Treasure Planet

Soooo...I have never watched Treasure Planet because apparently I'm a horrible person. This week, however, I sat down to watch it for the first time. Before I begin, here is a list of things I knew before starting the movie:

1. It's based on Treasure Island which I have read.

2. It takes place in space.

3. It's got this cute pink guy.

4. According to IMDB it features the vocal talents of Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson, and Martin Short, all of whom I love dearly. 

Now that I've gotten that out of the way...

Right away they've captured me with the music. There's this space fight with space pirates. All of it is narrated by a guy who honestly has the best dang voice I've ever heard. He puts James Earl Jones to shame....not really, but he's close. I'd also like to point out that at one point the Jaws theme is played. Subtle, Disney. Then we see the infamous Captain Flint, terrorist of the seas...or skies. Whatever.

                    WHAT IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY IS THIS SATANIC BEING?

     Now I'm kind of glad that I never watched this as a kid. Speaking of kids, we see our first glimpse of our story's protagonist: Jim Hawkins. He's quite an adorable little lad. It's a very whimsical beginning to a film as his mom tells him Captain Flint's story. Some things I'm noticing about color:

       1. There are lots of golds, reds, and greens.

       2. Gold, throughout the film, is usually only shown when symbolizing wealth or fortune. For instance, the gold on the pirate ship above.

       3. Red is usually shown when it symbolizes danger. I will elaborate as more examples reveal themselves.

       4. Green is our adventure symbol. It is the color Hawkins wears throughout the movie.

   

                    Psst: there's green coming out of the book. Hint hint wink wink. 

   Kids love adventure. They are always pretending and use their wide imaginations to dream up adventurous scenarios. I have a theory on why this is: children are immobile to society. They are young and untainted by the world. They are pure and are told to live boring lives. It's not the fault of society, but the fault of innocence. They are not skilled and are not educated. They have not developed common sense or talent. This is what I mean by "immobile to society". If you look at the raw fundamentals of childhood, you would assume that they are consumed in boredom. Children, however, are blessed with something that adults tend to lack: imagination. They compensate for the lack of mobility in their lives through pretense. That is why they are drawn to adventure. It's one of the few gifts they have that adults do not.

    Flash forward twelve years later and we see our hero again. (Photo taken from later in the movie). 

                               

Id like to take a moment to appreciate the fact that Jim has baggy clothing, a rat tail/half-shaved bowl cut combo, a skateboard, and an earring. But it's okay because those things were cool in 2002. 

     Also notice how he still has hints of green but it's extremely faded. His childlike wonderment is gone for the most part. 

     Apparently Jim's super-cool single mom runs an inn (seriously this woman is crazy cool! She's a single parent with a job who loves her son and her career. All while being absolutely gorgeous).

     It looks like a good number of the characters are actually animals, so basically it's like any other Disney movie, just set in space. We find that robo cops are downers as they drag a distraught Jim into the inn and cramp his style as they hand his poorly-dressed butt back to his mother. Right off the bat we know that Jim is suffering some emotional damage. I believe this has to do with his lack of father. I'm not saying that fatherless children grow up to be delinquents. That's a generalization. I am saying that boys need a male influence in their lives to teach them how to be a gentleman. Jim doesn't have that....unless you count Delbert (did I mention him? He's pretty nifty). Jim also has an unconventional hobby: solar surfing, which is basically the outer space equivalent to skateboarding. He also builds these space skateboards. This is an expression of both Jim's need for adventure and his longing to escape his circumstance. He is trapped in reality, and he craves adventure because it is not contained in his situation. 

     So our dear friend Jim Hawkins goes gallivanting about and suddenly there's a crash. And then the audience is indulged to the image of the creepiest flippin' turtle anyone has ever seen.

     

                                                           Why? Just WHY?

      So Jimmy, being the intellectual he is, decides to help the creepy turtle guy. Because why not? The turtle says some stuff resembling "Beware the cyborg!"(ooooh! Cyborg!) and then bites the dust in possibly the most dramatic on-screen death this generation has ever seen. This guy deserves an Oscar and a slow clap. Cue suspense.

