While it may have bombed at the box-office back in 2002, Disney's updated Treasure Island story gets a second chance with a stunning high definition transfer on Blu-ray with Treasure Planet: 10th Anniversary Edition. It seems just like yesterday when I first saw the movie on DVD back in 2003, having skipped seeing it in the theater (like most of Disney's post-2000 output). While it wasn’t their best effort, the combination of sci-fi setting and (then) daring computer-animation still made for a a fun ride. Now, ten years after its theatrical release in 2002, the film still holds up surprisingly well and looks even better thanks to a wonderful high-definition video transfer on the main feature. While it would’ve been nice to have some HD extras, there’s plenty of sci-fi action, adventure, and comedy that a new generation of viewers are bound to enjoy.

The adventure kicks off when teenager Jim Hawkins (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt) receives a map-like orb from the pilot of a crashed spaceship that points the way to riches beyond imagination on a planet far away in space called (you guessed it) Treasure Planet. Hoping to break his family out of crushing poverty, he sets out with his friend Doctor Doppler (voiced to perfection by David Hyde Pierce) to find a spaceship that will take them to the treasure. The two soon come across a ship being led by the feline-like Captain Amelia (Emma Thompson) whose crew turns out to be a group of pirates led by John Silver (Brian Murray) who is pretending to be the ship’s cook while waiting on the right time to take over the ship.

Jim, Doppler, and Amelia soon find out about Silver and his crew as they grow closer to the planet, and the all out action and adventure begins as everyone tries to race to the treasure while making their way through all sorts of dangers on the planet’s surface.

Even after all this time, I still found myself enjoying Treasure Island. I thought it was a nice, emotional touch having Jim and his single-parent mother being poor, and how good and bad comes from John Silver using this to form a father-like bond with Jim. And while most are sure to disagree, I actually liked Martin Short as the bumbling C3P0-ish robot B.E.N. that shows up later in the movie and how well he played off with the rest of the cast.

What really sticks out most is the amazing video transfer Disney has done. Colors and details really shine here, making for a visual treat that simply wasn't possible on the original DVD release and quite possibly even theaters weren’t able to bring a decade ago. The DTS-HD 5.1 sound also rings in just as clear, as James Newton Howard’s musical score, sound effects and dialogue are heard perfectly.

Sadly, with all of these improvements there was bound to be a few disappointments in the mix, and in this case it’s the smattering of special features presented in standard-definition, which is disappointing considering the format.

There’s audio commentary featuring producer Roy Conli, directors John Musker and Ron Clements, and some of the crew that talk about some of the things that went into making the movie come together. “Disneypedia: The Life of a Pirate Revealed” goes into such detailed things such as pirate definitions, flags, famous real pirates, treasure, ships and more. Roy Disney hosts a fourteen-minute long featurette called “Disney Animation Magic” where he talks about some of the different aspects of the film while being accompanied by some of the crew. Lastly, three “Deleted Scenes” are introduced by directors John Musker and Ron Clements that show off some of the plot points and footage that didn’t make the final cut.

Those who may have missed Disney's adventurous sci-fi update of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic Treasure Island might want to finally give it a chance with the remastered Treasure Planet: 10th Anniversary Edition on Blu-ray. While it would have been nice to have all of the special features presented in high-definition (like the feature itself), there’s still plenty to enjoy as a great cast and dazzling animation make this one of the studios' better releases in the new millennium. Those looking for a good animated feature to watch will probably want to raise anchor and set sail to their nearest store to add this gem of a Blu-ray to their collection.