Milo Thatch [Talking to a group of masks in his boiler room, pretending the masks are real people]
Good afternoon, gentlemen. First off, I'd like to thank this board for taking the time to hear my proposal. Now, we've all heard of the legend of Atlantis, a continent somewhere in the mid-Atlantic that was home to an advanced civilization, possessing technology far beyond our own, that, according to our friend, Plato, here, was suddenly struck by some cataclysmic event that sank it beneath the sea. Now, some of you may ask, why Atlantis? It's just a myth, isn't it? Pure fantasy? Well, that is where you'd be wrong. 10,000 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids, Atlantis had electricity, advanced medicine, and even the power of flight. Impossible, you say? Well, no, no, not for them. Numerous ancient cultures all over the globe agree that Atlantis possessed a power source of some kind, more powerful than steam, than, than coal. More powerful than our modern internal combustion engines. Gentlemen, I propose that we find Atlantis, find that power source, and bring it back to the surface. Now, this is a page from an illuminated text that describes a book called the Shepherd's Journal, said to have been a first-hand account of Atlantis and its exact whereabouts. Now, based on a centuries-old translation of a Norse text, historians have believed the Journal resides in Ireland. But after comparing the text to the runes on this Viking shield, I found that one of the letters have been mistranslated. So, by changing this letter and inserting the correct one, we find that the Shepherd's Journal, the key to Atlantis, lies not in Ireland, gentlemen, but in Iceland. [Pause] Pause for effect. Gentlemen, I'll take your questions now.
[Mole's digger breaks down.]
I don't get it. I just tuned this thing up this morning...
[Audrey climbs into vehicle and throws random bolts and pipes out.] [from inside digger]
It looks like the boiler's shot. I'm gonna have to pull a spare from one of the trucks.
Milo Uh, could I just...
¡No toques nada! I'll be right back [walks away]
M Mole
[ Milo grabs Audrey's wrench and begins turning valves, then hits it. The vehicle starts again.]
SHE LIVES!
[Milo starts raving on about how the boiler is like the Smithsonian's]
Yeah, yeah, thank you very much.
[Audrey spins around to face milo, her hand clenched in a fist. Milo flinches]
Two for flinching.
[Audrey punches Milo twice. Mole laughs at him.]
The name's Sweet, Joshus Sweet. Medical officer.
Milo Yeah. Milo Thatch.
Milo Thatch, you're my three o'clock! [reaches into his back and pulls out a saw] Well, no time like the present.
Milo [stares at the saw]
Oh boy!
Nice, isn't it? The catalogue says that this little beauty can saw through a femur in 28 seconds. I'm betting I can cut that time in half! [puts the saw away and comes out with a tongue depresser] Now, stick out your tongue and say "Ah"!
Milo Well, I don't-- [gahs then grunts as Sweet puts the stick into his mouth]
So where're you from? [Milo grunts something] Really? I have family up that way! Beautiful country up there! You do any fishing?
Milo Oh...a little...
Me? I hate fishing. I hate fish. Hate the taste, hate the smell and I hate all them little bones. [as he speaks he does several things from puting the depresser away to taking Milo's pulse, then finally pulls up two bottles] Here, I'm gonna need you to fill these up.
Milo [spits]
With what?!
P Packard
[on tannoy]
Would Milo Thatch please report to the bridge?
Milo Thank you... I mean, nice meeting you. [runs off]
[watching Milo run off]
U-huh, nice meeting you too.