     Jim grabs that chest-looking thing and heads for the inn. A few sparks later and there is no inn, but luckily Jim and his madre find shelter at Delbert's house (I think it's Delbert's house. I've never seen this before). Inside the treasure chest its....IT'S......WAIT FOR IT......an orb!

     

                                                                  Take it in, folks.

               Delbert delivers the bad news that it could take forever to open it since it's so complicated and whatnot, but Jim presses a few buttons and voila: it's a map. This is once again comparing youth and adulthood (seems to be a reoccurring theme with Disney). Older individuals are more sensible after being corrected countless times by reality. They think complexly. Younger individuals have not yet learned to see things as complicated and think simplistically. This is why Jim finds the map so easily. 

            

                                This isn't the sort of map you'd find in Dora's backpack. 

This is high-tech space stuff. Notice that it's GREEN. Naturally, the map leads to Treasure Planet so Delbert and Jim Hawkins get all excited and decide to go on a field trip. Mama Hawkins vetoes that plan, but after some light convincing, she lets her baby go...and Delbert of course. 

         Next they head to...dun dun dun....the spaceport!

       

                                                    I recognize this from the trailer!!!!! 

         I actually anticipated this part so much that it's kind of anticlimactic now. Side note: Delbert is super prepared for this journey.

        

                                                      Not today, pirates! Not today!

      They head over to their ship and meet the interesting crew. Good news: The captain is a woman. Yay feminism. Bad news: that means she has to fall in love with someone. At this point in my first viewing I had to ask myself if she was too old for our dear Jim. I decided yes. So that means she's probably going to fall in love with Delbert. 

      

                               After all, they've already got the sexual tension nailed.

           Plus I'm pretty sure that he's a dog and she's a cat. That just screams potential love story. Emma Thompson, I mean, Captain Amelia, sends Jim to work with Mr. Silver in the kitchen. Having read Treasure Island, I know where this is going. Turns out Mr. Silver is a cyborg so plot twist.

            

                             ITS THE PINK GUY! 'WAITED MY ENTIRE CHILDHOOD FOR THIS!

         Turns out, I really really really like the little pink guy. Too bad he hangs out with the creepers. Jim, once again pulling from his intellect, decides to go into stealth mode and interrogate the cyborg. That, shockingly, doesn't work all that well. Meanwhile, it's the most convenient look out ever:

       

                                        Look at how happy he is to be doing his job. 

        It also turns out that Captain Amelia doesn't actually do anything. She just orders people around. 

   In other news: Space whales!!

       

                                                      You know, I speak whale. 

    While I'm on a picture rampage...

       

 These guys make Davy Jones' crew in POTC look like unicorns made out of lollipops and happiness.
So some stuff goes down and Jim Hawkins gets in a tussle with this handsome fella:

      

                                        This guy just looks like a joy to be around.

       But of course Jim gets away because every villain has that compulsive disorder where they have to lecture their prey before they actually do any damage, so Mr. Silver comes to the rescue. Villains of the world, listen up: Stop being so dang talkative!! That is all. 

       Since that picture is up, take a moment to notice Jim's scar. The scar is a physical reflection of the trauma he went through with his father's departure and the manifestation of how it still effects Jim today.  

        I've decided that the pink thing is the best. The plot thickens as we learn that there is a mutiny in the works. That's what happens when you don't "Beware the cyborg" like the creepy turtle told you to. Then as Jim and Silver cross paths, this idiot has to thank him for saving him from the crustacean. Don't thank him, Jim! Don't you know a bad guy when you see one?

         In this next scene, Jim and Silver become good friends at which point I'm banging my head rapidly into the wall. Do the words "Beware the cyborg" mean ANYTHING to you? Don't "Befriend the cyborg!", "Beware the cyborg!"

          This scene does have great music though and some pretty decent flashbacks...not decent for Jim though because his father left him. Interestingly enough, these flashbacks never show the dad's face. This means a lot of things. First of all, it means that Jim never really got to know his father. His father being faceless shows that Jim never had a chance to identify with him. Second of all, it means that his father didn't have a lasting impression on Jim. The face is symbolic for emotional impact of which he had no positive impression on Jim. Lastly, it symbolizes the father's death to Jim. The father is completely out of the picture and has no bearing on Jim whatsoever. 

            Jim seems to be really latching onto Silver. This also deals with him being fatherless. Jim has never had a father figure and therefore has subconsciously longed for one. Opportunity presented itself and Jim latched on. 

          Let's talk about our friendly neighborhood cyborg shall we? Being a cyborg is an important quality to Silver. It represents his dual personalities and his facade. Part of him is flesh. It's soft and stable, tangible, and warm. Most of all: it's real. This is who Silver is when he's with Jim. The other part of him is metal. It's mechanical and he tells it how to work. It's hard and complicated, detailed, and tough. Most of all: it's fake. This is who Silver is with the other pirates. 

          I'm gonna throw a quote out there real quick: "You give up a few things chasing a dream." Ain't that the truth? If that's not deep then I don't know what is. 

          Next, the ship runs into some complications and Jim is given the task of securing everyone to the ship, which is interesting. Jim at this point in the movie is attempting to secure his life and find stability. He wants to be tied down. This is what he's trying to give to everyone on the ship. 

             There's lots of action, and Captain Amelia is actually doing things. Delbert, the unsung hero, does some math stuff that I'm not skilled enough to decipher. Then the movie takes its first casualty (excluding Mr. Turtle) in the form of the trusty first mate. Someone's rope was not secure. Cue bagpipes. They have a short but sweet ceremony and it's truly beautiful. If you're gonna cry, now is the part to do it (unless you did your crying during the flashbacks). 

            You know what we haven't talked about in a while? Colors! I said in the beginning that red indicated danger. You might also have noticed that the talkative creep is red. Also, the first mate was wearing a red coat, so his death was foreshadowed from the beginning. 

              Amelia thanks Delbert for his help which, for her, is basically a confession of love. I...wait for it....ship them! I love me a good pirate pun. 

            On a less joyous note, Jim is dealing with the intense guilt of killing a guy. Although, I don't think he did it. If you ask me it was Mr. Chatty Kathy over there. Also am I the only one who sees this every time I look at Silver and Jim?

      

           Mr. Silver and Mad-Eye both have a fake eye and leg. Harry and Jim both have a scar and are fatherless. 

                        Coincidence? I think n...actually it is just a coincidence. 

      Jim goes all creeper and stalks the pirates who are talking about a mutiny in the works. I bet he's wishing that he beware-d the cyborg now. So all in one day, Jim has killed a guy and learned that his father-figure is betraying him. That's what I would consider a rough day. But, all hope is not lost because Treasure Planet is in sight!!! 
   

 

                                              *singing* and its GREEE-EEEN.

              Then Jim and Silver have an unfortunate meeting. That awkward moment when your bestie knows that you know that he's not your bestie anymore. Jim finally has an intellectual moment, however, and stabs Silver's leg before taking off. Finally, he beware-d the cyborg! I'm so proud. Silver and Jimmy get into this race for the orb. My question is: why doesn't Jim just have Morph decoy as the orb? Honestly, it's the perfect plan. Jim gets the orb, however, and takes off. Silver has the perfect opportunity to shoot Jim and does not take that opportunity. He has a heart! It's probably mechanical and made of metal but it's a heart!

             Turns out Captain Amelia was injured. Take care of her, Delby! This is your opportunity to swoop in and claim your woman! Captain Amelia asks for the map, and Jim hands it to her. Unfortunately it turns into Morph. Seriously, Morph? Now you decide to take my advice? Delbert does, in fact, take care of Amelia. Meanwhile, Jim and his pink buddy go exploring. 

