The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Y
July 10, 2003
This review was written for the theatrical release of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
Reminding you uncomfortably of "Wild Wild West," an anachronistically modern action-adventure set firmly in the 19th century, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" assembles fantastic fictional personages of the Victorian era for an over-the-top visual-effects extravaganza.
Star and exec producer Sean Connery is on hand to anchor the 1899 comic-book exploits with his formidable presence. Yet nothing anchors the lighter-than-air story as it drifts away under the direction of Stephen Norrington ("Blade") into an FX stratosphere where wit, character and vigorous storytelling cease to matter. As an oddity -- a tentpole summer movie featuring characters more at home in a classic monster movie marathon on TV -- "League" might attract the under-25 crowd this weekend. But these MDCCCXCIX-Men are no X-Men.
The gimmick here, courtesy of comic books by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, is to bring together an assortment of late-19th century fictional characters, the common denominator apparently being that they all have outlived copyright protection. So in the year 1899, Sean Connery's legendary British adventurer Allan Quatermain is summoned from his gin-sodden slumber in sleepy Africa by Her Majesty's government to defend the realm and Western world against an evil and mysterious Fantom.
He is to recruit and lead a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which includes no gentlemen and one questionable lady. These are: Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), seen here as a Kali-worshipping Indian sea pirate outfitted with a ridiculous paste-on rabbi's beard; Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), wife to Dracula's discoverer, poor Jonathan Harker, now herself a full-fledged vampire; the Invisible Man's successor, Rodney Skinner (Tony Curran), seen only when he dons clothes or smears his face with makeup; the immortal double bill of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng), where Mr. H. is deemed a creature not unlike the Hulk -- just not green; American secret agent Tom Sawyer (Shane West), who bears no resemblance to Mark Twain's character; and finally and most improbably, Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), Oscar Wilde's vile yet ageless wonder. Do the filmmakers really believe the under-25 crowd knows the works of Wilde?
The plot, an elusive thing constructed by James Dale Robinson, initially sends this gang of eccentrics off to Venice in Nemo's Nautilus submarine to save the city from destruction. For all their prowess, an hour into the film, Venice lies in ruins. (Question: Why destroy St. Mark's Square in 1899 with Hollywood special effects when we know it still stands in 2003?) The remainder of the movie gets spent in the frozen wastes of Mongolia, where weapons of mass destruction are being manufactured by the Fantom. (George W. Bush, take note!) It is here that the movie completely surrenders itself to the FX wizards at the expense of character, story and mood.
The movie self-destructs before your eyes. If you are willing to buy a pre-Model T limousine in 1899 London, then this is your film. If lines like "You're missing a picture, Mr. Gray" seem the height of wit, then go for it. If having a multitude of celebrity creatures but not enough time to let them strut their stuff sounds like good planning, then by all means celebrate. Many viewers, though, may be discouraged at the empty stunts and effects, accompanied by a noisy, full-bore score, while good actors get lost in the chaos. That an actor exec produced such a film is a sad commentary on where we stand in early-21st century filmmaking.
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox in association with Mediastream III
A Don Murphy production
Credits:
Director: Stephen Norrington
Screenwriter: James Dale Robinson
Based on the comic books by: Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill
Producers: Don Murphy, Trevor Albert
Executive producers: Sean Connery, Mark Gordon
Director of photography: Dan Laustsen
Production designer: Carol Spier
Music: Trevor Jones
Costume designer: Jacqueline West
Editor: Paul Rubell
Cast:
Allan Quatermain: Sean Connery
Captain Nemo: Naseeruddin Shah
Mina Harker: Peta Wilson
Rodney Skinner: Tony Curran
Dorian Gray: Stuart Townsend
Tom Sawyer: Shane West
Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde: Jason Flemyng
M: Richard Roxburgh
Dante: Max Ryan
Running time -- 110 minutes
MPAA rating PG-13
Reminding you uncomfortably of "Wild Wild West," an anachronistically modern action-adventure set firmly in the 19th century, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" assembles fantastic fictional personages of the Victorian era for an over-the-top visual-effects extravaganza.
