Treasure Planet was Disney's 2002 box-office bomb. By all accounts, the film should be awful, given a loss of profit can indicate it was not viewed well by its audience. But this animated science fiction action-adventure film is fantastic, has a good cult following, and is something every child, adult, and human being should watch at some point in their life. So, get comfy with me, grab yourself a drink, and read on for a short discussion on this film you must watch!
There are some of those spoiler-things below!
This discussion is dedicated to Dave.
We start in a sea of stars. A boat rockets forth, its fantastic sails and glistening grandeur make you imagine what life would be like as a jolly sailor enjoying camaraderie in the evening and hard fulfilling labour by day. The boat is immediately beset upon by pirates, we don't have time to think as the film gets straight into the action. But then we see a kids face, toothy grin and all, watching over the battle, and we realise we are watching a young boy watching a moving storybook, a novel idea and one that encourages a good message to the viewer to allow themselves to get lost in a good book or film. The use of a storybook and a narrator to tell a story isn't new but it’s very effective in engaging the viewer.
Jim
During the moving storybook sequence, we are introduced to the loot of a thousand worlds, the plunder of the space pirate Captain Flint. This enormous hoard is hidden somewhere on Treasure Planet, something the child, Jim, expresses a desire to find. Like I did when I was a child, when Jim is told to go to sleep by his mother he pretends to do so, then goes under his sheets to continue reading. He is so relatable, young, and innocent, and we can't help but like him. His excitement for Treasure Planet, the chaos and adventure that comes with such a treasure hoard, is what motivates him for most of the film.
12 years later, we see a slightly different Jim, one who still loves adventure but has had to toughen up after his father left him and his mother, and never returned. He is also a risk taker, and feels like his life with his mother, Sarah, doesn't and will never fulfil his desire to experience the world. We see this reckless personality shine through straight away when he gets arrested by robots for reckless driving. It's important we see this to understand the risks he's willing to take because it enables room for character growth - he could lean into either a heroic or villainous story depending on how far he is willing to take risks, and for what purpose. He is also shown to be very intelligent, which is why his constant lawbreaking upsets his mother. She believes he can be so much more than his desire to go on adventures, which in turn makes him feel like a failure and a burden to his financially struggling mother. These feelings are something the viewer might even relate to to some extent, especially when we were younger and unsure as to our place in the world. And it's totally okay to still feel like that as an adult!
A Call to Adventure
The film is set in a fantasy world where humans aren't the dominant race. We have frog and cat people, robots, insectoids, monsters, and cyborgs. It is a world ripe for adventure, and Jim's start with an escape shuttle. A pirate, Billy Bones, crashes with a mysterious treasure chest containing a map to Treasure Planet. Billy warns Jim of a cyborg, passes away, then the aforementioned cyborg enters Jim's home and burns it to the ground, as well as his mother's whole livelihood. Because Jim was the one to bring Bones into the home, this reinforces Jim's belief that he is a failure, sparking his desire to overcompensate with a reckless decision to find Treasure Planet to try to prove himself worthy and give his mother a good life. He is motivated by a need to find himself and the love for his mother.
The character of Delbert, a family friend to Jim and Sarah, is goofy. He is a form of comedic relief. But he's endearing, means well and has an adventurous heart that matches Jim's. He's a moral compass. But he's not meant to be Jim's father figure, even though he could be one. He is in fact an enabler to Jim's adventurous side, a plot point if you will. He chooses to accompany Jim to study the famed Treasure Planet, home to the mass hoard of Captain Flint. And what I love about Delbert is he isn't your typical 'incapable stumbling nerd'. The film doesn't define its characters with those types of stereotypes. Everyone can be heroic, brave, capable. Delbert the canid historian? He's handy with a gun. That one flatulent slug monster? They're a tough ship deck hand. Amelia, a lithe and charismatic cat person, is the ship’s captain, despite being a female character in the year 2002. The cyborg is the ship's chef, and totally not the same pirate from the beginning of the film who destroyed Jim's home, and who will definitely not lead a mutiny on Captain Amelia’s ship.
The cyborg, John Silver, also has an adorable squidgy morph creature. For such an imposing looking character to have a companion like Morph, he seems even less like the stereotypical cyborg who exists only to cause chaos for the hero of the story. Also, we all wish we could hug and protect Morph forever. Am I wrong? How can you not love that face?
