Fridge / Atlantis: The Lost Empire

As a Fridge subpage, all spoilers are unmarked as per policy. You Have Been Warned.

Fridge Brilliance

• Milo tells Mr. Whitmore that he would stake everything he owns that the Shepherd's Journal is the real thing. When you learn Mr. Whitmore had Milo's stuff in storage before he even agreed to find Atlantis, it turns out this is true. If Milo had Refused the Call, he would've returned to an empty home where his stuff was packed away.
• Why are the fireflies near the bridge more aggressive than the ones in Atlantis? Because the fireflies in Atlantis are in closer approximation to the crystal, making them significantly more benign.
• Multiple Leviathans are seen flying about in the opening scene, but what in the pre-Bronze Age world would Atlantis need such massive war machines to fight against? How about the Kraken, seen in the sequel? Which would mean that the blast we see was Atlantis's attempt to destroy the thing? Maybe there were more than one. Or if one of the theories on the WMG page is to be believed, they were at war with R'lyeh.
• Kida's full name, Kidagakash, isn't that hard to pronounce. But Milo, an expert linguist who is fluent in Atlantean, gets his tongue tied trying to pronounce it. It's not his fault; he's just Distracted by the Sexy to the point where foreign languages, which normally come naturally to him, start to trip him up.
  • Plus, only a few minutes before that Kida had called Milo's pronunciations "boorish [and] provincial." Even if he could fluently speak Atlantean out loud normally—which we see he can't, when he meets Kida, likely because he (and everyone else) assumed there were no surviving native speakers and therefore would be no real need or opportunity to practice—he's just had a girl he clearly has an instant crush on tell him that he's butchering her native language (an especially painful blow to a dedicated linguist, even without the crush). So he's second-guessing his pronunciation, which he might ordinarily be confident in.
• The king of Atlantis appears to be blind. When Atlantis was sinking, he told Kida to close her eyes and look away, but kept looking at the crystal as it got brighter. It's likely the flash that it produced making the shield that saved the rest of the city was responsible for taking his sight.
  • borders on Tearjerker when you realise that he did that so he would see his wife for one last time before she was lost in the crystal.
  • Confirmed by Word of God, who thought they didn't make this apparent enough.
• At first, one wonders how the King of Atlantis knew that Rourke had a weapon on him if he was blind. But then later, you learn the king had long ago tried to harness the crystal as a weapon. He knew Rourke brought weapons because in his position, he would've brought them too. Crosses into Fridge Horror once it dawns on you that Rourke is the king's Shadow Archetype to some extent.
  • Additionally, the king is blind, not deaf. When Rourke speaks to him, Kashekim can tell from the tone of these strangers' leader that he's proud and likely of a military background, so Rourke's claim that they're peaceful explorers and men of science isn't plausible. No wise person, least of all a military leader, would venture all this way to Atlantis unarmed.
  • And of course - Kashekim himself was a warmonger at one point. He probably sees himself in Rourke.
• Fridge-Awesome: Milo leading the people of Atlantis to retrieve crystal!Kida from Rourke takes on a touch of epic when one thinks back to the beginning of the journey. Back then, Milo's incompetence with the truck (and innocently playing with the horn) is meant to establish how out of place he is with the surface world. As opposed to that scene, Milo re-teaching the Atlanteans on how to use their own flying machines not only shows him in his element, but also foreshadows his ultimate fate in remaining in Atlantis where he takes to it like a fish to water.
  • Heck, his knowing how to turn on and drive an Atlantean flying machine (which resembles fish) is until itself a Stealth Pun for the saying "like a fish to water".
• It seems as though Milo's friends are Karma Houdinis for not only going along with Rourke's plan (at first) and getting the King of Atlantis killed in the process. But there's a potential reason why the Atlanteans don't even begrudge them at the end of the day. It was one thing to turn on Rourke and side with Milo. It was another thing to do so knowing they would eventually die there alongside the doomed Atlanteans. And assuming they all understand English, it's possible Vinnie's speech about where they drew the line could've easily helped paint Milo's crew as flawed people willing to make up for what they did. Add that they fought Rourke's crew alongside the Atlanteans, and no doubt the Atalanteans would be understandably quick to forgive them.
• The King's internal injury would probably not have been fatal - except, of course, that the crystal that powers all the smaller stones' healing power has been taken.
