Captain EO - A Retrospective From A Long-Time MJ Fan

Written by Jacob Coad

I thought I’d bring up an old memory, and it’s related to one of my favorite places in the world, as well as one of my favorite people in the world; and that is a short film that was only shown in the Disney Parks, made by the King of Pop himself, Michael Jackson.

The History of Captain EO

In the 1980’s Michael Jackson was at the peak of his popularity, especially around this time when he worked up the courage to set out on his own from the Jackson 5, and develop a solo career. Jackson teamed up with some big names to bring Captain EO to life, including Star Wars creator George Lucas to produce alongside Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola to also produce and direct. At the time, Captain EO was the most expensive film ever produced, averaging about $1.76 million per minute. The film makes use of special effects very similar to the Star Wars films, as well as some stop motion by the late Will Vinton.

I can also assume with MJ’s involvement, this is the most elaborate Disney Parks project ever created. Why do I say that? Well, let’s get to the plot.

The Plot of Captain EO

The film begins with the title character, played by MJ, and his ragtag space crew including robots Major Domo, Minor Domo, and three creatures named Fuzzball, Hooter, who I swear must be related to Max Rebo, and a two-headed alien named Geek. As their ship flies through space, a battle ensues. The ship goes through a trench before it crash lands, and everyone gets caught by some cybernetic natives. You can tell this is where George Lucas starts showing his Star Wars chops with an intense space battle.

EO and his crew then meet up with someone called The Supreme Leader, played by Anjelica Huston, and with the help of his crew and his robots transforming into instruments, EO uses the power of music to turn the cyborgs into his own backup dancers, and after a pretty amazing dance sequence, EO turns the Supreme Leader into a beautiful woman, her lair into a Greek temple, and this planet into a utopia. The day is saved as Captain EO and his friends fly off back into space.

The Experience

It’s worth mentioning about this film that this was presented in 4D, which means it was in 3D, as well as some elements that interacted with the audience, including the floor moving in sync with explosions, the seats moving to the beat of Michael’s music, some laser light effects were included, and in some select scenes, some water would be sprayed onto the audience.

Captain EO first opened in four different Disney Parks, including Epcot in Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Tokyo Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris, and it’s had a good run until 1998 when it closed due to a decline in attendance. It wasn’t until 2010, about a year after the passing of Michael Jackson that Disney reopened Captain EO as a tribute, and that’s where I come in.

My History with Captain EO

Now, let me reiterate, I am a big Michael Jackson fan. When I was little, I was taught how to dance to Thriller, which is my all-time favorite song from him. I was devastated when I heard about MJ’s passing, but even then, I knew like all the greatest artists of the world, his music will always remain a masterpiece, and among some of the best songs I’ve ever heard.

Before my second trip to Walt Disney World, my dad was telling me about how Disney was opening Captain EO. I had never heard of this short before, but with me being a Michael Jackson fan, I knew I had to check it out. And then the trip came, and my face lit up when I saw the poster, and the building to the Captain EO Tribute. :D

I have to mention Florida is HOT, so my family would have me in a wheelchair so I didn’t have to worry about keeping up. When my family and I all entered the theatre, a Cast Member said to apply the brakes on my wheelchair. I was wondering why, and as I watched the film, and the ground moved in certain parts of the movie, I instantly understood why.

I came out of that theatre, and I absolutely loved it. Yes, I very much understand looking back, the whole thing even sounds like something Michael Jackson would write, but I still had a lot of fun with it, and I never forgot what it was like to see MJ on the big screen like I did. :D

The Legacy of Captain EO

The Captain EO Tribute closed in 2015, with the very last showing being on December 6th in Epcot. Even years passed, and the legacy of this short film manages to be legendary. It did air once on MTV in 1995, albeit a 2D version, and even some characters in the Star Wars series Skeleton Crew made some appearances, clearly inspired by Captain EO’s crew.

So that’s my retrospective on Captain EO; have you guys seen this short when it was open, either during it’s original run or the tribute run? Let’s talk about it. ^^