100 of My Fandoms
7. Atlantis: The Lost Empire



One of my greatest fandom-related regrets will always be the fact that I did not watch Atlantis when it came out. It's not like I didn't know about it, either; I remember reading about it in Disney Adventures magazine, including some talk about how they'd developed the Atlantean language, but for whatever reason or another, it didn't grab my attention enough to see it. I also think I got a toy of it in my Happy Meal once, but even that failed to sway me. Think about it, though; if I'd seen this movie at the tender age of nine instead of waiting until I was nineteen, who knows how much more quickly the linguist in me would have awakened? Maybe I would have even tried to create a language myself... Man, I'm getting all depressed now. :(

Anyway, the fact that this is what I fixate on about it should give you the idea that Atlantis is a bit different from your average Disney movie. I mean, how many Disney male leads are linguist/cartographers? Well, one, is how many, and his name is Milo James Thatch and he's adorkable. Seriously, you look it up, there's his picture. Also, most Disney movies do not have (as mentioned) their own languages, or subaquatic voyages to rediscover lost civilizations, or the 1910s, or those characters. Ungh, Atlantis's characters. Also, the movie is basically jam-packed full of snappy dialogue with just the right amount of '10s flavor. There is a lot of stuff I really like about it is what I am saying.

It is, however, not perfect. Even I am aware of that, and considering my very forgiving taste that is saying something. The main problem with this movie, in my opinion, is that we don't get enough time for character development. As I may have mentioned once or twice, I love love love Atlantis's characters, and I think it should have done better by them. If we'd had more time to see the crew and Milo growing closer together, it would have made the moment where they finally stand with him a lot more powerful, imo. Also Kida should have been doing stuff in the last third of the movie and not been a statue; what did we spend all that time seeing Milo getting close to her for if that relationship does significantly less in the grand scheme of things? So yes I do get kind of a dissatisfied feeling at the last part of this movie. But honestly, I'm willing to forgive that, because it does so much right. ♥

I would have rambled a little bit about my experience with the fandom, but Atlantis's fandom is very small, and there's not even fic for my OTP. :( There are, however, quite a few appreciators on Tumblr and several fine gifs by same, for which I am grateful. Still, I wish there were a larger fandom. Atlantis y u underperform at box office. :(

Favorite character: Three-way tie between Milo, Audrey and Vinny, who are all flawless human beings. The rest of the main cast is all kind of jostling somewhere below them. :D

OTP: Milo/Audrey, Milo/Audrey, Milo/Audrey hnnnn. I love the idea that she goes from "used to beat up guys like you for lunch money" to serious respect to even more serious crushin'. And you cannot tell me they wouldn't be so cute together. Yeah, it's a little bit ephebo, but we don't know exactly how old either of them are; if he's somewhere in his mid-20s and she's 17 or so, it could totally work. Also she tops.