The legendary Captain EO starring Michael Jackson returns to Epcot theme park! Join millions of fans who thrill to the music and be awed by the visual effects magic of some of the biggest names in Hollywood during this 17-minute interactive film.
Filled with show-stopping musical numbers performed by Michael Jackson, and stunning special effects orchestrated by executive producer George Lucas and director Francis Ford Coppola, Captain EO is a sight and sound spectacular with an enduring message.
Screening in the same Imagination! Pavilion theater in which it played from 1986 to 1994, Captain EO features improved sound, thanks to acoustical enhancements made to the theater in recent years. Captain EO is filled with unforgettable music and imagery that will take a new generation of Guests on a journey to the stars.
Captain EO is vintage Michael Jackson in his prime. The songs are all original Jackson, and bring to life the story of an electronic band of space creatures who undergo a magical transformation and aid Jackson in conquering the evil forces of darkness.
Returning from a 16 year hiatus, Captain EO is once again playing in Epcot's Imagination Pavilion. On June 30, 2010 cast members and members of the media were treated to preview of Captain EO. On July 2, 2010, the attraction officially reopened to guests.
The Show
The preshow area is physically the same as Honey I Shrunk the Audience, with a slanted floor. The monitors begin to share wait times at about 8 minutes and they are periodically updated. For those who are deaf or hearing impaired there are screens with captions on each row, ask the cast member specifically where they are located.
After viewing the pre-show, enter the theater, take a seat, put on your 3D glasses and enjoy an enhanced sound system and new special effects thanks to the technology enhancements made when Honey I Shrunk the Audience debuted.
"The colorful new Disney-created musical instrument characters include: Hooter, the little green elephant who sneezes wild musical notes through his flute-like trunk; Fuzzball, the orange-haired space monkey with butterfly wings; Geex, a gold-encased, two-faced personality with two left feet, one right foot and two shaggy heads named Idy and Ody; Major Domo, whose mirrored silver costume becomes a complete set of drums, traps and string bass played by Fuzzball; and Minor Domo, with his sparkling purple torso that turns into an electronic synthesizer played by Hooter."
The Story
The film tells the story of Captain EO (Michael Jackson) and the ragtag crew of his spaceship on a mission to deliver a gift to "The Supreme Leader", who lives on a world of rotting, twisted metal and steaming vents. Captain EO's alien crew consists of his small flying sidekick Fuzzball, the double-headed navigator and pilot Idey (Debbie Lee Carrington) and Ody (Cindy Sorenson), robotic security officer Major Domo (Gary Depew), a small robot, Minor Domo (who fits like a module into Major Domo), and the clumsy elephant-like shipmate Hooter (Tony Cox) who always manages to upset the crew's missions. Dick Shawn plays Captain EO's boss, Commander Bog.
Upon arriving on the planet, the crew is captured by the henchmen of the Supreme Leader, and brought before her. She sentences the crew to be turned into trash cans, and Captain EO to 100 years of torture in her deepest dungeon. Before being sent away, Captain EO tells the Supreme Leader that he sees the beauty hidden within her, and that he brings her the key to unlock it: his song, "We Are Here to Change the World".
The two robot members of the crew transform into musical instruments and the crew members begin to play the various instruments. As Hooter runs toward his instrument, he trips over EO's cape and breaks it, stopping the music. The spell broken, the Supreme Leader orders her guards to capture Captain EO and his crew.
Hooter manages to repair his instrument and sends out a blast of music, providing EO with the power to throw off the guards. He uses his power to transform the dark hulking guards into agile dancers who fall into step behind him for a dance number. As EO presses forward toward the Supreme Leader she unleashes her Whip Warriors, two cybernetic defenders each with a whip and shield that can deflect EO's power.
