[reincarnationofjonspants]

A Review:
No major plot secrets revealed.


The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen


Based at the turn of the 20th century, it has all the right moves. To stink. Sean Connery, known best for his run of the famous (and sexually disease transmitting) James Bond, plays Allan Quartermain (Allan Quartermain: Sir Henry Rider Haggard). Allan, as we perceive, is a clever explorer past his prime. His complete past is clouded by the African dust, but the loss of someone close still plagues his (and the moviegoer’s) memory. Recruited, after some great footwork and table bashing of stunt-doubles, he is put in charge of a group of extra-ordinary gentlemen. This league is set in order to stop a world war, all by the works of the evil, Fantom (no spelling classes back in 1899), by none other than one of Queen Victoria’s very special agents, M.

The extra-ordinary gang is built up around characters from pieces of great literature. Each character has a back-story with it, but is unknown to the audience unless they read the books that they were deprived from. The league is made up of: Mina Harker (Dracula: Bram Stoker), the Invisible Man (Invisible Man: Ralph Ellison), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Robert Louis Stevenson), Tom Sawyer (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Mark Twain), Captain Nemo (20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Jules Verne), and Dorian Gray (The Picture of Dorian Gray: Oscar Wilde).

The characters, however mystical and revered, do not stay in character. Unless, I was informed otherwise, I was aware that vampires get very ill and sick (according to Dracula) during the day - however Mina Harker runs around in daylight, and then snow capped bright mountains, then daylight again. Also keep in mind that when you kill a vampire, you must (according to Bram Stoker) stab the heart and proceed to decapitate. Then.. why would Tom Sawyer of all the great American heroes be sent off to Victorian England to help save the world? Why not Paul Bunyan or John Henry? Surely they could have helped more than just being a cute little troublemaker. The characters seem to outgrow their literature counterparts and start adding details to their lives they seem fit.

So off they go, with their over-boosted talents to go fight crime! Evil fighting evil! But evil is good! Well, one evil anyway. Off they tromp into a very odd vessel. One that seems not to have a good reason to be the shape it is. It is revealed later, and of course, it’s a perfect fit. However, you have to wonder, not one person was looking out their window? During a particular scene, very large stone pillars are crushed to the ground by a very fancy invention. However, now-a-days, if that invention really did run into the pillars it would be crushed. We must wonder where our great engineers went wrong. Not being able to plow through heavy stone pillars, really now. Apparently always landing on the feet, isn’t just for cats anymore either.

It seems fitting being shaped around a graphic novel (From Hell: Alan Moore). Lots of extras with a shady plot. Oh, wait. I thought this was supposed to be another comic movie. Oh dear. How wrong I was. At least the director, Stephen Norrington, did decide (for the sake of the children) to not show nudity, but a spicy kissing scene with some very risque dialogue. The comic geniuses of the comic books (and I suppose Moore, as well) took great works of literature, stripped their characters from their bindings, and placed them in little squares on paper with funny sayings scribbled around them. Then why the graphic novel? Maybe its because it relates to housewives and their children - killing two birds with one stone. Truly genius.

However, there were a few (very few) great camera shots that pulled the viewer in, and all was revealed. The subplot. A shady subplot, but one nonetheless.

Then after the Fantom has been unmasked, and a few unfortunate deaths here and there, the great battle that never stopped the future world wars finished. People go off to their automobiles disappointed at the explosions outweighing the storyline. But wait: maybe the sequel can pull its weight.

[MoosieFate]

Thanks for the review!
i think i'll wait to see the movie -- it doesn't seem to be a too good of a movie :P I just really don't like the title of the movie either; i think it's silly...in a stupid silly way and i'm VERY disappointed that there are very few great camera shots I'll teach them all when I take that business by storm

Originally Posted by reincarnationofjonspants

It seems fitting being shaped around a graphic novel (From Hell: Alan Moore).

My dear good friend (well, my FUTURE dear good friend, that is, once he's acted in one of my future movies :P ) Johnny Depp was in a movie called From Hell :P I don't know if it's based on that book though...i'm not sure - i haven't seen the movie, but it looks good...well, Johnny Depp looks good :P

[reincarnationofjonspants]

Oh I know Depp was in a movie called From Hell! It got me so confused when it said 'based on the graphic novel' and it was From Hell! I was like, what? There's a movie already out called that! I was confused. I dont think From Hell is based on From Hell... or if it is.. hm.. then the graphic novel - is just twisted.. I dont know.. graphic novels arent something I want to read anyway - so I am not (NOT) reading the novel to find out..

The movie was the first movie, I have ever watched, that made me want to read. The characters (well some of them) were interesting. I liked Mina Harker, but I already read that book. I want to know more about Dorian Gray. He was pretty. Johnny Depp should have done that part! Kinda looked like Depp too!

[MoosieFate]

Originally Posted by reincarnationofjonspants

The movie was the first movie, I have ever watched, that made me want to read. The characters (well some of them) were interesting. I liked Mina Harker, but I already read that book. I want to know more about Dorian Gray. He was pretty. Johnny Depp should have done that part! Kinda looked like Depp too!

the League movie got to to want to read?!

[reincarnationofjonspants]

Originally Posted by MoosieFate

the League movie got to to want to read?!

I want to know more about the characters! And the only way to do that is to read. I want to know the story (or rather the picture) behind Dorian Gray. He was the immortal in the movie!

[XRds1Bnce16]

I just saw this last night and I must say, it was very good. Connery rocks (the day is mine!)

[reincarnationofjonspants]

Originally Posted by XRds1Bnce16

I just saw this last night and I must say, it was very good. Connery rocks (the day is mine!)

You didnt find an automobile crashing through large stone pillars or Connery landing on his feet jumping from a moving car, at least going sixty odd? What did you like about the movie?

[XRds1Bnce16]

Originally Posted by reincarnationofjonspants

You didnt find an automobile crashing through large stone pillars or Connery landing on his feet jumping from a moving car, at least going sixty odd? What did you like about the movie?

I liked the originality and overall creativity of the film, combining all the great early stories and fairytales together. Also, this was a fantasy movie. You don't find a Yoda fighting Dooku (who is quite old to boot) with a lightsaber after helping his friends escape a giant spider, tiger, and bull in a collesium full of bugs odd, do you? This movie is no different. Connery could pull burning furnature from his behind and it wouldn't be at all odd because this is a fantasy movie. And it was a well executed fantasy movie (ulike the bloody Lord of the Rings rubbish). And I'll be sure to buy the DVD when it comes out because this really is a great movie.