  • His death is meant to signify what's at stake for the rest of the Atlanteans if the crystal isn't returned.
  • And of course, there's the fact that he's a frail old man who'd not be able to take an injury like that as well as somebody younger and more fit.
• Atlantis is in ruins, as Kida often brings up. Just compare the preserved safe area that was protected from the wave in the prologue to the city during the remainder of the story. Atlantis is still so flooded, Milo and Kida have to swim through uninhabitable parts. It begs the question as to why no one tried to repair the buildings. It's not a stretch to think that after the Crystal was sealed in the chamber, the power keeping the city functioning weakened to the point where they could no longer operate the technology to make big repairs and were forced to abandon large parts of the city as they flooded or collapsed over the years.
• When Milo gives his "it's all about money, huh?" chastisement, all of his friends are in the middle of leaving him behind in Atlantis to die with the Atlanteans, and are subsequently convinced to instead do the right thing because of his speech. They're seen actively changing their minds and walking over to stand with Milo. Except for Sweet. As seen, only moments later, Sweet has been inside the palace tending to the dying king, not among the other mercenaries even though he had originally been part of their plan. The crew is clearly only seconds from driving away before being convinced by Milo, so it can be assumed that they fully intended to leave Sweet behind too. Which can only mean that Sweet had a Heel–Face Turn even before Milo's speech, most likely right when Rourke punched the king and he immediately tried to help him, saying, "This was not part of the plan." All it took was hurting one defenseless old man to make him forget all about the countless riches he could have had, his nature as a doctor prevailing over all. And that's awesome.
  • Sweet is also half-Native American and African American (two races known for being abused). It's possible Rouke (a White man) brutalizing non-White native peoples crossed a personal line for Sweet and also factored into his decision to stay behind to tend to the King.
• It seems strange that the Atlanteans can speak just about every language under the sun and then some, but can't read their own. However, when a human learns their primary language, it's spoken first, and reading comes later. The king notes that Atlantis was at war with other countries, implying that other languages had developed even before Atlantis sank. Among the crystals' blessings seems to be a preservation of mind, given that 8000 years would take its toll on a human mind. Taking into account the arguments on reading a couple sections down, it's possible that the crystals have preserved their knowledge of spoken language, but lack of using the written language has caused those skills to atrophy.
• When the toddler Kida loses her toy at the beginning of the movie, as they flee the incoming destruction, her mother says not to go back to get it because there's no time. She kneels on the ground, calmly and slowly explains this to her daughter, and takes several more seconds than it would have taken for Kida to actually dash back and grab her toy. She prioritizes reassuring her daughter because she knows this may be goodbye.
• In regards to Rourke having the missing page from the Shepherd's Journal the whole time, listen to what he says when he first meets Milo: "See you've got the journal there. Nice pictures." He not only read the journal, but saw that missing page. He must've had it since Iceland.
• Sweet telling Milo that "when you hit bottom, the only place left to go is up" isn't appropriate only in the sense of inspiring determination. It also means that there's still a chance to stop the bad guys; because Milo set the camp on fire and had the whole crew dropped down a chasm (as Sweet replies to Milo's sarcastic question if he forgot to mention any more of his mistakes), they got trapped in the bowels of a dormant volcano and discovered that the only possible escape route is to blow a hole at the top of the volcano. There's literally no way but up, and only by using the hot air balloon (which was already seen among the models of the expedition's vehicles) could the container holding the crystallized Kida be transported that way. Realizing this and remembering that they have access to Atlantean aircrafts, which he and Kida have already discovered how to active with the help of crystals, Milo is granted a rough plan on how to stop Rourke.
  • It's never clarified how Rourke originally planned to return to the surface with the Crystal (trying to use the only remaining escape pod of the Ulysses while the Leviathan is still out there would be suicide), but by having him left with literally no way but up, Milo's blunder of angering the fireflies may not have been completely disastrous in the end if it meant there was a way to stop Rourke.
• Why did the crew say that there is nothing but ruins right in front of Mr. Whitmore who is going through pictures of them riding Atlantean war machines? They aren't saying that to him. They are likely rehearsing their cover story for the press and the archaeological world while trusting him with the truth!
