- yesterday
Category
🎥
Short filmTranscript
00:00Ah yes, Treasure Planet, that Disney animated film that seems to forever be stuck in underrated purgatory.
00:08I've always loved this film and still have many others, but it just can't catch a break.
00:13I mean, so many people have called it underrated over the years that I almost hesitate to say it's underrated these days,
00:19except there still manages to always be that one person who pops up every now and again and says it's not that good or it's something like that.
00:26And so I guess it will just forever be underrated.
00:28But I want to prove to you why it's so good.
00:31And I think the best way to do that is to simply focus on the main villain of this movie, or should I say antagonist, since he isn't just pure evil.
00:40Now obviously I am talking about Long John Silver here, one of my personal favorite Disney villains of all time.
00:45And can I just say right off the bat, one of my favorite details about Long John Silver is the super cool blend on his animation between 2D and 3D.
00:54And it just works so amazingly well here, since all of his sort of natural, fleshy, alien body and clothes and all that stuff is traditionally hand-drawn,
01:05but his cyborg limbs are done with CGI.
01:08And I think this is really clever because the CGI kind of has a more stiff look to it,
01:12and the three-dimensional look of it makes it feel more futuristic compared to the 2D.
01:17It's genuinely amazing to watch, and it matches so well too.
01:20Like, there's not any moment where it looks out of place or like it doesn't fit in with the scene.
01:25The animators did an outstanding job on this character,
01:28and not to mention just all his great facial expressions that managed to capture so many emotions and show why he's such an in-depth character.
01:35I think it's also worth noting that Long John Silver in this movie, compared to his original Treasure Island book counterpart,
01:41I think is a more interesting character.
01:43Now, Long John Silver in the original book did occasionally be nice to Jim Hawkins,
01:48but on the whole, he was a bit more of a villainous character overall.
01:52He's clearly in it for himself, even when he does good things, like saving Jim's life during the final third of the book.
01:58You can tell that his main priority is still just saving himself.
02:02And so, even when he does a good deed, it never really comes off as though he's changed as a person for the better,
02:08if you know what I'm saying.
02:09Whereas Long John Silver in this movie feels much more like an actually redeemed character,
02:14someone who honestly does change by the end to become a better person.
02:18So I genuinely think that Long John Silver in this movie is an improvement over his book counterpart,
02:23and I think that should count for something.
02:25You know, on top of the fact that he just has a really entertaining personality to watch.
02:28If you're part of my plain speaking, gentlemen, are you all...
02:35Star gravy! Totally blinking!
02:38Just!
02:39Like, this man steals every scene that he's in.
02:43The actor, whose name I'm totally blanking on at the moment,
02:46has done such a marvelous job with voicing this character.
02:50Like, he truly brings him to life, and he has all that pirate-y energy,
02:54without feeling generic for a second.
02:56You can't bring to the quake cabin.
02:59I speaks nutty with me heart at all times.
03:02And now, as for his main plotline, and what makes him so great overall as a character,
03:08allow me to explain.
03:11I think from the start, it's interesting to note that
03:13Jim Hawkins is thrust onto Long John Silver as his cabin boy,
03:19and it's something that neither character really wants.
03:21But that's part of what makes the relationship interesting and believable.
03:25It's kind of the same reason why most people find romance stories
03:28that aren't just love at first sight more interesting.
03:31You gotta have a little bit of that tension in there, you know?
03:33To truly build a believable friendship,
03:35the characters have to agree on some things,
03:37but also heavily disagree on other things,
03:40and come to terms with each other's differences.
03:42But the interesting twist here,
03:43is that Jim Hawkins doesn't have the whole picture at first.
03:46and that Long John Silver,
03:48well, his difference in this case,
03:51heavily contradicts Jim Hawkins' desire.
03:54And so, it is technically impossible
03:56for both of them to get what they want,
03:58and fully come to terms with each other,
04:00while both gaining their goals in the end.
04:02One of them will have to forfeit what they want,
04:04if not both.
04:05I also like that very early on,
04:07Jim Hawkins basically knows that Long John Silver is the villain.
04:10And so, Long John has to put in that effort
04:24to try and prove to Jim
04:26that he isn't really some secret criminal,
04:28like he actually is.
04:30And this cuts deep,
04:32because it means that, you know,
04:34later on, when the truth comes out,
04:36it hits Jim even harder,
04:37because it makes it feel like everything Long John said
04:40was just a trick
04:41to get him onto his side
04:43and cover up his true plan.
