Disneyland Reopens Michael Jackson's "Captain EO" Attraction

Excited guests lined up for twelve hours outside Disneyland on February 23, waiting for the official re-opening of Captain EO, an interactive 3-D attraction starring Michael Jackson. Originally commissioned at the height of Jackson's popularity in 1984, the show ran for over a decade in Tomorrowland's Magic Eye Theater before closing in the late nineties. After Jackson's untimely death in 2009, fans wondered if Disney might bring back the campy eighties spectacular in tribute to the pop star. Disney initially denied any plans for EO's return, but the Magic Eye Theater underwent quiet renovations during January and the attraction officially reopened in February amid media buzz and crowds of nostalgic fans.

"Captain! There's something WEIRD out there!"
It's ironic that Captain EO was restored to Tomorrowland, Disney's "world of the future," as the film is pure eighties kitsch. It follows the adventures of Captain EO (Jackson) and his crew of misfit aliens and robots, as they attempt to defeat the evil Witch Queen (Anjelica Huston) using the power of song.

The film has an impressive pedigree - it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola and executive produced by George Lucas - but it was clearly written with children in mind. Captain EO's crew are all costumed creatures in the style of Ewoks, who bicker with each other in the squeaky voices of Saturday morning cartoon characters. The Witch Queen is outlandishly hammy, howling and clacking her 3-D talons into the camera lens. And during the climax of the film, a Jackson-penned production number called "We Are Here to Change the World," Captain EO dances with a crowd of gaudily dressed backup dancers while his puppet crew plays synthesizer music. At one point, he throws open his sparkly white captain's jacket to reveal a t-shirt emblazoned with a glowing rainbow. This unapologetic campiness has given the film a vocal cult following, one that Disney hopes will be lured back to the park to see the film again and pick up some merchandise.

"We're gonna do it right this time, 'cuz we're the best!"
Visitors won't experience exactly the same show that ran in the eighties: the original attraction was touted as the first "4-D" film, combining a 3-D movie with live special effects such as lasers and fog. These effects aren't included in the tribute version of the show, but improvements to the theater in the nineties allow the seats to tilt and move in time with the film, which includes a Star Wars-style journey through space.

But despite widespread excitement on-line and at the parks, not everyone is pleased to see the attraction return. Michael Jackson became a controversial figure in the early nineties following allegations of child sexual abuse, although he was acquitted of charges in a 2003 trial. This controversy might have factored into Disney's initial decision against bringing Captain EO back. But there was no sign of second-guessing at the February 23 premiere: Disney executives cheerfully mingled with the media and crowd before putting on their own 3-D glasses, sitting down to watch the first public showing of Captain EO in nearly fifteen years.