Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Movie, 2001, The 2000s, Set in 1914
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is #16 of 20 in release order and #13 of 20 in chronological order in the Disney Animated Classics.
The story
A young linguist named Milo Thatch joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire recap
In 1914, Milo Thatch, a linguist at a museum in Washington, wants to find Atlantis, as his grandfather did, but no one listens to him. The wealthy Preston Whitmore, a friend of his grandfather, hands him the Shepherd's Journal, a guide to the city, and puts him on an expedition led by Commander Rourke. The submarine Ulysses is destroyed by a mechanical Leviathan, and the survivors travel by land. They reach Atlantis, still inhabited, and meet Princess Kida, who asks Milo to help her read the ancient writing her people have forgotten. Milo learns that the city's life force comes from a giant crystal, the Heart of Atlantis. Rourke reveals that he planned all along to steal the crystal and sell it.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire ending explained
Milo and the crew save Kida and the crystal; Rourke dies, and the Heart restores Atlantis. The crystal merges with Kida, and Rourke packs her in a crate. Milo leads the Atlanteans and the crew, who turn on Rourke, and Rourke, scratched by a shard of the crystal, turns into crystal and is destroyed. Kida becomes queen, Milo stays, and the others go home with treasure.
Post-credits scenes
No. There is no post-credits scene.
Where to watch Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Atlantis: The Lost Empire is streaming on Disney+ in the US. You can rent or buy it on Amazon, Apple TV, and Google Play.
Ratings
IMDb 6.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 48%
Where it fits
- Release order: after The Emperor's New Groove, before Lilo & Stitch.
- Chronological order: after Tarzan, before The Lion King.
What to watch before Atlantis: The Lost Empire
In release order, 15 Disney Animated Classics essentials come before Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), from The Little Mermaid (1989) to The Emperor's New Groove (2000).
Cast
- Michael J. Fox as Milo (voice)
- Cree Summer as Princess Kida (voice)
- James Garner as Rourke (voice)
- Claudia Christian as Helga (voice)
- Corey Burton as Moliere (voice)
- Phil Morris as Dr. Sweet (voice)
- Jacqueline Obradors as Audrey (voice)
- Don Novello as Vinny (voice)
- Jim Varney as Cookie (voice)
- Florence Stanley as Mrs. Packard (voice)
- John Mahoney as Preston Whitmore (voice)
- Leonard Nimoy as Atlantean King (voice)
Directed by Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise.