The Legend of the Titanic

The Legend of the Titanic
Talk about being historically inaccurate and insulting!
Genre: Animation Children's film Directed by: Orlando Corradi Kim J. Ok Written by: Celelia Castaldo Loris Peota Based on: RMS Titanic Starring: Gregory Snegoff Francis Pardeilhan Jane Alexander Anna Mazzotti Sean Patrick Lovett Teresa Pascarelli Frank von Kuegelgen John Stone Photography: Color Distributed by: Mondo TV Release date: April 17, 1999 (Italy) Runtime: 84 Minutes Country: Italy Sequel: In Search of the Titanic

The Legend of the Titanic is an animated film released in 1999 and produced by Mondo TV Productions.

Synopsis

A retelling of the sinking of the Titanic featuring anthropomorphic animals and a young couple who fall in love.

Why It Hit an Iceberg

1. Addressing the most glaring issue, the film's historical inaccuracies and its offensive portrayal of the Titanic's real-life tragedy stand out due to the presence of anthropomorphic animals and the unrealistic survival of all passengers. Furthermore, the insertion of anti-whaling messages exacerbates the situation. This approach is profoundly disrespectful to those who perished, the survivors, and the relatives and friends of those affected.
   • The image of a giant octopus hurling an iceberg at a ship and reassembling the Titanic is highly fantastical and does not align with the actual events of the Titanic's sinking.
     • Speaking of the octopus, his name is Tentacles and has a dog face, which is disgraceful to octopi anatomy. How could they screw up this badly?
2. The film is a knock-off of the 1997 adaptation of Titanic, lacking the original's allure and emotional depth. The 1997 version is celebrated for its historical fidelity, unlike this movie. It even introduces a romance plot with characters reminiscent of the main duo, but with a twist: a wealthy woman, Elizabeth, falls for a poor man, Don Juan. Additionally, Elizabeth's storyline centers around escaping an arranged marriage.
   • The expectation that Elizabeth should marry Evarard Maltravers, a man who seems much older, is disconcerting. The notion of her father arranging a marriage with an elderly man adds to the unease, which explains why she seeks to escape the arranged marriage and ultimately falls in love with Don.
3. The notorious scene in which Smile, Don's dog, urinates on Captain Edward Smith's leg is distasteful.
4. The recurring theme of Don sniffing Elizabeth's glove is indeed unsettling.
5. Two of the mice that board on the Titanic has one or another racist stereotype placed.
   • A gang of mice who are simply typical Mexican stereotypes. Sound familiar?
   • Another one that is a Brazilian mouse. Being his entire character obsessed with soccer.
6. Regarding the mice, they occupy two-thirds of the film discussing "ship protocols," a segment that is not only dull but also a significant waste of time.
7. Don and Elizabeth are meant to be without talking, the Nostalgia Critic even points this out. This feels ridiculous and rushed.
8. Similar to The Magic Voyage, there's plenty of fantasy elements in this film, which feels extremely out of place for a movie based on a historical event.
9. The idea of Elizabeth communicating with ocean and ship animals through "magic moon beams" activated by her tears falling into the ocean is seen as nonsensical.
   • Moreover, Maltravers can communicate with an evil gang of sharks and he didn't shed tears in the ocean, which underscores the absurdity of the situation.
10. Elizabeth’s father respecting his daughter’s wishes after she talks to the mice about her arranged marriage feels forced.
11. The manner in which Camembert meets his end—using his mustache to connect broken wires—is intended to be tragic, yet it inadvertently comes across as absurdly comical.
12. The film's conclusion is deeply disrespectful and highly offensive to the actual events it portrays, as it depicts all characters who perished in the Titanic disaster (including Tentacles and Camembert) as miraculously surviving, either from the lifeboats somehow having enough room for everybody, or when a bunch of whales come to save the remaining passengers. In the end, not one fatality occurs. When in reality, out of the nearly 2200 people onboard the Titanic on her maiden voyage, over 1500 perished and only around 705 survived.
    • At least The Legend Goes On had some sense to imply that some people actually died.

Redeeming Qualities

1. Passable voice acting.
2. The song that plays during the dance, while generic, is tolerable.
3. The animation quality is fairly good, featuring appealing character designs, lighting, and movement. And while it looks somewhat outdated for late 90s standards, it’s much better than The Legend Goes On which came out the year afterwards.

See Also

Titanic: The Legend Goes On

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