04:45And, you know,
04:45speaking of Long John Silver's true plan,
04:48that being the plan of all the pirates on this ship,
04:51commit mutiny,
04:52steal the ship,
04:53and take all the treasure for themselves,
04:55is a completely self-centered idea,
04:57and it places themselves
04:59over all other people in the equation.
05:01And the secondary antagonist of this movie,
05:04Scroop, over here,
05:05is a perfect example
05:06of the kind of person
05:07that Long John Silver would be
05:08if he continued to go through with his plan
05:10and didn't value for a second
05:12anyone else involved,
05:14since all Scroop cares about
05:15is getting the treasure.
05:17It doesn't matter who has to die
05:18for him to get it.
05:19But, of course,
05:20along the way,
05:21Long John Silver
05:22discovers something interesting.
05:24While talking with Jim
05:25and trying to trick him into thinking
05:28that he's actually a good guy,
05:29he realizes that
05:30there is actually a genuine bond
05:33between the two of them,
05:34because Jim is not like what he expected.
05:37There's something missing in his life,
05:39that being the lack of a true father
05:41to be there for him
05:42and take care of him
05:43and understand him
05:45when he has issues and struggles.
05:47And initially,
05:48Long John Silver thinks
05:49that this is a perfect opportunity
05:50to slot himself into Jim Hawkins' life
05:53and fill that void
05:54as the perfect way
05:56to trick him into trusting him.
05:58But while doing this,
05:59he doesn't realize that
06:01he actually enjoys filling that void
06:03in Jim Hawkins' life
06:04much more than he could have imagined.
06:07And Jim, too,
06:08also ends up seeing Long John in that role.
06:10And the two of them
06:11really come together
06:12and bond
06:12as if they were father and son.
06:14Eventually,
06:14Long John opens up to Jim
06:16about a little bit
06:17of what his true desires are
06:19without, you know,
06:20fully spilling the beans
06:21that he has dreams
06:23he's always wanted to achieve.
06:25But along the way,
06:26it's cost him stuff,
06:27like his two limbs.
06:28And I think this is a great way
06:30to foreshadow that
06:31if he wants to get that treasure
06:32in the end,
06:33it will have to cost him
06:34something else.
06:36And he knows that
06:37if he really does
06:38want to achieve his dream,
06:40he's going to have to
06:40cut off this connection
06:41and bond he's starting
06:42to grow with Jim Hawkins
06:44because of the fact
06:45that there are two goals
06:46of both wanting the treasure
06:48but for completely different reasons
06:50contradict each other
06:51and they both can't win.
06:53And Long John knows
06:54there's no way to change
06:55Jim's mind about his desires.
06:57He'll never side with him
06:58if he knew he was a pirate.
06:59And I think a lovely little detail
07:00that shows subtly
07:02just how attached
07:03Long John Silver
07:04has grown to Jim
07:05is during the black hole scene
07:06when everyone is about
07:07to be sucked in and absorbed
07:09and then, you know,
07:10they escape at the last second,
07:11you know,
07:12very epic scene,
07:13I must say.
07:14Long John Silver
07:14is seen protecting Jim
07:17and holding him down
07:18from the explosion.
07:19And it seems to me
07:20that he's doing this
07:21almost subconsciously
07:22without realizing it.
07:24He's grown so attached to Jim
07:25that he naturally wants
07:26to protect him
07:27without realizing
07:28that's even what he's doing.
07:30But alas,
07:31despite his growing fondness
07:33of Jim Hawkins
07:33and the genuine true bond
07:35that has built up
07:36between the two of them,
07:37one of the most powerful forces
07:39in the universe
07:40catches up to Long John Silver
07:42and forces him
07:44back down that initial road
07:45he was planning to take.
07:47Social pressure.
07:48I care about one thing
07:51and one thing only.
07:53Flint's trove.
07:55You think I'd risk it all
07:57for the sake of some
07:58nose-wipey little whelp?
08:01Yes, when push comes to shove,
08:03Long John shoves his relationship
08:05with Jim Hawkins
08:06into the trash can
08:08because he's afraid
08:09of being judged
08:10by the other people
08:11who know him.
08:12And so because he's determined
08:13to keep his old reputation,
08:15thinking that that's who he is
08:16and if he lets it go,
08:18he's a nobody,
08:18he goes full throttle
08:20into pirate mode.