  • Given that they would have also mentioned Rourke's plan and what became of him, Mr. Whitmore likely had every reason not to divulge the truth to the public. Not only due to the whole adventure being too impossible to believe and wanting the Atlanteans to be left alone, but also due to the world not being ready to uncover their secrets, especially not when there's a Great War on the horizon.
  • Meanwhile, the crew's inexplicable wealth could just be handwaved as Mr. Whitmore's idea of a consolation prize. With how eccentric and absurdly wealthy he's known to be, no one would have really questioned why such a motley gang from such diverse backgrounds for 1914 standards seem set for life other than being in-character for him to do.
• Ms. Packard being unfazed by everything isn't just for a series of jokes. A calm demeaner even in the face of dangers as great as the Leviathan can be vital in such a crisis. Hence why she was chosen as the Radio Operator.
• At first, one would think that the reason why Kida is not considered as an official Disney Princess despite literally actually being one is due to her movie's underperformance at the box office (blame Eilonwy for this), but her movie ends with her becoming a Queen, which technically means that Kida wouldn't be considered a Princess anymore! Conversely, Elsa and Anna from the more successful Frozen2013 franchise are also not considered as official Disney Princesses either, and much like Kida, they too would be both end up as Queens as well.
• Kida has blue eyes, while most of the Atlanteans have darker eye colors. And because of her Royal Blood, she can bond with the Crystal. And who else also not only had royal blood but also blue eyes? Kida's dead mother. Maybe it's the royal blood that indicated by their eye colors.
• Cookie saying that the four basic food groups are "Beans, bacon, whiskey and lard!!" seems like a joke at first to modern viewers who mainly remember the food groups as grains, vegetables, milk and protein. But when you take into account the long nature of expeditions and what happens on the way to Atlantis, he is indeed packing essentials that can also last a long time. Beans are legumes which count as vegetables, bacon would be meat, whiskey can be made from grain and lard is basically another way of saying oil.

Fridge Horror

• A blink-and-you'll-miss-it example. As the sub is filling with water, Audrey slams the door on at least two fellow engineers. Without that engine door closed, more of the sub would have been flooded, and more lives would be lost. Either way, those engineers died knowing that Audrey had left them behind to die, greater good or not.
• Or the fact that the Atlantis they found was only a small portion of the whole continent, or even the original capital.
• Most of the Atlanteans are most likely hundreds of years old, and it's heavily implied that this long age is granted to them via the giant crystal under their city. It's certainly proven that the crystal is all that keeps them alive. Now, if Rourke had succeeded in stealing it, what exactly would have happened? Everyone would have aged to dust? Or would everyone have just fallen over dead?
  • Maybe they'd just start aging normally from that point? Still Fridge Horror since because they normally live for a very long time, they're not prepared to have children at a population sustaining rate for their new lifespans, including at best a 40 year window for the women.
  • It's never stated or implied Atlanteans of non-royal blood have the same aging process as royalty. Children are seen in Atlantis, so they're clearly still having children at a population sustaining rate. It makes sense for only the royalty to age extremely slowly, since the crystal needs them and if the commoners are still having children without eventually passing on, Atlantis would be grossly overpopulated.
    • Furthermore, during Kida’s argument with her father, she says that the Atlanteans don’t remember a time from before the city was in ruins, so it’s likely the average Atlantean doesn’t live as long as she and her father did.
• Milo's surface life is effectively ended before he leaves on the mission: his books are in storage, his clothes are packed, and his resignation has been sent. It's implied he has little to no relationships, so that's fine, too. But he never sees his cat again. Either Audrey or Whitmore adopts the cat, since it's sitting on her lap in the last scene in Whitmore's house.
• Before he dies, the King of Atlantis gravely warns Rourke and his crew about taking the (very angry) God crystal. We find out why when Rourke gets cut by a crystal shard. Had Kida/the Crystal reached the surface, countless others might have suffered this fate.
• The king says that the reason the city sank was because he tried to weaponize the crystal. How it would work is never shown, but whatever it did caused a mushroom cloud and a tsunami. Now consider that this movie takes place in 1914 and the first World War had just begun...
  • Helga subtly Lampshades this when talking about the crystal's unequaled power. "I can think of a few countries who'd pay anything to find out..."
  • Milo outright says that Rourke is probably going to sell the crystal to the Kaiser.
