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'Atlantis: The Lost Empire:' the Beginning of Modern Disney

This is a look at 'Atlantis: The Lost Empire' and how it could have been the start of what we now know as the modern Disney era.

By Erin O'NeilPublished 5 years ago 4 min read
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Via shopDisney

Disney movies can generally be broken into eras, a time of popularity of Disney films being high as well as a lot of them coming out fairly close together. Some examples are Classic, Renaissance, and Modern. The easiest way to distinguish eras is by looking at their princesses. Of course, this can be done in other ways too, but the princesses are a little more straightforward. In the Classic era, we have Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. All of whom were basically just waiting around for Prince Charming. The Renaissance includes: Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. Their defining characteristic was a curiosity about the world outside of their own lives. Mulan is the only exception to this, since instead of being curious, she was simply different from what was expected of a girl in the time she lived in. The Modern era is considered to have started with Tiana. If Kida had been made a Disney princess, it would have started with her.

The Modern Era

Via College Fashion

The princesses of the Modern era are Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Anna, Elsa, and Moana. What sets them apart from previous princesses is that they have larger concerns than who they’re going to marry. In the case of Merida, she openly rebels against arranged marriage until her mother and the lords realize that they should let their children decide who they want to love.

Another characteristic of the Modern era has been better male characters in Disney films. In older films, male characters generally had one of two functions. Either they were the designated love interest of a princess, or they had some goal to reach/obstacle to overcome and that was the entirety of their character. They had no real depth or personality to them. In recent years, they’ve gotten better. Naveen is a selfish and entitled prince. He learns how to become self-sufficient and to appreciate what he has through hard work, and experiencing the world from a different perspective. Flynn Rider is a vain criminal who thinks money will solve all his problems. Over the course of his time with Rapunzel, he realizes that there is more to life and happiness than just money.

These trends could have started much sooner if Atlantis had been more successful when it was released. This would have led to Kida being made a Disney princess, and the realization and recognition that these trends are present in Atlantis.

Milo and Kida

Via Pop Sugar

As the two central characters of the story, Milo and Kida both illustrate traits found in modern Disney characters. Kida is concerned about her people and how they will survive. This leads to her asking questions and challenging the way her father has been ruling. She understands that something needs to change in order for her people to thrive again. She’s resourceful, intelligent, and speaks her mind, not allowing others to make her decisions for her. Milo is a scholar who has spent his entire career trying to prove that Atlantis exists. He’s a little naive, and fairly geeky in his appearance. This makes him very different from most Disney leading men. He ends up learning that he doesn’t need to prove that Atlantis exists, as long as he knows that it exists.

The Rest of the Team

Via Trope and Dagger

The other characters who go on the expedition are also very well done. Even though they don’t play as big a part, they are each memorable and interesting. They could have easily been very cliched or forgotten, but they weren’t. Vinny is funny because he has so many ways to blow things up, but started out in a flower shop. Audrey is a teenager who is an expert in auto mechanics and is just as tough as any man in the group. Sweets looks like an imposing guy, but is really quite lovely and has a background in modern medicine (for the time of the film), and more traditional ways of healing. Cookie and Mrs. Packard are similar in that they are both a little old fashioned compared to the rest of the group, and a little more on the outside of things. They are both also extremely loyal to the group, despite the fact that they aren’t quite as close as the others. Then there’s Mole, an expert geologist who seems to have been raised by actual moles, or something of that nature. He doesn’t really have any boundaries and is almost like the group’s pet or child.

Atlantis The Lost Empire was released eight years before The Princess and the Frog. One can only imagine how different certain Disney movies would have been if it had been more successful.

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About the Creator

Erin O'Neil

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