Quartile rating: 8.5/10 · 1 rating
When space galleon cabin boy Jim Hawkins discovers a map to an intergalactic "loot of a thousand worlds," a cyborg cook named John Silver teaches him to battle supernovas and space storms on their journey to find treasure.
Treasure Planet is a genuinely distinctive reimagining of Stevenson's classic, blending Age of Sail aesthetics with outer space in a steampunk-solar-wind visual language that is utterly one-of-a-kind — the hybrid sailing ships in space are memorable and inventive enough to earn top Novelty. The cinematography/animation is a high point: the film pioneered a Deep Canvas technique that created stunning dimensional depth, and the visuals remain striking. The Silver-Jim father figure dynamic is emotionally sincere and well-performed, though the broader cast is uneven and some comic relief falls flat. The plot is a fairly faithful Treasure Island transplant — creative in setting but not in structure — and the ending, while emotionally satisfying, is conventional and tidy. Overall a criminally underrated gem with genuine artistic ambition.