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This reviewer went to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen not knowing what to expect. 2003 could, not only be called The Sequel Year, but The Comic Book Hero Year as well. Yes, another one, I thought, but came from the screening pleasantly surprised. Extraordinary Gentlemen is set in 1899, with a cast of ACTORS not just pretty faces, and a storyline that caught me to the end. Actually, within the group of Gentlemen is one woman (played by Peta Wilson) who can well take care of herself. It was extraordinary to film the movie, as the cast was in Prague during flood time and many sets were destroyed which delayed filming. Director Stephen Norrington certainly had his hands full.

It’s the very end of the 19th century. Scientists and inventors have made enormous strides, but still society has mores such as polite manners and caste systems. A villain called The Phantom (also spelled Fantom) is threatening to blow up various buildings and cities (sound familiar?). A representative of Her Majesty’s government, under the command of M (Richard Roxburgh, and does M ring a distant bell?) commandeers a group of people who have been in trouble or desperately need help. Meet Alan Quatermain (Sean Connery) who lives in Kenya; Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah) an inventor of submarines, autos and rockets; The Invisible Man (Tony Curran in a mischievous role); Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend) who claims he is an expert fighter; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng) who can give The Hulk a run for his money; of course, an American, Tom Sawyer (Shane West), and the lone woman, Mina Harker (Peta Wilson) who has vampiric skills. You may look at this list of operatives and call them a motley crew, but I say a deliciously motley crew for the actors take the characters and give them spark. When Mina and Dorian pair off in an argument, not only is there physicality, but also the dialogue is top-notch. 

The group has to stop The Phantom’s mayhem and uses Captain Nemo’s inventions to help them. However, inventions can go just so far and that’s when the individual characteristics of the League come forth. Dr. Hyde has superhuman strength, while Dorian Gray can be in the thick of a fight and not be injured. Mina moves with lightning speed and The Invisible Man is a great spy. Tom Sawyer is an expert with guns, and so is Alan Quatermain, but Alan has a sixth sense for danger and can literally smell fear in a quiet place---plus the use of his trusty rifle, Matilda, which has long-range capabilities.

Sean Connery’s Alan Quatermain is a man haunted by his past who figures he has at least one more fight in him. Dorian Gray is so vain; this is just another trek for him. The Invisible Man hopes to find a formula to bring him back and so does Mina Harker, who teeters between being a vampire and complete control of herself. Tom Sawyer believes the Phantom will strike in America (sound familiar again?) so wants to stop him here and Dr. Jekyll wants to right some wrongs he has done, as does Captain Nemo. With precise diction (and sometimes including Shane West) the cast lets you know this is the 19th century when being well spoken was an attribute. You will know what I mean when you hear Brad Pitt voice-act against Catherine Zeta-Jones or Michelle Pfeiffer in the animated Sinbad. The girls win. 

The special effects range from average to wonderful. Average being the top of the Nautilus submarine barely matching the rest of the ship, while wonderful is the library fight amid falling books and a blizzard of paper to Venice, Italy in imminent danger. One scene, in particular, could have been taken straight out of a comic book. The white Nautilus (referred to as the Sword of the Sea) silently cuts through the canal waters of Venice as a sleeping gondolier gently rocks in his boat nearby. There is the barest whisper of a sound and the Nautilus is gone. _The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Part II_, are you there?

Copyright 2003 Marie Asner
Submitted 7/13/03

In an alternate universe, Victorian England and the world is on the verge of war in 1899. Evil forces led by someone known as The Phantom who unbeknownst to the nations of the world is playing them against each other in an effort to bolster weapons sales thus making him rich and powerful.

With England and the world in peril, a mysterious figure known as M (Richard Roxburgh), summons a team of talented individuals to save England and the world. The team is led by Allan Quartermain (Sean Connery), who is reluctantly drawn back into action after tragic events have left him bitter about his past adventures and service to England. Joining Quartermain is a motley mix of individuals with checkered pasts and unique talents. There is Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), a pirate with amazing technologies and a devoted crew at his disposal, Rodney Skinner (Tony Curran), a petty thief who also happens to be invisible, the immortal and flamboyant Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), The seductive yet deadly vampire Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), the tormented Dr. Jekyll (Jason Flemyng), and American secret agent Tom Sawyer (Shane West).

The group sets off for Venice to save a delegation of leaders from attack and despite some misgivings about each other; they are impressed about the fantastic Nautilus sub that Nemo has constructed. It is at this point that the film takes a sharp turn into the absurd, even by action film standards. Events unfold in a spectacle of energy and motion yet leave all semblance of credibility by the wayside. Take it from me, a giant submarine could not navigate the canals of Venice, nor could an automobile drive around Venice, much less do what this one did. Now that may seem to be nit picking but if you see the context of the scene you would understand that it does seem rather silly, such as henchmen lining the rooftops to prepare an attack when all the building around them are being destroyed.

There are a few moments where the characters try to be broadened such as Quartermain taking Sawyer under his guidance as a surrogate for his lost son, and the tension between Gray and Harker over unresolved issues from their past. However the film soon reverts back to a silly popcorn adventure.

Numerous reports during the production spoke of a cast in crisis as the shoot went on far longer than expected and that tensions on the set were very high especially between Connery and Director Stephen Norrington. That being said the film can be entertaining in parts. Most people may not get all of the references to classic literary characters that the film contains, and fans of the graphic novel which the film is based upon may take some issue with the film adaptation. The film will be different things to different people. It is very easy to note the absurdity of plot, continuity errors, and actors that seem at times to be going trough the motions. Once can also say it is a silly yet fun romp that is not meant to be taken seriously. Fox is said to be in production of a sequel and that they see LXG as a franchise. That being said, if you want a no-brainer summer popcorn film then LXG may just be your cup of tea. 

Gareth Von Kallenbach 7/13/2003
International Association of Film Critics