[Mole watches quietly the whole while]
Milo Thatch [Several thousand years later, in 1914, Milo Thatch believes that he has found the Shepherd's Journal] [Talking to group of masks in his boiler room, pretending the masks are real people]
Good afternoon, gentlemen. First off, I'd like to thank this board for taking the time to hear my proposal. Now, we've all heard of the legend of Atlantis, a continent somewhere in the mid-Atlantic that was home to an advanced civilization, possessing technology far beyond our own, that, according to our friend, Plato, here, was suddenly struck by some cataclysmic event that sank it beneath the sea. Now, some of you may ask, why Atlantis? It's just a myth, isn't it? Pure fantasy? Well, that is where you'd be wrong. 10,000 years before the Egyptians built the pyramids, Atlantis had electricity, advanced medicine, even the power of flight. Impossible, you say? Well, no, no, not for them. Numerous ancient cultures all over the globe agree that Atlantis possessed a power source of some kind, more powerful than steam, than, than coal. More powerful than our modern internal combustion engines. Gentlemen, I propose that we find Atlantis, find that power source, and bring it back to surface. Now, this is page from an illuminated text that describes a book called the Shepherd's Journal, said to have been a first-hand account of Atlantis and it's exact whereabouts. Now, based on a centuries-old translation of Norse a text, historians have believed the Journal resides in Ireland. But after comparing the text to the runes on this Viking shield. I found that one of the letters have been mistranslated. So, by changing this letter and inserting the correct one, we find that the Sherpherd's Journal, the key to Atlantis, lies not in Ireland, gentlemen, but in Iceland. [Pause] Pause for effect. Gentlemen, I'll take your questions now. [Telephone ring] Uh, would you gentlemen please excuse me for a moment? [rings] Cartography and Linguistics, Milo Thatch speaking. [indistinct angry ranting] Yeah. Uh, just, just a second. [turn the light on, the masks in the boiler room] Pardon me, Mr. Hickenbottom. [Took a wrench Fixing the boiler room, begins turning values, then hits it] How's that? Is that better? [indistinct angry ranting again] Uh-huh. Yeah. You're welcome...
H Mr. Hickenbottom
[on the phone]
And don't let it happen again!
Milo Thatch All right, bye. Now, as you can see by th-- [the map in his shirt] by this, um, map... map, uh, that... that-- [clears throat] that I've drawn, I plotted the route that will take myself and a crew to the Southern coast of Iceland to retrieve the Journal. [hear birdhouse clock sound] Ah, showtime. Well, this is it. I am finally getting out of the dungeon. [Took a Thaddeus photo to little Milo picture is sees, it put in hat to Milo it downs, Thaddeus laugh, He smiles, It opens to see a Thaddeus's hat, and down to it. Letter appears] "Dear Mr. Thatch, this is to inform you that your meeting today has been moved up from 4:30 P.M. to 3:30 P.M." [Milo looks at the clock and reads 4:05 PM] What? [another letter drops, and he reads it] "Dear Mr. Thatch, due to your absence, the board has voted to reject your proposal. Have a nice weekend, Mr. Harcourt's office." [enraged] THEY CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!
J Mr. James
[The museum board walks out]
I swear, that young Thatch gets crazier every year!
H Mr. Hickenbottom
If I ever hear the word "Atlantis" again, I'll step in front of a bus!
J Mr. James
[Chuckles]
I'll push you! Ha, Ha!
Milo Thatch [Off-screen]
Mr. Harcourt!
BM Board Member
Good lord! There he is!
Milo Thatch Members of the board... uh, wait!
H Mr. Harcourt
How did you find us?
Milo Thatch [Off-screen]
Mr. Harcourt, wait!
H Mr. Hickenbottom
[The scared professors flee to the doors]
Head for the hills!
H Mr. Harcourt
Where is a guard when you need him?
Milo Thatch Mr. Harcourt, you gotta listen to me, sir! [Mr. Harcourt hides behind a tree] Uh, sir? [Mr. Harcourt smiles at Milo, then open his umbrella and pop the maps to him and runs off the museum] Wait! Mr. Harcourt! Sir, l-I have new evidence that... [as Mr. Harcourt back in the car and opens to his Chauffeur] Please, Mr. Harcourt! Stop! Sir, if you-- Could you hold--? Thank you very much. Look at--
H Mr. Harcourt
This museum funds scientific expeditions based on facts, not legends and folklore. Besides, we need you here. We depend on you.
Milo Thatch You do?
H Mr. Harcourt
Yes! What with winter coming, that boiler's gonna need a lot of attention.
Milo Thatch Boiler?
H Mr. Harcourt
[To his chauffeur]
Onward, Heinz!
