Escape from Atlantis (1997) (TV)

Director:

Strathford Hamilton

Writer (WGA):

Arne Olsen (written by)

Release Date:

29 March 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Fantasy | Adventure | Comedy

Tagline:

The greatest adventure is finding your way home.

Plot:

A world unlike any you've ever known! Matt Spencer, a workaholic attorney and single father, is struggling...

Plot Keywords:

Father Son Relationship | Family Relationships | Father Daughter Relationship | Atlantis | Martial Arts

Cast

Jeff Speakman	...	Matt Spencer
Tim Thomerson	...	Liam Gallagher
Justin Burnette	...	Adam Spencer
Mercedes McNab	...	Claudia Spencer
Breck Wilson	...	Chris Spencer
Michael Lee Gogin	...	Widge the Magician
Al Harrington	...	Argus, Temple of MorpheusPrisoner
Brian Bloom	...	Joriath
Brian D. Kline	...	Quan
Kristina Anapau	...	Katriana (as Kristina Roper)
Richard McPherson	...	Xander
Geoff Heise	...	Kyron
Lisa Tiffany	...	Maiden #1
Jo Pruden	...	Lubella
Tom Matsusaka	...	Wayaku

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for fantasy adventure violence.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

South Korea:12 | Australia:M | USA:PG-13

Filming Locations:

Honolulu, O'ahu, Hawaii, USA

Company:

D Vision

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the lake creature destroys the pier, the boards break into clearly pre-cut sections.

Less than What I'd Hoped For...

While the overall idea of Escape from Atlantis was intriguing, I found the film to be far less than what I had hoped for upon reading the plot summery. Perhaps I am too much of a child in the technological age: the movie was made, as it is now 2002, an official five years ago --after viewing fantasy epics such as Lord of the Rings, and science fiction feats like Star Wars, as a whole it could not compare to other movies of similar line such as Dinotopia or Homer's The Odyssey.

My beef, basically, is that I couldn't relate --I am just about the same age of the children (a young adult), and have no trouble putting myself in the place of a middle-aged man if that is the character available. But the picture did not take me to a different mental plain of existence. I didn't find myself saying 'ACK! I would have done the SAME thing!'. It did not open the doors to my imagination. Even without comparing it to high-budget films or other TV movies, standing alone, certain aspects of the feature I found to be cliche: The character development in the children occurred too rapidly for my liking, seeing too much of the stereotypical selfish-teenager-bitter-after-divorce image changing into the we're-a-big-happy-family-let's-never-separate-again feel that can ultimately make or break a picture in the long run. Even the characters themselves could have undergone improvement: a typical set of one or the other stereotypes. There was the ever-present selfish beauty looking to be rebellious, accompanied by Mr. Perfect image of combining athletics, good looks and intelligence yet a brooding attitude, and lastly the smart-aleck little brother we find to be so common these days. While I know the personalities pushed the story along, I think that adding more individuality as far as nuances and more unique differences would have made it a more enjoyable --and believable (as far as character)-- movie.

I do have to raise my glass to the costume and set design --that made it worth finishing to the end for me. Don't get me wrong: all movies are worth seeing for yourself, and the opinion of one could never account for the opinion of many, but I think that with a little more depth to the script, and a little more (I cannot believe I am saying this) realness I dare say Escape from Atlantis could have been magical.