08:21Unlucky for him, though,
08:23Jim overheard the whole thing
08:24and, you know,
08:26this barrel scene,
08:27I used to think
08:28it was pretty dumb,
08:28but it actually happens
08:30to be a scene
08:30that was in the original book,
08:32so it's kind of hard
08:32to criticize it in that sense
08:34since this is an adaptation.
08:36You know,
08:36blame Robert Louis Stevenson,
08:38not the writers and directors
08:39of this movie
08:39if, you know,
08:40you've got a problem
08:41with the coincidental nature
08:42of this barrel scene.
08:43Anyway,
08:44I like that even after Long John
08:46betrays Jim,
08:47he still can't
08:48bring himself
08:49to shoot him
08:49and kill him.
08:56Even though
08:56that would be
08:57the easiest thing to do
08:58and it would assure him
09:00all the treasure
09:00that he ever wanted,
09:01everything he dreamed of.
09:03And yet,
09:03for some reason,
09:04he can't do it.
09:06He can't pull that trigger.
09:07There's something inside him
09:09telling him
09:10that Jim Hawkins
09:11is more valuable
09:12than what he thinks he wants,
09:14but he just can't see it.
09:15His next step,
09:16you know,
09:16saying that Jim
09:17and a couple of the others
09:18have survived this attack,
09:20is to go
09:21and barter with them.
09:23He tries to win Jim
09:24back over to his side,
09:25seeing how he spared him,
09:27and deep down
09:29is still fond of him
09:30and doesn't want to kill him.
09:32But the problem is,
09:33he directly betrayed Jim
09:35and made it seem like
09:36everything he ever said to him
09:37and that bond he built with him
09:38was all just a lie
09:39and fake.
09:40And he can't just
09:41win him back over
09:42as if his choice
09:44to fold under social pressure
09:46meant nothing.
09:47I didn't mean a word of it.
09:50That bloodthirsty lot
09:52had thought I'd gone soft.
09:55They'd have got it us both.
09:57It has consequences.
09:58You can't just flip-flop
09:59back and forth
10:00between two different sides.
10:02You have to know what's right
10:03and stick to that.
10:04Or in some cases,
10:06stick to what's wrong
10:07and face the consequences.
10:08And it really makes this moment
10:10sting a lot
10:10since you know that Long John
10:12doesn't want to see Jim Hawkins
10:14so upset like this,
10:16but he feels like
10:16he has no choice at this point.
10:18He's made his decision
10:19and there is no going back.
10:21In his mind,
10:22he tries to tell himself
10:23that Jim isn't worth it
10:25and that he's so close
10:26to getting the treasure
10:27that he just needs to finish
10:28this mission and get over it.
10:30And I think it's interesting
10:31that upon the moment
10:32he finally does reach that treasure,
10:34he searched his whole life to find
10:36and he grasps it
10:37within his hands
10:38that there's something
10:40about that tangible,
10:42physical feeling
10:43of the treasure
10:44he's been searching for
10:45his whole life
10:45that, while special
10:47in its own right,
10:48doesn't quite live up
10:49to one's imagination.
10:51And I think that's why
10:52he starts to realize
10:53that there is a lot of value
10:55in Jim
10:55that he didn't see before
10:56because that highly perceived value
10:59of the treasure
10:59he was searching for
11:00his whole life
11:01seemed even greater
11:02in his mind
11:03than it actually was.
11:04but the value of Jim
11:05has always stayed the same
11:06if not gotten better
11:07over time in his mind.
11:09But it's a hard choice
11:10because if he lets
11:11that treasure go
11:12then it'll mean
11:13giving up something
11:14he has spent his whole life
11:16building up towards.
11:17But if he chooses
11:17the treasure over Jim
11:18then he'll never get Jim back
11:20and he'll potentially
11:21miss out on everything
11:23wonderful that could come
11:24in the future
11:24because of his choice
11:25to choose Jim
11:26over the treasure.
11:27And so we end up
11:28in this movie's
11:29most pivotal
11:30important scene.
11:32Long John Silver's
11:33final decision.
11:35The treasure he's searched for
11:36or the treasure
11:37of Jim Hawkins.
11:39And you know
11:39this choice right here
11:41it really reminds me
11:41of one of my favorite
11:42Jesus quotes.
11:44For where your treasure is
11:45there your heart
11:46will be also.