Milo Thatch [Heinz drives off, Milo chases the car]
But, there...there's a journal! It's in Iceland! I'm sure of it this time. [Mr. Harcourt closes and slides the window in the car; Milo jumps on the hood] Sir, I really hoped it wouldn't come to this, but this is....a letter of resignation! If you reject my proposal, I'll-- [Falls off the car] WHOA! [Yelling after the car as it drives off] I'LL QUIT!!! [The car reverses back; Harcourt opens the window] I mean it, sir! If you refuse to fund my proposal...
H Mr. Harcourt
You'll what? Flush your career down the toilet, just like your grandfather? You have a lot of potential, Milo. Don't throw it all away chasing fairy tales.
Milo Thatch But I can prove Atlantis exists!
H Mr. Harcourt
You want to go on an expedition? [tosses Milo a coin] Here. Take a trolley to the Potomac and jump in! Maybe the cold water will clear your head. Heinz!
[Drives off, soaking Milo's maps and leaving him dejected]
Milo Thatch [Seeing Mr. Whitmore and Thaddeus in a picture]
Grandpa?
Finest Explorer I ever met. Preston Whitmore. [Milo shakes Whitmore's foot] Pleasure to meet you, Milo. [crunches his foot, sighs] Join me in a little yoga?
Milo Thatch Uh, no, no. Thank you. Did you really know my grandfather?
Oh, yeah. Met old Thaddeus back in Georgetown. [wriggle his foot] Class of '66. We stayed close friends 'til end of his days. [cracks his foot] He dragged me along on some of his danged fool expeditions. Thatch was crazy as a fruit bat, he was. He spoke of you often.
Milo Thatch Funny. He, he never mentioned you.
Oh, he wouldn't. He knew how much I liked my privacy. [Pants down, grunting, cracking his legs] I keep a low profile.
Milo Thatch Mr. Whitmore, should I be wondering why I'm here?
Look on that table. Ah! It's for you. [Milo sees a present from Thaddeus]
Milo Thatch It's-- It's from… from my grandfather.
He brought that package to me years ago. He said if anything were to happen to him, I should give it to you when you were ready, whatever that means.
Milo Thatch [Milo unwraps it]
It-- It can be. It's the Shepherd's Journal. Mr. Whitmore, this journal is the key to finding the lost continent of Atlantis!
Atlantis! Ha, ha, ha! I wasn't born yesterday, son.
Milo Thatch No, no, no. Look-look at this. Coordinates. Clues. It's all right here.
Yeah, looks like gibberish to me.
Milo Thatch That's because it's been written in a dialect that no longer exists.
Milo Thatch No, no, just difficult. I've spent my whole life studying dead languages. It's not gibberish to me.
Ah, it's probably a fake.
Milo Thatch Mr. Whitmore, my grandfather would have known if this were a fake. I would know. I will stake everything I own, everything that I believe in, that this is the genuine Shepherd's Journal.
All right, all right. So what do you want to do with it?
Milo Thatch Well, I'll-I'll-I'll get funding. I mean, I'll-- The museum.
They'll never believe you.
Milo Thatch I'll show them! I will make them believe.
Milo Thatch Yes! Well, no. H-How did you--? Forget about them. Okay? Never mind! I will find Atlantis on my own, even if I have to rent a rowboat!
Congratulations, Milo. This is exactly what I wanted to hear, but forget the rowboat, son. [pushes button; model ships rise onto his desk] We'll travel in style. It's all been arranged, the whole ball of wax.
Milo Thatch Why?
For years, your granddad bent my ear with stories about that old book. I didn't buy it for a minute. So finally, I got fed up and I made a bet with the old coot. I said, "Thatch, if you ever actually find that so-called journal, not only will I finance the expedition, but I'll kiss you full on the mouth." [Shows Milo a photo with him and Milo's grandfather spitting after they've kissed each other] Imagine my embarrassment when he found the darn thing. Now, I know your grandfather's gone, Milo. God rest his soul, but Preston Whitmore is a man who keeps his word. [pointed to Thaddeus' photo] You hear that, Thatch?! I'm going to the afterlife with a clear conscience, [swings cane] by thunder! [chuckles and sighs] Your Grandpa was a great man. You probably don't realize how great. Those buffoons at the museum...dragged him down, made a laughingstock of him. He died a broken man. If I could bring back just one shred of proof...that'd be enough for me. Ah, Thatch. [Turns to Milo] What are standing around for? We got work to do.
