Atlantis: The Lost Empire facts for kids

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is an exciting animated movie from 2001. It was made by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. This film is the 40th movie in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series. It was also Disney's first science fiction movie. The story follows a group of explorers. They go on an amazing journey to find the legendary lost city of Atlantis. The movie was released on June 15, 2001.

What is the story about?

The movie begins in ancient times. A huge tidal wave threatens the island city of Atlantis. The queen of Atlantis is taken in by the "Heart of Atlantis". This is a giant crystal that protects the city. She leaves behind her daughter Kida and her husband Kashekim.

The Search for Atlantis

Thousands of years later, in 1914, we meet Milo J. Thatch. He is a smart linguist and cartographer at the Smithsonian Institution. Milo believes he has found an old book. It is called the "Shepherd's Journal". This book supposedly has clues to find Atlantis. But the museum board does not want to fund his search.

Later, Milo meets Helga Sinclair. She introduces him to Preston Whitmore. Mr. Whitmore is a rich man who helped find the journal before. He asks Milo to lead a new trip to Atlantis. Milo's job is to figure out the journal's secrets.

The Journey Begins

The team sets off to find Atlantis. Commander Rourke leads the expedition. He also led the search for the journal. The team includes many experts. There is Vinny, a demolition expert. Audrey is a skilled mechanic. Mrs. Packard is the radio operator. Dr. Sweet is the medical officer. And Cookie is the cook.

They travel on a huge submarine called the Ulysses. But a giant, robotic sea monster attacks them. It is called the Leviathan. This monster guards the entrance to Atlantis. The Ulysses is destroyed. But Milo, Rourke, and some of the crew escape. They find their way to a secret cavern. The journal says this is the entrance to the city.

Discovering the Lost City

After traveling through caves and a volcano, the team reaches Atlantis! They meet Kida, who is actually over eight thousand years old. She looks like a young woman. They also learn that the Atlantean language is very old. It is the base for many languages we know today.

Kida asks Milo to help her understand the Atlantean language. The people of Atlantis have forgotten much of it. Milo swims into the city's underwater ruins. He translates old murals. He discovers that the Heart of Atlantis gives the city power. It also makes the Atlanteans live longer. They wear crystals around their necks for this power. Milo is surprised this is not in the journal. He then realizes a page is missing.

A Betrayal and a Hero

Milo returns to the surface with Kida. He finds out that Rourke has the missing page. Rourke and his team betray Milo. They plan to take the crystal to the surface world. They want to sell it for money. Rourke badly hurts the king of Atlantis. He tries to force him to tell where the crystal is. But Rourke finds it himself, hidden under the throne.

The crystal then merges with Kida. Rourke and his team lock Kida in a crate. They get ready to leave. They know that without the crystal, the Atlanteans will die. Milo tells his friends they are doing something wrong. His friends decide to help him. They stay in Atlantis. The king is dying. He tells Milo that the crystal has a mind of its own. When Atlantis is in danger, it will choose a royal host. He gives Milo his own crystal. He tells Milo to save Kida and Atlantis. Milo, his friends, and the Atlanteans team up to stop Rourke.

Saving Atlantis

There is a big battle inside the volcano. Helga and the other bad guys are defeated. Rourke is killed when he turns into a crystal statue. His airship's blades cut him into pieces. Milo and the others fly back to the city. The volcano starts to erupt. Lava flows towards Atlantis.

Kida, still in crystal form, rises into the air. She creates a strong shield to protect the city. The lava flows around Atlantis without harming it. The city is saved and looks new again. The crystal returns Kida to Milo. The rest of the crew go back to the surface. They promise to keep Atlantis a secret. Milo stays behind with Kida. They fall in love and work together to rebuild the lost empire.

Who are the main characters?

• Michael J. Fox as Milo James Thatch, a smart linguist and cartographer.
• Cree Summer as Kidagakash "Kida" Nedakh, the Princess of Atlantis.
• James Garner as Commander Lyle Tiberius Rourke, the leader of the expedition.
• Corey Burton as Gaëtan "Mole" Molière, a French geologist.
• Claudia Christian as Lieutenant Helga Katrina Sinclair, Rourke's second-in-command.
• John Mahoney as Preston B. Whitmore, the rich man who funds the trip.
• Phil Morris as Doctor Joshua Strongbear Sweet, the medical officer.
• Leonard Nimoy as Kashekim Nedakh, the King of Atlantis and Kida's father.
• Don Novello as Vincenzo "Vinny" Santorini, an Italian demolitions expert.
• Jacqueline Obradors as Audrey Rocio Ramirez, a teenage Puerto Rican mechanic.
• Florence Stanley as Wilhelmina Bertha Packard, the grumpy radio operator.
• David Ogden Stiers as Fenton Q. Harcourt, a board member at the Smithsonian.
• Jim Varney as Jebidiah Allerdyce "Cookie" Farnsworth, the Western-style chef. Jim Varney passed away before the movie was released.
• Jim Cummings as Helmsman.

Awards and Recognition

Atlantis: The Lost Empire was recognized for its animation and sound. It was nominated for several awards. These included awards for directing, storyboarding, and music.

What awards did the movie win?

The movie won the Golden Reel Award in 2002. This was for "Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature Film". This award recognized the amazing sound effects and audio work in the movie.

It was also nominated for many Annie Awards. These awards celebrate excellence in animation. The movie was nominated for its directing, story, and voice acting.

Images for kids

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  The team visited New Mexico's Carlsbad Caverns to get ideas for the underground places in the film.

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  The Atlantean letter A. An artist named John Emerson created it. It looks like a map showing the way to the crystal, "The Heart of Atlantis".

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  The top image shows Atlantis cropped to a standard movie screen size. The bottom image shows how it looked in the actual film (wider view).

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  This is a small model of the Ulysses submarine. Animators used it to help them create the digital submarine in the movie.

See also

In Spanish: Atlantis: El imperio perdido para niños