The Art Of "Atlantis: The Lost Empire"

[Dr.Bedlam 36100]

I have a copy of the Disney movie "Atlantis: The Lost Empire." It's not a very good movie. But I love the LOOK of the film -- the steampunk submarine, the strange, alien yet shamanistic lines of the lost city and its crystal-based technology and so forth. Still have all the little die-cast fish vehicles that came out around the time the movie was released.

http://floobynooby.blogspot.com/2011/10/disneys-atlantis-concept-art.html
 

They hired Mike Mignola ("Hellboy" creator) to do the concept art. Amazingly, his style and feel very much comes through in the finished film. I'm glad; I'm a Mignola fan from way back, including his non-Hellboy stuff; he did a four issue "Fafhrd and Gray Mouser" series that's still the best graphic adaptation of the stories ever done, far as I know.

LOVE me some concept art.

 

[Carnacki the Ghost Finder 2042]

Those are great sketches!  Hellboy is one of the only mainstream comics that can hold my attention (even if he doesn't draw it often enough).   I was also struck by how his style actually came through in the movie itself.  By coincidence I am just rereading the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser series.

 

Makes me want to watch that movie again!

[estrus 1047]

I picked up a bunch of the toys from the movie cheap.  They were great to take apart for bitz and accessories.

[Bruunwald 3599]

I dunno. We own Atlantis. Watched it many times. It's not a bad movie at all. It has heart. Good animation. Some fun concepts. Funny character or two. Decent voice overs. Interesting music. Plus Leonard Nimoy (who turns 83 today).

 

I think it became cool during the early 2000s to claim that every Disney flick featuring traditional animation was the film that "killed Disney's traditional animation department." People said that about Atlantis, and about Treasure Planet (which is a pretty decent flick, too), and about The Emperor's New groove, among others. None of those were bad films, by any stretch.

 

Atlantis wasn't great. It's a bit sappy and predictable. But it isn't bad, either.

[Last Knight 38819]

I dunno. We own Atlantis. Watched it many times. It's not a bad movie at all. It has heart. Good animation. Some fun concepts. Funny character or two. Decent voice overs. Interesting music. Plus Leonard Nimoy (who turns 83 today).

 

I think it became cool during the early 2000s to claim that every Disney flick featuring traditional animation was the film that "killed Disney's traditional animation department." People said that about Atlantis, and about Treasure Planet (which is a pretty decent flick, too), and about The Emperor's New groove, among others. None of those were bad films, by any stretch.

 

Atlantis wasn't great. It's a bit sappy and predictable. But it isn't bad, either.

Ditto, I really enjoyed Atlantis. But then, I liked Treasure Planet, too...

 

Also, dieselpunk. Not steampunk. Related concepts, different technology.

[Dr.Bedlam 36100]

Well, I never said it was a BAD movie. But it's sappy, predictable, and while its voice cast tries gamely, it never quite gets off the ground.

But mighod, the set design... the fish machines... and yeah, dieselpunk. 

And I do wonder what Mike Mignola is doing these days. It sure ain't drawin' a lot of Hellboy. Still, whatever fills his bank account...

[Pingo 109314]

He's the guy who did "Chronicles of Corum", right? I kind of lost track after that. But he was pretty good.

[Dr.Bedlam 36100]

He did "Chronicles of Corum?"

[Pingo 109314]

(Goes and checks) Yes. Lovely work. Glad he's doing well.

[Dilvish the Deliverer 50810]

Could have sworn Chronicles of Corum was by Michael Moorcock? 

 

Or is this a comic or some other treatment of the source material?