While Walt Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire was a rousing, old-fashioned adventure, this produced-for-video sequel is decidedly more pedestrian--not surprisingly, since pallid sequel-itis has become par for the Disney course. Bespectacled cartographer Milo Thatch (voiced by James Arnold Taylor in place of Michael J. Fox) and Queen Kida are restoring the underwater kingdom of Atlantis to its former glory, but there's trouble on the surface, and before you can say "Scooby-Doo, where are you?," Milo, Kida, and the intrepid crew from the first film venture back to terra firma to solve a series of supernatural mysteries involving a devil fish, vengeful Native American spirits, and the mythical, missing "spear of destiny." As with Disney's previous produced-for-video sequels, this is more kid-friendly and less intense than the original (it plays like the pilot for a possible TV series), but if Disney keeps this up, its legacy will be buried deeper than Atlantis itself. Very optional. [Note: DVD extras include a “Search for the Spear of Destiny” interactive game, and a brief “Kraken Baby Sequence” deleted scene. Bottom line: a skimpy extras package for a wimpy sequel.]
[Blu-ray Review—July 2, 2013—Walt Disney, 3 discs, 176 min., G/PG, $29.99—Making their first appearance on Blu-ray, 2001's Atlantis: The Lost Empire and 2003's Atlantis: Milo's Return both sport decent transfers and DTS-HD 5.1 soundtracks. Extras include audio commentary by producer Don Hahn and directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, a “making-of” documentary (120 min.), a “DisneyPedia: Fact or Fiction?” featurette (7 min.), “How to Speak Atlantean” (2 min.), a brief deleted scene, trailers, and bonus DVD copies of each film. Bottom line: a lesser but still entertaining Disney film and its sequel bow on Blu-ray in a bargain-priced package.]