COMPARING TREASURE ISLAND and TREASURE PLANET Basically the same story as Treasure Island -- only it's set in outer space. The visuals and art work are STUNNING -- Be sure to see it on the big screen. No pirates break into song in this movie.  The score is by James Newton Howard, not Alan Menkin. The original book is much more violent than the Disney movie. The Disney movie has much more humor than the original book. The Admiral Benbow is on a space port, not England. Jim Hawkins is a troubled teenager -- gets into scrapes with the authorities. His dad went off to join the merchant marine when Jim was real little. So now his mom is a "single mom." She's worried that Jim's going to get into serious trouble someday -- he needs a male role model. Ships all have sails, but they don't really power the ship. They catch the "solar wind" which is converted by the sails to energy. The energy is routed down into the power drive in the hold of the ship. The ships are driven by huge flaming plasma jets, and steered by plasma rudders. But the sails still "bloom" like they're being driven by the wind. It's all very cool looking. Long John is the ship's cook. He has multiple cybernetic appendages -- his leg, one whole arm, and an eye. He is half animated in a traditional way (by Glenn Keane), and half-computer generated. His pet, "Morph" is a small shape-shifting protoplasmic being, that often sits on Long John's shoulder. Captain Amelia pilots the ship -- a female lynx-like creature. Even though the ships sail in outer space, they all look like they're made of wood. Huge, ornate galleon-looking affairs, complete with masts, sails, rails, gun portals, ropes and lines. The sailors all breath air, and the ships all have open decks.  There seems to be air in space. Gravity is supplied by onboard technology.  It can be turned on and off. Wait until you see the huge pod of whale-like creatures that follow the "RLS Legacy" as it leaves port. These are whales that "swim" in open space.  (reminiscent of the flying whales in Fantasia 2000) The "RLS" by the way, is a tribute to Robert Louis Stevenson. Treasure Planet is a distant planet, not a distant island. Ben Gunn is a robot -- named B.E.N. (An acronym for "Bio-Electronic Navigator" ) He's a little nuts because most of his memory circuits were removed by Captain Flint. He was marooned on Treasure Planet by Captain Flint, many years ago.  (decades?) The robot is voiced by Martin Short. If you've heard his Jiminy Glick character on Comedy Central, you've heard B.E.N. Dr. Doppler is voiced by David-Hyde Pierce.  ("Frasier") In the end, the full treasure is not recovered.  It never would have fit into a single ship anyway. Most of it winds up in a black hole, forever lost. The ship and our friends do escape the black hole, with at least some of the treasure. On the way home Long John jumps ship, taking a bag of gold with him. Jim Hawkins sees him leave, but doesn't try to stop him.  Back home, they split the treasure and all go their separate ways. Jim has enough money to fix up the Admiral Benbow for his mom. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can visit the official Treasure Planet website (very cool) at      www.treasureplanet.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------