Movies I like that are criminally underrated #1

1. Atlantis: The Lost Empire
   

What I love about this movie is how imaginative it is. It's like Disney meets Indiana Jones. The steampunk aesthetic was quite welcome for me. It's so rare that a mainstream movie uses elements of steampunk. For a lot of people, I think this movie was too different from typical Disney fare. Now I love the Princess and the animal movies that Disney does but Atlantis was a really amazing experiment where they did something in another direction.

What's amazing about this movie is how much imagination went into it. The technology used in the movie looks unlike anything else in any other movie. Somehow it feels ancient yet very advanced at the same time. The voice cast in this movie is quite stellar. Michael J Fox does a good job as milo and Leanard Nimoy as the King of Atlantis was a good choice. The side characters while not as developed as they could have been were all indeed quite likable. One thing that sets this movie apart from other Disney movies is the lack of songs. In this case that's a good thing because making this movie into a musical would have been a pretty bad idea. The soundtrack in this movie is indeed quite majestic and sets the tone for this movie.

This movie was an interesting experiment from Disney. It definitely has inspiration from Japanese Anime (Castle in The Sky comes to mind). There is also some inspiration from comic books. The final battle during this movie feels like something straight out of a really good action-packed comic book. That's all I'm going to say. While this movie didn't make much money in the theater it's since gained a bit of a cult status. Honestly, I would be up for Disney making a live-action version of Atlantis. I'd love to see it. If you have not seen this movie definitely give it a chance. Yes it's very different from typical Disney fare but it's imaginative and fun in its own way. If you're not a Disney fan you might actually like this because it goes in a different direction than your typical Disney movie. If you saw it a long time ago maybe give it another chance. This movie is definitely underrated and deserves more praise than it gets.

My rating 9/10

1. Treasure Planet

Another Disney movie that like Atlantis went in a completely different direction. This movie is really incredible on a visionary level in the fact that it combines traditional 2-D animation with CGI computer animation. The animation blends so well that often it's hard to tell where the hand-drawn ends and the CGI begins. The character John Silver is one such character where he is drawn partially traditionally and partially in CGI.
The aesthetic of this movie is quite fascinating indeed. I love how it combines science fiction with the 17th-century pirates aesthetic. It's basically George Lucas meets Treasure Island and then animated by Disney. The visuals in this movie are quite incredible and while some sequences of CGI animation might not hold up it's still quite a sight to look at.
This movie adapts the book Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson and sets it in space. Not admittingly this idea is probably too unwieldy for some and I can completely respect that. If you're the type of person that likes ideas that are "out there" then this movie might be for you. Some of the visuals in this movie remind me of "Avatar" and others remind me of traditional pirates. This movie combines totally different time periods and aesthetics just as it combines different animation styles to make something incredibly unique and worthy of watching.

The voice cast in this movie is indeed a plus. Joseph-Gordon Levitt does a good job as the protagonist Jim Hawkins. His voice fit quite perfectly. Martin Short as "B.E.N." was indeed quite funny. Brian Murray as John Silver added to the character with his gravelly voice. The characters are all indeed quite interesting. What's interesting is how unlike most Disney films these characters in the movie exhibit at least a small amount of greyness. Particularly John Silver. While he may not be perfect he does a lot of good things. While this is a fantasy movie the character development is handled better than most Disney films or animated features.

While this movie may not be perfect it's definitely worth a watch. Like Atlantis, it was largely stubbed at the box office. I guess it was just too different for most people. I'd just like the people who made and worked on this film to know that I and some others really enjoyed this movie. It's a fun animated fantasy/sci-fi film and it's given me plenty of thrills since I was a kid. Even as a grown-up I still enjoy this film very much so. I hope that people who have not seen this film give it a chance and make their own conclusions about the films.

My rating 8/10

Cloud Atlas

This movie is absolutely incredible. There is so much going on in this film and it's one of those movies that has sparked a lot of talk and philosophical discussions. Many people don't understand exactly what the film is about. In my view perhaps it is not meant to be overanalyzed but simply enjoyed. The film tells not just one story but 6 and each of these stories all connect with one another in some sort of way. What's incredible about this movie is how each of these stories which span across several centuries is all interconnected. Personally I think the point of the movie is how one person's actions can affect the course of history even if they cannot see it during their own lifetimes.
The acting is phenomenal in this movie. What's great about this movie is seeing these actors take on different roles in each story through the movie. I've never seen anything like that before in a movie. The makeup and costume design is incredible. I couldn't even recognize some of the actors in certain segments of the movie due to all the makeup and their drastic wardrobe changes. The soundtrack is also incredible. In fact, one of the tracks plays a key role in one of the stories but that's all I'll say.
Each story feels a bit like its own movie. This movie essentially ties together multiple smaller movies to make one epic movie. It truly is a film unlike any other. Many people won't resonate with this film for how different it is. I like this movie precisely because it is unlike anything I have ever seen anymore and it's one of a kind movie that really can't be compared to anything. This is a great movie that really isn't meant to be digested and analyzed it's an emotional and spiritual experience. I thoroughly love this movie and will definitely rewatch it again and again.

My rating 10/10