The others all run away leaving Captain EO to fight the Whip Warriors alone. EO is trapped by a closing gate and is preparing for a last stand as both the whip warriors draw their whips back for a final blow. Fuzzball drops his instrument and speedily flies over to tie the two whips together, causing the Whip Warriors to be thrown off balance giving EO an opportunity to transform them as well. With no further obstacles, EO uses his power to transform the remaining four henchmen not yet unleashed and they, the transformed whip warriors and the other dancers press forward in dance before EO transforms the Supreme Leader into a beautiful woman, her lair into a peaceful Greek temple and the planet into a verdant paradise. A celebration breaks out to "Another Part of Me", as EO and his crew triumphantly exit and fly off into space.
Touring Tips
- There is no "live" entertainment in this pavilion.
- This attraction may frighten children.
- If the wait time til the next show is too long (more than 15 minutes) get a FASTPASS!
- The film includes battle noises and a very loud musical soundtrack.
- 3-D "safety goggles" are worn in the theater to provide the special effects. There is a video monitor on the left side of the theater which allows you to follow the show without the 3D glasses.
- Sitting your child on your lap will help reduce the special effects they experience.
Facts
- Captain EO is a 3-D science fiction film starring Michael Jackson and directed by Francis Ford Coppola (who came up with the name "Captain EO" from the Greek, cf. "Eos", the Greek goddess of dawn) that was shown at Disney theme parks from 1986 through the 1990s. The attraction returned to the Disney Parks in 2010, as a tribute after Jackson's death.
- Captain EO made full use of its 3-D effects. The action on the screen extended into the audience, including lasers, laser impacts, smoke effects, and starfields that filled the theater. These effects resulted in the seventeen-minute film costing an estimated $30 million to produce. At the time, it was the most expensive film ever produced on a per-minute basis, averaging out at $1.76 million per minute.
- The 2010 version does not include the in-theater laser and starfield effects. It does utilize hydraulics previously used for Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! to make the seats shake along with Captain EO's spaceship, as well as LED flood-lighting which is new to the theater. They are also used for the bass heavy musical numbers. The seats also bounce to the beat of Jackson's song. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience!'s seat-back misters are also employed when Hooter sneezes.
- Several years after the attraction originally opened, it made its one and only network television appearance on MTV, albeit in a down-converted 2-D version. It has not aired again since, nor has it officially been issued on home video/DVD/Blu-ray, although bootleg videos exist.
History
The film's executive producer was George Lucas. The film was choreographed by Jeffrey Hornaday and Michael Jackson, photographed by Peter Anderson, produced by Rusty Lemorande and written by Lemorande, Lucas and Coppola, from a story idea by the artists of Walt Disney Imagineering. Lemorande also initially designed and created two of the creatures, and was an uncredited editor of the film. The score was written by James Horner, and featured two songs ("We Are Here to Change the World" and "Another Part of Me"), both written and performed by Michael Jackson. The Supreme Leader was played by Anjelica Huston. Cinematographer Vittorio Storaro was the lighting director during much of the principal photography. Captain EO is regarded as one of the first "4-D" films (4-D being the name given to a 3-D film which incorporates in-theater effects, such as lasers, smoke, etc., frame synced to the film narrative). This innovation was suggested by producer-writer Lemorande who is, therefore, sometimes referred to as "The Father of 4-D."
After the death of Michael Jackson on June 25, 2009, Captain EO regained popularity on the Internet. For several years, a small group of fans had petitioned Disney to bring back the attraction and Jackson's death had brought this campaign to a peak. Soon afterward, Disney officials were seen in Disneyland at the Magic Eye Theater and reportedly held a private screening of Captain EO to determine if it could be shown again. It was rumored that Disneyland would announce the return of the attraction at Disneyland in September.
On December 18, 2009, it was announced that Captain EO would return to Tomorrowland at Disneyland beginning in February 2010. Social and Print Media Manager Heather Hust Rivera from Disneyland Resort confirmed this on the DisneyParks Blog and stated that Honey, I Shrunk the Audience! would be closing. The attraction hosted its final public showing in the Magic Eye Theater at midnight on January 4, 2010 to make way for the Michael Jackson film's return.