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Atlantis replaces the simple, applicable lessons of the usual Disney fairy tale with this mystical hooey that, despite its undersea locale, just doesn't hold water. There are other gaping plot holes as well. Yes, I was thrilled by many of the thrilling chase sequences, one of which seems to intentionally outdo the encounter with the undersea monsters in The Phantom Menace. But the many and varied characters are drawn in distractingly different styles, some recalling more sophisticated comic books while others seem unfinished, flat, and bland by comparison. Because of this, and because the pace of the movie prevented me from caring much about any of the characters, I found myself emotionally detached from everybody and everything by the end. Go see Atlantis if you're an animation buff, and you'll get a feast of visual fireworks. Just don't work too hard trying to figure out the story when it's over.

Note: The news is full of people claiming that successful songs and movies were actually stolen from lesser-known artists. This time, evidence offered online makes an impressive argument that Disney's Atlantis may lean a little too heavily on a Japanese animated television series, Nadia: The Secret of the Blue Water. (Warning: There may be an advertisement at the top of the page that is less-than-honorable.) Coincidence, or plagiarism? You decide.

After seeing Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, most critics know more about Angelina Jolie's body than about the plot of the movie. And the dollars show that moviegoers didn't mind that at all—Croft took the weekend's box office crown. Preview's critic notes, "Part of Lara's appeal for teen males is her exaggerated figure, but she's also a role model for females looking for strong, intelligent, yet feminine guides. The film flirts with the male audience by showing Lara in a shower and later dropping her towel, but women get equal time as [her former colleague] Alex is also seen sans wardrobe." Well, as long as it's fair …

At The Dove Foundation, Phil Boatwright doesn't seem to mind the film's indulgences. "Tomb Raider is a thrilling popcorn movie aimed at a youthful summer matinee crowd. It's loud and silly, but kind of fun. Adults who enjoyed the Indiana Jones films and the first two Batman installments may find … its quick and constant editing and its pounding, monotonous score less than satisfying. But adolescent males, who enjoy seeing a buffed-up woman kicking the tails of bad guys and shooting twin hybrid.45s, will likely find this actioner satisfying."

"Making a movie based on a video game makes about as much sense as writing an opera based on a carnival pastime like whack-a-mole," writes Peter Chattaway at The Vancouver Courier. "While some games come with a bit of a backstory, these narrative touches are usually little more than decoration, and serve no real purpose beyond giving the player an opportunity to breathe between combat sequences. The fight, not the play, is the thing. Alas, despite a budget to rival that of many blockbusters, and despite the efforts of half a dozen writers and an Oscar-winning actress in the lead, Tomb Raider is as soulless and dull as most films in this genre."

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June (Web-only) 2001, Vol. 45