11:47And in this moment
11:48Long John Silver
11:49finally realizes
11:51that the true treasure
11:53he's been searching for
11:54is not the kind of treasure
11:56he can grasp
11:56within his hands
11:57the kind you can
11:58spend and sell
12:00but rather
12:00a treasure
12:01that lasts forever.
12:02The treasure of love
12:04and friendship.
12:05Something that he
12:06and Jim have never
12:07truly had or found before.
12:09But in their fatherly bond
12:10they were able to offer
12:11something to each other
12:12that they both
12:13desperately needed
12:14whether they realized
12:15it or not.
12:16And so Long John
12:17lets go of his
12:18lifelong dream
12:19and chooses Jim instead.
12:23Oh blast me
12:26for a boat!
12:30And it leads
12:31to one of the most
12:32wonderful moments
12:33of this whole movie.
12:34Not just this
12:35epic finale
12:36that's happening
12:36all around the characters
12:37but this one little line
12:39from Long John Silver
12:40earlier in the movie
12:41when he's bonding
12:41with Jim.
12:42And when the time comes
12:44you get the chance
12:45to really test
12:46the cut of your sails
12:47and show what
12:48you're made of.
12:49Well
12:50I hope I'm there
12:52catching some
12:54of the light
12:54coming off you
12:55that day.
12:56I love how perfectly
13:00encapsulated that is
13:01in this moment
13:02right here.
13:03In choosing Jim
13:04over the treasure
13:05he gets to see
13:06that moment
13:07he desperately wanted
13:08to see
13:08while bonding with Jim
13:09and if he had chosen
13:10the treasure over Jim
13:11he never would have
13:12gotten to see
13:13Jim's full potential.
13:14And that moment
13:15right there
13:16is more valuable
13:17than any treasure
13:18he could have ever wanted.
13:20And last but not least
13:21in the end
13:22Long John runs away
13:23because he knows
13:24that the law
13:25will catch up with him.
13:26His crimes cannot go
13:27overlooked
13:27even though he's
13:28had a change of heart.
13:29But he's still
13:30desperate to escape.
13:31And in this final scene
13:32I think it's amazing
13:34that both of these
13:34two characters
13:35in their final bonding
13:37with each other
13:37each give one final
13:39gift to each other.
13:40Long John parts
13:41with some of the
13:42very last pieces
13:43of treasure he was
13:43able to salvage
13:44from Treasure Planet
13:45and gives it to Jim
13:46instead because he knows
13:48that that is a
13:48worthwhile investment.
13:50And in return
13:51you know whether or not
13:52he had just given him
13:53treasure of course
13:54Jim saves Long John's
13:56life by letting him
13:58escape knowing that
13:59because of his
14:00change of heart
14:00there is truly a chance
14:02for his redemption
14:02and he wants to see
14:04him grow into the
14:05best version of himself
14:06just as Long John
14:07wants to see Jim Hawkins
14:08become the best version
14:09of himself.
14:10And so I love how
14:11poetic it is that
14:12Long John saved Jim's
14:13life and Jim in the
14:15end saved his life.
14:17And all in all
14:18Long John Silver
14:19is an outstanding
14:20character amongst
14:21the Disney roster
14:22and will always be
14:23one of my favorite
14:24Disney villains
14:25of all time
14:26from one of my
14:27favorite and most
14:28underrated Disney
14:29movies of all time.
14:30Now I would like to
14:31give a massive thank you
14:32to all my supporters
14:34on Patreon as well
14:35as my channel members
14:36who support me
14:37in an extra way
14:38and as a bonus
14:38they get videos
14:39slightly early
14:40before everyone else
14:41does and their names
14:42listed up here
14:43in the ending
14:44section.
14:46Anyway,
14:47if you're still
14:48sticking around
14:49then why don't
14:50you check out
14:50one of my
14:51other videos.
14:52I mean I've got
14:52a whole playlist
14:53of villain analysis
14:54videos you can
14:55check out if you've
14:56missed any of my
14:56previous uploads
14:57and if you're not
14:59interested in that
15:00then well I've
15:01been covering like
15:02all sorts of
15:03Walt Disney Animation
15:03Studios films
15:04of which Treasure
15:05Planet is one of
15:06so perhaps you'd be
15:07interested to hear my
15:08thoughts on one of
15:09those other movies
15:09so check out
15:11that playlist then.
15:12But most importantly
15:13of all,
15:14always remember to
15:14be iconic.
Recommended
44:12
44:12
6:57
21:40
1:06:44