Milo Thatch But, Mr. Whitmore, you know in order to do what you're proposing, you're gonna need a crew.
Milo Thatch You'll need engineers and-and geologists.
[spreads photos]
Got' em all. The best of the best. Gaetan Moliere, geology and excavation. The man has a nose for dirt. Vincenzo Santorini, demolitions. Busted him out of a Turkish prison. Audrey Ramirez. Don't let her age fool you. She's forgotten more about engines than you or I will ever know. They're the same crew that brought the journal back.
Milo Thatch Where was it?
[shows Milo a photo of everyone in Iceland with the Journal]
Iceland.
Milo Thatch [happily]
I knew it! I knew it!
All we need now is an expert of gibberish. So it's decision time. You can build on the foundation your grandfather left you, or you can go back to your boiler room.
Milo Thatch This is for real.
Milo Thatch All right. Okay. I-I-I'll have to quit my job.
It's done. You resigned this afternoon.
Milo Thatch I did?
Yep. Don't like to leave loose ends.
Milo Thatch Uh, my apartment, I'm gonna have to give notice.
Milo Thatch My clothes?
Milo Thatch My books?
Milo Thatch My cat? [his cat, Fluffy, appears on his shoulder and meows] My gosh.
Your granddad had a saying: "Our lives are measured by the gifts we leave our children." This journal is his gift to you, Milo. Atlantis is waiting. What do you say?
Milo Thatch [grabbing his coat excitedly]
I'm your man, Mr. Whitmore! [he puts his coat on backwards] You will not regret this! Boy, I am so excited, I-I-I-I-I can't even hold it in.
M Mole
[Milo goes into his cabin and lies on his bunk; a pair of telescopic eyes looks at him]
You have disturbed the dirt.
Milo Thatch Uh, pardon me?
M Mole
You have disturbed the dirt! [Pulls off blanket, exposing clumps of dirt with little European flags] Dirt from around the globe, spanning the centuries! Ack! What have you done?! England must never merge with France!
Milo Thatch What's it doing in my bed?!
M Mole
You ask too many questions! Who are you? Who sent you? Speak up!
Milo Thatch Me, I'm, uh-
M Mole
Bah! I will know soon enough!
Milo Thatch [Grabs Milo's hand]
Hey, hey, hey! Let go!
M Mole
Do not be such a crybaby! Hold still! [takes a tiny dirt sample from Milo's fingernail with tweezers] Aha! There you are! Now tell me your story, my little friend. [looks at dirt with his magnifying goggles] Parchment fibre from the Nile Delta circa 500 B.C., lead pencil No. 2, paint flecks of a type used in government buildings, you have a cat, short hair Persian, two years old, third in a litter of seven. These are all the microscopic fingerprints of the mapmaker... [licks dirt] and linguist.
Milo Thatch Hey, how'd you...
M Mole
[throws Milo's bags and jacket at him]
This is an outrage! You must leave at once! Out-out-out-out-out! [tries to push Milo out of cabin; they bump into Joshua Sweet]
Uh-oh. Sat in the dirt, didn't you? Molière, now what have I told ya about playing nice with the other kids?! [holds up a bar of soap] Get back! I got soap, and I'm not afraid to use it! [Mole hisses at the soap bar and runs to his bed. Sweet whips his towel at him] Back, foul creature! Back into the pit from whence you came! [to Milo] The name's Sweet; Joshua Sweet. Medical officer.
Milo Thatch Yeah. Milo Thatch.
Milo Thatch, you're my three o'clock! [reaches into his back and pulls out a saw] Well, no time like the present.
Milo Thatch [stares at the saw]
Oh, boy!