Star and exec producer Sean Connery is on hand to anchor the 1899 comic-book exploits with his formidable presence. Yet nothing anchors the lighter-than-air story as it drifts away under the direction of Stephen Norrington ("Blade") into an FX stratosphere where wit, character and vigorous storytelling cease to matter. As an oddity -- a tentpole summer movie featuring characters more at home in a classic monster movie marathon on TV -- "League" might attract the under-25 crowd this weekend. But these MDCCCXCIX-Men are no X-Men.
The gimmick here, courtesy of comic books by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, is to bring together an assortment of late-19th century fictional characters, the common denominator apparently being that they all have outlived copyright protection. So in the year 1899, Sean Connery's legendary British adventurer Allan Quatermain is summoned from his gin-sodden slumber in sleepy Africa by Her Majesty's government to defend the realm and Western world against an evil and mysterious Fantom.
He is to recruit and lead a League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, which includes no gentlemen and one questionable lady. These are: Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), seen here as a Kali-worshipping Indian sea pirate outfitted with a ridiculous paste-on rabbi's beard; Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), wife to Dracula's discoverer, poor Jonathan Harker, now herself a full-fledged vampire; the Invisible Man's successor, Rodney Skinner (Tony Curran), seen only when he dons clothes or smears his face with makeup; the immortal double bill of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng), where Mr. H. is deemed a creature not unlike the Hulk -- just not green; American secret agent Tom Sawyer (Shane West), who bears no resemblance to Mark Twain's character; and finally and most improbably, Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), Oscar Wilde's vile yet ageless wonder. Do the filmmakers really believe the under-25 crowd knows the works of Wilde?
The plot, an elusive thing constructed by James Dale Robinson, initially sends this gang of eccentrics off to Venice in Nemo's Nautilus submarine to save the city from destruction. For all their prowess, an hour into the film, Venice lies in ruins. (Question: Why destroy St. Mark's Square in 1899 with Hollywood special effects when we know it still stands in 2003?) The remainder of the movie gets spent in the frozen wastes of Mongolia, where weapons of mass destruction are being manufactured by the Fantom. (George W. Bush, take note!) It is here that the movie completely surrenders itself to the FX wizards at the expense of character, story and mood.
The movie self-destructs before your eyes. If you are willing to buy a pre-Model T limousine in 1899 London, then this is your film. If lines like "You're missing a picture, Mr. Gray" seem the height of wit, then go for it. If having a multitude of celebrity creatures but not enough time to let them strut their stuff sounds like good planning, then by all means celebrate. Many viewers, though, may be discouraged at the empty stunts and effects, accompanied by a noisy, full-bore score, while good actors get lost in the chaos. That an actor exec produced such a film is a sad commentary on where we stand in early-21st century filmmaking.
THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN
20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox in association with Mediastream III
A Don Murphy production
Credits:
Director: Stephen Norrington
Screenwriter: James Dale Robinson
Based on the comic books by: Alan Moore, Kevin O'Neill
Producers: Don Murphy, Trevor Albert
Executive producers: Sean Connery, Mark Gordon
Director of photography: Dan Laustsen
Production designer: Carol Spier
Music: Trevor Jones
Costume designer: Jacqueline West
Editor: Paul Rubell
Cast:
Allan Quatermain: Sean Connery
Captain Nemo: Naseeruddin Shah
Mina Harker: Peta Wilson
Rodney Skinner: Tony Curran
Dorian Gray: Stuart Townsend
Tom Sawyer: Shane West
Henry Jekyll/Edward Hyde: Jason Flemyng
M: Richard Roxburgh
Dante: Max Ryan
Running time -- 110 minutes
MPAA rating PG-13
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