A Father's Love
The film is entirely done through Jim's lens. Everything is bright, chaotic, and grand because he views it to be. It excites the viewer, especially a young male one, because it excites Jim, and we've already established we can relate to Jim.
John Silver, the cyborg chef, immediately becomes a father figure to Jim, even if neither of them want it. He teaches Jim, and Jim stubbornly follows everything John commands him to do. At first, Jim is John's way of maintaining his innocent and law-abiding persona. Jim is but a tool and a means to a treasure-filled end for John. But, as time goes on, and Captain Amelia's ship soars ever close to Treasure Planet, Jim begins to appreciates John protecting him, and they begin bonding over Jim not growing up with a father figure, even though John is supposed to only want treasure. Whether it be peeling potatoes together, watching Jim scrub the deck or scrubbing dirty dishes, John gets increasingly fonder of his newfound son. The whole montage of them bonding to a song about Jim's father leaving makes their relationship special. They're getting familial, it's true, but they're also becoming friends, and are beginning to trust each other. Jim even saves Silver's life, increasing their bond, which he pays back in kind later by shielding Jim with his own body. Perhaps John's lust for treasure is being melted by the excitement, bravery, and innocence of Jim?
This is what makes John's betrayal even more painful, starting with the loss of one of the sailors. We start with Mr Arrow, Captain Amelia's first mate, being lost overboard, murdered by one of Silvers own, Jim overhearing a damning conversation between Silver and his cronies about stealing the treasure, including Silver explaining he doesn't care about Jim and only befriended him to keep him off his scent (a lie, but Jim doesn't know that), and then, finally, the mutiny.
Treasure Planet: a Planet of Greed
Treasure Planet itself is exotic, unexplored, fantastical, and just a bit barmy. We've got the sporadic robot guide for Jim to relate to about feeling useless and dysfunctional, a romance between the adventurous captain and the historian, a shootout, a feud between the hero and villain, and of course, a treasure hunt - all perfect for an adventure film. But what makes the film better is Jim and Silver shift gears from father-son to enemies. We see that Silver feels awful about betraying Jim, but Jim doesn't see it. Silver has the pressure from his bloodthirsty crew spurning him on to get the treasure, and Jim wants the treasure to save his mother. Both are essentially working to better their families. Silver wants to make himself and his crew rich, but also has a newfound son to help, and Jim wants to help his mother. However, both are being motivated by treasure. Both of their missions in helping their loved ones rely on them not succumbing to greed whilst doing what is morally best and right.
The reveal Treasure Planet is actually a mechanised vault is awesome. All the exotic plants and natural environment has accumulated onto a giant vault one person created to hoard his treasure. It’s an example of what happens when you become too greedy - you can't use your wealth because you're too paranoid others will take it, creating a trophy no-one can truly appreciate. No-one benefits from it, and it just sits gathering dust. The treasure being the core of this 'planet' is incredibly symbolic. The heart of a greedy person can be gold and deadly, revolving around taking from others and not sharing it with anyone. When the planet begins to explode, booby trapped by the man who created it, it is symbolic of a greedy person's heart failing to be capable of loving and sharing. When Silver chooses to save Jim over escaping with some treasure, we see what happens when someone chooses to love over gold. In fact, choosing to save Jim saves Silvers life, for the boat full of treasure he was about to leave on shortly explodes, yet another symbol of greed killing someone, if not their morality. Silver chooses family, and perhaps learns a tough lesson that love may just be one of the greatest treasures to find in life. Later on, Jim enabling Silver to flee from imprisonment, lawfully questionable as it is, is a final nod that love is a treasure, and Jim has learnt directly from Silver that he can chart his own course, because he is a treasure... Silvers treasure, his mother's treasure, and someone truly worthy, capable, and useful.
A Treasure for a Conclusion
Some of Silvers parting words to Jim is a perfect end to this discussion: "You're going to rattle the stars". His belief in Jim allows the character to believe in himself. In fact, these words transcend beyond the film as they are in part spoken to us, the viewer. No matter who you are, you are capable of doing something great. So, go watch Treasure Planet, and rattle some stars.
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