Part INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE, part 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE marries mythology, cool futuristic underwater space crafts, and turn-of-the-century adventure for an animated treat. Thanks in part to cowriter Joss Whedon (creator of the edgy BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER series), the film is filled with relaxed wit and more grown-up, pseudo-supernatural perils than some recent Disney films, without being inappropriate for kids. This non-musical extravaganza pits Good against Evil, and pairs a nerdy young scientist-turned-explorer, Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox), with an independent-minded blond bombshell of a princess, Kida (Cree Summer)--provided Kida's father, the distrusting king (Leonard Nimoy) approves. Milo, a museum curator relegated to menial jobs, is obsessed with the famed lost empire of Atlantis. His grandfather once told him about a mysterious Shepherd's Journal that could help him find the now-sunken kingdom and, with the help of eccentric millionaire Preston B. Whitmore (John Mahoney), Milo and several other funny, quirky crew members set out on a heart-pounding adventure. The crew includes Vinny, a demolitionist (Don Novello, better known as Father Guido Sarducci), Dr. Sweet, the gentle cook (Phil Morris, a.k.a. Kramer's lawyer on SEINFELD), and a paternal but brusque Captain Rourke (James Garner). The plot is intricate and suspenseful, and artist Mike Mignola (creator of the graphic comic book HELLBOY) offers up an intense but beautifully simple animated environment as stunning as Queen Amadala's planet in STAR WARS: THE PHANTOM MENACE. With monsters like the vicious Leviathan (a mechanical lobster that guards the gates to the city) adding thrills and chills, who could ask for more?

Theatrical release: June 15, 2001

DVD Features:

2-Disc Set
Region 1
Collectors Edition
Special Edition
Letterbox - 2.35
Disc 1: Theatrical Version
Anamorphic Widescreen - 2.35
Full Frame - 1.33
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - English
DTS Surround 5.1 - English
THX Mastered Audio
Additional Release Material:
Deleted Scenes
Featurette: How To Speak Atlantean
Audio Commentary: Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale - Directors
Bonus Footage:
1. Virtual Tours Of CG Models: Ulysses & Leviathon
2. Visual Commentary
Interactive Features:
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Text/Photo Galleries:
Additional Text: DisneyPedia
Disc 2: Supplementary Material
Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Additional Release Material:
Electronic Press Kit
Bonus Footage: Visual Commentary
Featurette: Whitmore Industries Industrial Film
Making Of:
1. History
2. Story & Editorial
3. Art Direction
4. Music And Sound
Interactive Features:
Interactive Tour
Interactive Menus
Scene Access
Text/Photo Galleries:
Production Art

Distributor Notes: Atlantis: The Lost Empire Collector's Edition

Set your course for the ultimate undersea adventure of discovery and amazement in this state-of-the-art 2-Disc DVD Collector's Edition. Begin your journey by exploring the action-and-effects packed 2D/3D animated feature and awe-inspiring extras on Disc One. Navigate through stunning, never-before-seen bonus features on Disc Two using one of three exclusive viewing modes, a historic first from Disney! Loaded to capacity with technical wizardry, this special Collector's Edition of ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE sets a course as one of Disney's most exciting DVD creations ever. The journey awaits!

Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment.

Kirk Wise: Executive Producer
Gary Trousdale: Director/Disney "Beauty"

Don Hahn: Producer, , ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001)

Tab Murphy: Director/Screenwriter
Joss Whedon: Screenwriter; creator of WB's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"
Bruce Zabel: Source Writer, ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001)
Jackie Zabel: Author, ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001)
Kirk Wise: Executive Producer
Gary Trousdale: Director/Disney "Beauty"

James Newton Howard: Composer, KING KONG (2005)
Diane Waren: Composer, ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE (2001)

"...[Norvello gives a] marvelously sardonic, world-weary delivery..."
"...The visuals are a stunning widescreen mix of digital and hand-drawn artwork....The giant waves, monster crustaceans, flame-throwing fireflies and rivers of lava arrive in a furious rush..."
"...All of this is vividly rendered by the colourists, who provide a cobalt sea and fiery lava flows as a background..."
"...The film makes for jolly, fast-paced entertainment....[The] character animation and layout are superbly crafted for the streamlined action..."
"...A monumental treat as well as a crafty assemblage of mythologies..."
"...An action-sprinkled adventure straight out of Jules Verne....It's a refreshing change of pace..."