CityLife

Atlantis: The Lost Empire (U)

With the voices of Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Cree Summer. Directed by Kirk Wise, Gary Trousdale. (City centre and suburbs). Certificate: U.

IT'S no secret that the Disney empire put a lot of faith and money behind this traditional animated offering from the team behind the mega-hit Beauty And The Beast.

Sadly, the results don't really live up to anyone's expectations, especially in the wake of the whizz-bang entertainment of Shrek or compared to other late Disney triumphs such as the Toy Story films, Aladdin or even Beauty And The Beast itself.

Atlantis might have been hailed as a classic return to form for the studio just a few short years ago, but the expectations for animated films are now terrifically high.

The legend of Atlantis has long been a rich source of inspiration for adventure and wonder. Here the traditional role of the slightly nerdish expert is taken by Harry Potter-lookalike Milo Thatch (voiced by Michael J. Fox).

He's determined to follow in his adventuring grandfather's footsteps and prove that Atlantis really existed, but is astonished when wealthy philanthropist Preston B. Whitmore (John Mahoney) not only agrees to fund such an expedition but turns out to have already prepared it, complete with high-tech vessels and a crew of highly-skilled mercenaries, led by Commander Lyle Rourke (James Garner).

However, finding that Atlantis is a real place turns out to only be the beginning of their adventures. There's certainly plenty going on throughout Atlantis: The Lost Empire and it also features some commendably dark elements, as well as sparing us the usual MOR mush masquerading as a soundtrack, so it's difficult to work out precisely why it somehow adds up to less than the sum of its parts.

Youngsters, though, might well lap up its old-fashioned action-adventure elements rather more wholeheartedly than adults will.