrade it offers over DVD, for its lossless audio track, and for its solid selection of supplemental content. Caution for its video transfer, which has its share of issues, and for the god-awful sequel that shares its BD-50. All told, Atlantis is a worthwhile addition to any Disney fan's shelves, despite some red flags I wish the studio had addressed before the film's Blu-ray debut.
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