But it isn’t arrogance in his own skills that spurs him on, it’s desperation. Within the minute long sequence, Jim enacts two tricks on his board that could have easily killed him and breaks the law to do so. The scene tells you everything you need to know about Jim: that his love for flying (sailing? sky sailing?) and his interest in pirates has only grown over the years, that he’s a damn good pilot, and also that something has happened in the twelve years that has left Jim with a sense of hopelessness. Free-falling through clouds along cliff-sides, he howls out with joy and excitement as he waits until the ground is just a sliver away before releasing the sail and taking flight again. In Treasure Planet, we first meet Jim as he shoots through the sky on his solar board, his hair flowing behind him, drawing attention to the intense and elated expression on his face. Much like it’s predecessor, however, it doesn’t seem as simple as that. In its basic form, Treasure Planet 2 sounds like little more than another pirates-in-space adventure. Sometime later, the two graduate from the Academy with honours, as Silver watches over them, smiling wordlessly from the starry night. In their celebration, Jim and Kate share a kiss as Silver vanishes again. In a final push, Ironbeard is destroyed, the Centurion with him. Following the assault, the three reconcile and regroup. While Kate is horrified by Silver’s ulterior motives and Jim’s pull to piracy, Ironbeard expands his own crew by freeing the Botany Bay Prison Asteroid inmates and attacks the team. But Silver hasn’t changed much in his retirement and wants the Centurion for himself and Jim. Seeking the help of Long John Silver, Jim and Kate head to the Lagoon Nebula. His goal: to commandeer the Centurion, the new vessel designed and piloted by returning characters Doctor Delbert and B.E.N respectively, to become the fastest and most fearsome Captain in the galaxy. While Captain Amelia Smolett leads class, a new enemy appears: the ruthless pirate Ironbeard, who was to be voiced by Willem Defoe after coming off his performance as the Green Goblin in Spider-Man. Included in these riled pupils is Kate: daughter of the Academy’s Admiral Blake, Kate is a smart and talented space cadet who feels like her much deserved position as the top has been taken from her, placing her in a tense competition, and uneasy friendship, with Jim. With his roguish charm and raw talent, he’s quickly marked as a “hot shot”, angering many of the other students. Treasure Planet 2 was set to move the action from the comfort of the newly refurbished Benbow Inn to the unfamiliar setting of the Royal Interstellar Academy, having signed up in the final moments of Treasure Planet – although you’re only told so through Jim’s new white uniform. Every story beat, character arc, and concept design can now only be found in the depths of the internet, like buried treasure forgotten as ages passed. With the studio developing the project for eight to nine months, Treasure Planet 2 had been scripted and partially storyboarded before it was cancelled. So, it’s no real surprise that it’s sequel was called off. Bombing at the box office, the film was brushed under the rug by Disney and would instead claim its status as a cult classic amongst fans. Despite sophisticated visuals that were far ahead of its time, as well as a heart-warming adventure story supported by a stellar voice cast featuring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Emma Thompson, and Brian Murray, Treasure Planet didn’t exactly meet the popularity of its predecessors. The film follows Jim Hawkins (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) who, after finding a map to the legendary Treasure Planet, is taken on board the RLS Legacy as a cabin boy and quickly learns that mutiny is afoot. In 2002, after the success of these films, the directors finally saw Treasure Planet soar into theatres. The studio weren’t too sold on the idea and instead put the duo to work on a number of films that would later make up the bulk of the Disney Renaissance: The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and Hercules. Treasure Planet was a passion project for Disney directors Ron Clements and John Musker, who had pitched their adaptation back in 1985. If I hadn’t already fallen for the pirate genre, then you could say this caught me hook, line, and sinker. I was sixteen when I came to watch Treasure Planet, Disney’s take on the seminal pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson. But then again, maybe I just like the outfits. Perhaps it is tied to my experience as a closeted queer kid not wanting to be a pirate so much as wanting the freedom to be myself. From my first watch of Muppet Treasure Island as a kid, I have been drawn to the unadulterated freedom and adventure that pirates represent. I have always been fascinated by pirates.
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