             They find an adorable robot!! 

    

       If he's been on this planet for a hundred years then why isn't he like the tin man yet? Logic.

     Another quote that tickles my fancy, "You go a little nuts!" Get it? That's some genuine humor, right there. Update: BEN is my new favorite character. He's a gem, I tell ya. Jim and the rest of the crew powwow at BEN's home and Delbert settles in to spend some quality time with his bae. 

     

     Now not only do they have sexual tension but deep emotional chemistry. Isn't that the dream?

          Silver's caught up with the gang and offers a meeting with "no tricks". Pay attention, folks; I'm about to give a public service announcement. If someone says "no tricks" it always means "Yes, there's definitely tricks!" The end.

           Jim, ignoring my advice, goes to meet Silver. They share plans and a threat. It's a fun time had by all. Until Jim tells him what's up and heads back for BEN's house. Good news, BEN has machinery under his house that acts as tunnels. Ooooh machinery! They sneak out and Jim hijacks a boat to get to the bigger boat. Then, our least favorite crustacean makes an unwelcome appearance. Stuff gets pretty scary, and then turns into one of those zero-gravity combat scenes that we all love. Finally, the creep falls to his death. 

              I would say "victory" but unfortunately, Silver has once again caught up. He leads a parade of pirates and captives to where the map leads to. Turns out it's this door that changes locations. Kind of like a portal. So I guess that window at the beginning was foreshadowing. 

      

                                                Didn't see that coming, did you?

       I love this part of the movie because it's so easy to see Jim becoming a man. He shows so much more leadership qualities and independence. 

       Special shout-out to the writer for the Moby Dick reference. Treasure!

      

                                             And it's gold! ...literally and figuratively.
           Ahem. Notice the red sails up ahead though. We now know that this is a BAD thing. Before we get into the gruesome details on that, BEN gets his mind back! Yay! And then there's this thing about a booby trap and a self-destruct system so that's a downer.

          Back at the ship, Delbert finds the joy in having tiny wrists and breaks himself and his woman free from the "brutish pirates". The pirates and adventurers team up and put their heads together. Jim decides he can get to the portal on time if he has a solar surfboard. So if you're showing a rather odd interest in the rare craft of skateboard or surfboard making, you are in luck. This movies proves that it comes in handy. Silver helps Jim, and it's really weird, because they're not on the best terms. Seriously, they betrayed each other, threatened each other, and then one of them held the other one hostage. It's not an ideal relationship. 

           Guess what? They survive!! Yay for teamwork. Here's how it goes down:

          They escaped without any gold showing that the adventure was more important than the wealth. It's more important to live a fulfilled life than a successful one. In fact, happiness is success. Experience beats wealth. 

           More important than anything else is that Delbert and Amelia do fall in love! Called it! Such a lovely couple...

            All of the pirates are headed to jail, so that's fun.

           Jim is wandering around the ship and he comes across dear old Cyborg Silver trying to make a run for it. Busted. They have this beautiful heart-to-heart and realize some things. They are completely different. They want different things in life, but they still have a soft spot for each other. They bro it out and decide to part ways. Also, Morph converts to Team Jim. Jim decides to make a life for himself and Silver decides to stick with pirating. He also gives Jim some treasure he snuck off the planet for Jim's mom to restart her business. Basically, as everyone's favorite talk show host would say:

    

                                                              Everyone gets a future!

          So Jim returns home to possibly the best single parent ever and picks his life up. I'd also like to mention that he ditches the baggy clothes and wears white and....Gold! He is living a treasure life, folks. He got the treasure and he didn't need an ounce of money to do it. 

           Another thing I respect is that he didn't have to find love. The movie wasn't about making yourself into a couple. It was about making yourself happy, and isn't that the first step? Jim learned to love himself. Mark my words, though...he will get a girl someday. He's got everything women are looking for. 

       

                               I mean, who doesn't love a guy with a sexy, anorexic mullet?