  • And on that note, think about how the Crystal reacts when it senses evil or danger, as well as the uncalculated amount of power it possesses. Given the King's warning, and how Crystal!Kida just seems to allow herself to be captured, what if she was planning to obliterate the crew, along with a good chunk of the western coast, once they reached the surface?
  • Another one involving the crystal. Just who, or what, were the Atlanteans fighting that the King felt it necessary to try and weaponize the Heart of Atlantis to begin with?! If the King was considering that, then whoever they were fighting must've been bad.
    • Alternately, the Atlanteans were the bad ones in that equation, with the conflict being a war of conquest. Aside from making Atlantis' destruction an almost literal example of Laser-Guided Karma, it would also explain the King's weary, apathetic attitude: In addition to thousands of years of ennui, there's the knowledge that his ambition destroyed most of his people, took his wife from their family, and condemned their daughter and remaining subjects to an extremely drawn-out extinction in what amounts to a small tank in the ocean.
    • That would fit with the original myth, in which the Atlanteans were conquerors who had to be fought off. So it doubles as a Genius Bonus.
• The Leviathan is still functional somewhere out there deep in the ocean, and it's also implied from the beginning of the film that it might not be the only one out there. If Milo and the Atlanteans can't figure out a way to control it, it would be a nightmare for seafarers or deep sea explorers everywhere, both during the film's time period and in its future.
  • Not to mention, also think about what we saw in the opening flashback. There are multiple counts of this monstrosity. This gives us many questions: Are there other Leviathans operational elsewhere? Why is there a need for so many advanced weapons in an age where the greatest known armies can only throw spears and rocks at best? Why would the king need to weaponise the crystal? Are there other similarly advanced civilisations we don't know about at that time?
    • it could be that all the other lost civilization theories are true.
• A minor one, but the king mentions that once Kida would have slain the trespassers on sight. How does he know?
• At the end, every named member of the crew (and Whitmore) has an Atlantean crystal necklace with them. The crystal necklaces are what slows down the aging process for the Atlanteans, so does that mean they're now effectively immortal (at least, compared to normal humans)? And unlike Milo, most of them still have family on the surface...
  • Even assuming that the extended lifespans aren't limited to Atlantean royalty, the Heart of Atlantis apparently doesn't have much of a range: When Rourke took it out of the city, the King died from a wound he probably would have otherwise survived. The distance between Atlantis and the surface is probably far too big for the smaller crystals to draw any power from the Heart, so all the crew (and Whitmore) have are sparkly mementos with a really neat story. Even if you take the sequel movie as canon, if they really don't want the effects of the crystals, they can just take them off.
• Even though it’s very horrible, it’s probably a good thing that the Leviathan killed most of the the Ulysses crew. The survivors are all on Rourke’s payroll, and just a couple dozen bad guys almost brought doom to Atlantis and Milo and his friends barely managed to stop them. If more crew had survived and they were all on Rourke’s payroll, Atlantis would’ve been completely overwhelmed.
  • Another possibility is that many of Rourke's men had no idea what they were signing up for before they died to the Leviathan. Given how Rourke is a decorated army man, they may have just been following orders out of loyalty to their commander no matter how morally wrong those orders were, and still were slaughtered en-masse, all to satisfy the greed of a man who saw them as expendable pawns at best.
• In the first hours of the expedition, Milo tells Rourke not to worry about the Leviathan mentioned in the Shepherd's Journal, as it's "more likely a carving, or a sculpture, to frighten the superstitious." Boy oh boy was he wrong.
• Sweet showing Milo a saw was how limbs were amputated back in 1914. In those days the only treatment of infected limbs like gangrene was amputation.
• When Rourke throws Helga off his blimp to her death below, she barely misses the blimp's propellers as she is still falling after Rourke throws her overboard. Later, Rourke himself dies by being turned to crystal and then actually being cut up by those same propeller. Now try to imagine what would probably happen if Rourke didn't turn to crystal...
• The novelization implies that the circumstances leading to Rourke's death via crystallization may have actually originally been a form of capital punishment according to Atlantean law, reserved for the most heinous of all crimes committed towards Atlantis and its people, specifically regicide, genocide, and treason. Milo must've learned all about how Atlantis' laws and judicial system works, and since these were the crimes Rourke committed in the movie, Milo, soon to be the new King as a result of Kashekim's murder, during the final battle, essentially sentenced Rourke to death.