The 3D show, starring Michael Jackson as the lead role, Captain EO, was directed by Francis Ford Coppola, and executive produced by George Lucas. In true 80's fashion, Captain EO is the leader of a space crew of puppets, who are traveling with him on a mission to present an incredibly vague gift to the "supreme leader." The supreme leader is played by Anjelica Huston, and she appears to rule over an oddly 1980's themed planet, dressed up with some lightning, random Steampunk elements, and pieces of metal... perhaps from failed missions to the planet in the past? But who really knows...
I've always thought the plot moved kind of slow in the beginning of the 17 minute film, but it is typical of what this style of movie was like back when it was made, and it does a good job of providing information for characters like Hooter, Idee & Odee, Fuzzball, Major Domo, and Minor Domo. Of course, the culmination of the film is when Captain EO finally does deliver the gift to the supreme leader. Though vague in the beginning Captain EO does eventually make it clear that the gift is essentially the action of him releasing the supreme leader's inner beauty through the power of song. With a few bumps along the way, the musical numbers are completed, and Captain EO is able to defeat the supreme leader's guards by.... dancing at them? Hey, whatever works! The musical score, by the way, features two songs: "We Are Here to Change the World," and "Another Part of Me," both written by James Horner.
(grand re-opening in 2010)
While Captain EO may seem like your standards 80's 3D movie, with "cheap 3D tricks," as the Muppets might say, it did achieve a number of milestones. For one, it was incredibly expensive for a 17 minute film. At an estimated $17 to $30 million to produce, it was (at the time) the most expensive film produced on a per-minute basis. You might get some idea of the scope of production on Captain EO from watching the pre-show, but probably not to the extent of what it actually cost. Speaking of cost, that's the #1 reason why so many scenes had very limited takes, and why you may spot some continuity errors if you watch it closely enough. At over $1 million per minute, the crew was not going to spend too much time on any one scene. Captain EO was also one of the first 4D experiences out there. For whatever reason, most theme parks, and other attractions still tend to market these attractions as "3D," but in reality the extra effects of the floor moving, water spraying, wind blowing, or anything else actually would classify it as a 4D experience. The film also features about 150 special effects total, including makeup effects, which in the case of Anjelica Huston would have taken about 3 hours to complete before filming.
Captain EO is a kind of cult classic in the Disney fan world. I would estimate that the majority of Disney fans are not heartbroken so see the attraction close for the second time, but there are still a number of fans who do really love Captain EO. I would say that I fall into the second group, but I'm not extremely heartbroken about this closure. As cool as it is to experience Captain EO the same way guests would have experienced it in 1986, it really will be "gone but not forgotten." Thankfully, Captain EO videos are aplenty on the internet, and I will probably eventually order one of the shirts from Red Bubble. Maybe one day we'll even see some vintage Captain EO designs at Mouse Gear. Walt Disney was a firm believer that the parks would never be finished, and they would always be changing and improving to provide the best experiences for guests.
"Now listen, the commander considers us a bunch of losers, but we're gonna do it right because we're the best. If not, we'll be drummed out of the corps."
- Captain EO
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