Treasure Planet: Watch it again

The Walt Disney animated movie Treasure Planet (2002) is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island, first published in 1881. It is an action-packed adventure driven by complex characters who seek their dreams with great passion and determination. The two writers and directors, Ron Clements and John Musker, brilliantly focus on the child audience and think about every way to disrupt the laws of nature. As a child, I felt the wonders of the vast universe when following Jim Hawkins' journey through space on a ship with sails, surrounded by an endless starry sky, moons, planets, and aquatic animals that fly. All the while, I rooted for Jim,

a young, confident, and rebellious teenager whose father's abandonment years before continues to weigh on him.

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Today, I continue to enjoy the film due to the emotional stakes between Jim and John Silver, a charismatic older cyborg whose own dreams have pushed him to be on the wrong side of the law. When Jim asks him why he got so many prosthetic limbs as well as his metal eye, Silver answers: "You give up a few things, chasing a dream." Jim meets John Silver aboard the voyage, which Dr. Doppler (a family friend of Jim's) finances, but is unaware of Silver's plan for mutiny with his crew upon arriving to treasure planet. Nonetheless, their complicated relationship strengthens the film's story when Silver cares for Jim since it allows the the villain to grow alongside the young hero. Both characters show emotional depth and face the risks involved when pursuing a tremendous goal.

James Newton Howard composed the film score and the movie also includes an original soundtrack written and performed by Johnny Rzeznik, founding member of the Goo Goo Dolls. The music serves to fuel characters' emotions and engage the viewers in the adventure. In classic Disney movies, like The Little Mermaid (1989) and Hercules (1992), the protagonist sings an 'I-want-song' ("Part of Your World" and "Go to Distance"), but Jim's theme song, "I'm Still Here", plays during a montage and is non-diegetic. During the montage, Jim follows Silver's instructions aboard the ship while flashbacks of his childhood intercut with images of his father leaving. This scene demonstrates Silver filling the role that Jim's father left empty, while the lyrics reinforce Jim's view towards grown-ups who have wronged him: "And what do you think you'd understand?

I'm a boy, no, I'm a man. You can't take me and throw me away." Although Jim struggles to trust Silver, they bond when they share the same spirit for adventure and to break free from people who hinder their dreams:

"They can't tell me who to be

'Cause I'm not what they see

Yeah, the world is still sleepin'

While I keep on dreaming for me

And their words are just whispers

And lies that I'll never believe"

I think this family movie deserves a bigger spotlight since it features a conflicted young man, who confines his wounds, feelings, and dreams in another person, challenging traditional portrayals of masculinity. Similarly, while Silver appears tough and greedy, he acts heroically when letting go of the treasure to save Jim.

Other memorable mentions are the voice actors like Martin Shorts, who plays the android B.E.N., and Emma Thompson, who plays Captain Amelia. Meanwhile, a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays Jim Hawkins very enthusiastically.

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