Nice, isn't it? The catalogue says that this little beauty can saw through a femur in 28 seconds. I'm betting I can cut that time in half! [puts the saw away and comes out with a tongue depressor] Now, stick out your tongue and say "Ah"!
Milo Thatch Oh, no, really, I- [Sweet puts tongue depressor in his mouth] Ahhgabla!
So, where're you from? [Milo grunts something] Really? I have family up that way! Beautiful country up there! You do any fishing?
Milo Thatch Oh...a little...
Me? I hate fishing, I hate fish, hate the taste, hate the smell and hate all of them little bones. [as he speaks, he does several things from putting the depressor away to taking Milo's pulse, then finally pulls up two bottles] Here, I'm gonna need you to fill these up.
Milo Thatch [spits out thermometer]
With what?!
P Packard
[on PA]
Would Milo Thatch please report to the bridge?
Milo Thatch Thank you...I mean, nice meeting you. [runs off]
[watching Milo run off]
Uh-huh, nice meeting you too.
[Everyone sleeping on the tents, Kida appears and hunters with the masks while hunting trip. She look for Milo's bag search for picture to Thaddeus and Milo and he's yawning up out of the tent. Kida and the hunters it startled runs off the tent. Milo turns a flashlight on with the shovel toilet paper.] [Snores in the tent]
The redhead's got a gun. [snores]
Milo Thatch [As Milo took the flashlight sees a Firefly hive, glowing flies, he zip down the pants, it buzz off the fireflies then drops a flashlight and squish by shovel toilet paper turns to fire]
Holy-- Whoa! [Fireflies burns a tents and there many glowing flies out of hive] Fire. [Fireflies chases and he alarm calling to everyone out of tent] Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!
[Glances at a clock reading 2:00 A.M]
I'm gonna kill him. [out the tent] Thatch, go back to bed.
Get some water on that fire!
No time! Get us into those caves! Move it! Move it! Move it!
[Cross the bridge] [chased by Truck]
Milo, Jump! Right now!
M Mole
[It is destroyed by watertank truck, crash his trucks it burns by fireflies, The Hive breaks down to the bridge] [Mole's digger backs up to steering tires squealing wheel]
No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!
[The Bridge crash down by glowing fireflies in the cave, as everyone drive trucks going back down into Big Hole, and hitting bumps ahead get shocked by an accidents]
Whoa! Whoa!
Aah!
[the screen cuts to black, and a crash is heard]
I know what you seek, and you will not find it here. Your journey has been in vain.
But we are peaceful explorers. Men of science.
[chuckles grimly as he sees Commander Rourke's sidearm]
And yet you bring weapons.
Our weapons allow us to remove... obstacles we may encounter.
Some obstacles cannot be removed with a mere show of force. Return to your people. You must leave Atlantis, at once.
Your Majesty, be reasonable.
Milo Thatch Sir?
Milo Thatch Uh, trust me on this. We'd better do as he says.
May I respectfully request that... we stay one night, sir? That would give us time to rest, resupply, be ready to travel by morning.
Very well. One night. That is all.
[Milo is confronted by Commander Rourke and the others, who are holding guns]
You have a nice swim?
Milo Thatch Hey, guys. What's going on? What's- What's with all the guns? [notice that they are staring at him] Guys? [suddenly realizes; exhales] I'm such an idiot. This is just another treasure hunt for you. You're after the crystal!
[reveals the missing page]
Oh, you mean this?
Milo Thatch [Stunned]
The Heart of Atlantis.
Yeah, about that, I would've told you this sooner, but it was strictly on a need-to-know basis, and, well, now you know. I had to be sure you were one of us. [raises his hand to Milo] Welcome to the club, son.
Milo Thatch [backs away in disgust]
I'm no mercenary.
[Commander Rourke's mercenaries grab Kida, resulting in a struggle which takes place, which ends with Kida restrained.]
Mercenary? I prefer the term "venture capitalist". Besides, you're the one who got us here. You led us right to the treasure chest.
Milo Thatch [gets out of the water]
You don't know what you're tampering with, Rourke!
What's to know? It's big, it's shiny, it's gonna make us all rich.
Milo Thatch You think it's some kind of a diamond. I thought it was some kind of a battery, but we're both wrong. It's their life-force. That crystal is the only thing keeping these people alive. You take that away, and they'll die.
Well, that changes things. Helga, what do you think?
Knowing that, I'd double the price.
Milo Thatch Rourke, don't...do this.
Academics. You never want to get your hands dirty. Think about it. If you gave back every stolen artifact from a museum you'd be left with an empty building. We're just providing a necessary service to the archeological community.
Milo Thatch Not interested.
I got to admit, I'm disappointed. You're an idealist, just like your grandfather. Do yourself a favor, Milo. Don't be like him. For once, do the smart thing. [Milo silently stares at Commander Rourke with anger] I really hate it when negotiations go sour. [Snap his fingers allowing his men to point the gun at Kida and **** them] Let's try this again. [shows Milo the missing page on the Heart of Atlantis again]
V Vinny
[Commander Rourke and the others destroy the door to the throne room with a bomb]
Knock, knock.
[Raises and aims shotgun]
Room service!
[Nedakh's guards raise their spears] [Holds Kida as hostage]
Tell them to drop their weapons, now!
[Nedakh, in Atlantean, tells his guards to drop their spears and they do so] [Commander Rourke's men search the room for the Heart of Atlantis]
Spread out! Search everywhere!
You're not applying yourself, son. There's got to be something else.
Milo Thatch Well, there isn't. It just says, "The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king."
Well, then maybe Old King Cole here can help us fill in the blanks. How about it, chief? Where's the crystal chamber?
You will destroy yourselves.
Maybe I'm not being clear.
[Commander Rourke punches Nedakh hard in the chest, shocking everyone including Kida. Nedakh falls on the ground, wounded] [Angry Atlantean speaking]
Rourke, this was not a part of the plan!
Plan's changed, doc. I'd suggest you put a bandage on that bleeding heart of yours. It doesn't suit a mercenary. [Sits on Nedakh's throne, knocking over a bowl of fruit and spilling its contents everywhere] Well, as usual, diplomacy has failed us. [To Nedakh] Now I'm going to count to 10 and you're going to tell me where the crystal is. 1. [**** pistol] 2. [Aims at Nedakh, shocking everyone] 9. T- [stops as he looks at the water than back at the book]
[The presence of Heart of Atlantis has been revealed in the water]
"The heart of Atlantis lies in the eyes of her king"? This is it, we're in! [throws the Shepherd's Journal back at Milo and heads to the entrance to Heart of Atlantis]
Milo Thatch Rourke, for the last time, you've got to listen to me. You don't have the slightest idea what this power is capable of.
True, but I can think of a few countries who'd pay anything to find out.
[Milo, Kida, Commander Rourke and Helga Sinclair get on the platform leading to find the Heart of Atlantis]
Jackpot.
[about Kida]
She has been chosen. Like her mother before her.
Milo Thatch What?
In times of danger, the crystal would choose a host, one of royal blood, to protect itself and its people. It will accept no other.
Milo Thatch W-W-Wait a minute. "Choose"? You mean, this thing is alive?
In a way. The crystal thrives on the collective emotions of all who came before us. In return, it provides power. Longevity. Protection. As it grew, it developed a consciousness of its own. [weakly coughs] In my arrogance, I sought to use it as a weapon of war. But its power proved too great to control. It overwhelmed us...and led to our destruction.
Milo Thatch That's why you hid it beneath the city; To keep history from repeating itself.
And to prevent Kida from suffering the same fate as my beloved wife.
Milo Thatch What do you mean? Wh- W- What's going to happen to her?
If she remains bonded to the crystal, she could be lost to it forever. The love of my daughter is all I have left. My burden would have become hers when the time was right...but now, it falls to you. [gives Milo his pendant]
Milo Thatch Me?
[last words]
Return the crystal. [weakly coughs] Save Atlantis. Save my daughter. [dies]
