Rating: 
Summary: Fantastic Two-Disc DVD!! One of the very best I own!
Review: Unfortunately for me, I think this is one of those movies where you had to grow up with it in order to truly LOVE it. I didn't grow up with it. That said, it's most definitely a great movie, and a classic in every sense. For a while, it was the most expensive movie ever made, and the first-ever Disney film in Cinemascope. It clearly shows, as the production design is masterful, and the wide(REALLY WIDE)screen presentation takes it to the very max and uses every oppurtunity available. The cast was and still is first-rate, too. Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre form a very believable and amusing pair. But James Mason steals the show, making for a better Captain Nemo than anyone could ever have dreamed. The music perfectly matches the mood of the film, as well. Just about everything in this film shows how much love and effort went into it. In short, it's a masterpiece of the cinema, one of the most groundbreaking movies ever made, and forms a respectable duo with the other classic Jules Verne adaptation of the 50s, JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH (also starring James Mason).For any movie made within the last decade, the transfer is great. For a movie made in 1954, it's truly unbelievable! This is one DVD where when they say "Fully-Restored", they really mean it! The sound is incredibly clear, as well. But the true reason to buy this Special Edition DVD is for the second disc jam-packed full of extraordinary extras. The 90 minute making-of documentary is one of the best ever produced, covering every aspect of the film's production in a manner that is both fun and fascinating. Also of great interest is the lost "Sunset Squid" sequence, which is the original giant squid battle as it was first filmed. When compared to what's actually in the film, the difference is astonishing! What's shown here is so incredibly fake that it realy is hillarious! Aside from these two features, there are just so many other extras it would be futile to attempt to list them all here. You have to buy the DVD to discover the extent of it all, and trust me: you will be stunned. CONCLUSION: For any respectable fan of classics, science-fiction, fantasy, or Disney adventures (or all four combined), you should be ashamed to not own this ground-breaking DVD experience. I would have gladly spent more $! Now how many times can you hear someone say that and truly mean it?
Rating:
Summary: This Installment of the Vault Disney Collection is great!
Review: This is one of the greatest films I have ever seen. It has dazzling special effects and the story about the mixed personality Captain Nemo is wonderful. Beautifully restored in widescreen, this DVD's features really make this a jewel. It is two discs: On the first disc, there are two features. The first is an audio commentary with the director. Second is the Donald Duck Cartoon, Grand Canyonscope, which was shown at the original release. Put in the second disc, and you go into the vault to the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea room. Go to the left, and there are three featurettes: The Making of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Jules Verne and Walt Disney feaurettes are two of them. On the right, you could go to the Forgotten Treasures: The Sunset Squid, The 1954 Disney Album, and the door to the Archival features. In the Archival features, you could go to the audio menu, the galleries, or through all the features like theatrical trailers, documentaries, and other goodies. In the audio, you could see hours of audio clips. This is a set, beautifully crafted for this classic film. 5 stars all the way. Walt Disney would be proud!
Rating:
Summary: Best live action Disney movie. Ever
Review: I loved this movie when i was a kid. My wife and I just bought the DVD and it's still a great movie! Picture quality is above average for a movie this old. Classic!
Rating:
Summary: Totally engrossing on big screen.
Review: When I was 8 years old and saw this on the big screen I was totally engrossed by the spectacle of this movie. I had such strong good feeling about it, that i was disappointed to find that it bored my little ones. I am still giving it 5 stars cause i loved it! My kids would probably give it 2.5 stars.
Rating:
Summary: One of my all-time favorites revisited.
Review: 20,000 Leagues under the Sea was always my favorite of Disney's live-action movies. I grew up watching them all; Old Yeller, the love bug, Swiss Family Robinson, but none of them ever excited my imagination quite the way James Mason's portrayal of Captain Nemo and his submarine, the Nautilus, did. I used to watch this movie over and over until my old VHS copy finally gave out. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that this movie had been released on DVD; I snatched up the first copy I saw, took it home, watched it, and was absolutely delighted with it! Captain Nemo and the Nautilus look as good as ever, and I was also extremely happy to see that this DVD is completely loaded with special features; The making-of featurette alone runs well over an hour, which in itself is quite entertaining to watch. Overall, I gave this one 5 stars for two reasons; first, I'm a huge fan of this classic, and second, because of the thoroughness and quality of the job Disney did when they put this DVD together.
Rating:
Summary: Disney Did This??? You'd Be Surprised!!!
Review: Whoa, DVD fans. This is the real deal here. Take it from someone who's watched almost every minute of the four commentaries on Lord Of the Rings: Fellowship -- this DVD belongs in your collection. We all want that definitive documentary to hang our hats on, and the "20,000 Leagues Making Of" does just that, at over 85 minutes long. Absolutely stunning editing of new and old interviews. There are a half-dozen other strong featurettes. The real selling point: click on "Movie Merchandise". Who woulda thought? Likely the geekiest thing ever on a DVD, bar none. Hilarious in that yeah-I'm-on-Ebay-too kinda way.
Rating:
Summary: Disney Done Right
Review: Sometimes Disney releases good movies in less than stellar ways. For example, when they acquired the last two Muppet movies, they released them in full-screen instead of widescreen. Imagine Muppet Treasure Island, my favorite, with almost 1/2 of the picture missing. Not here. This is the full treatment. The widescreen looks great, the sound is remastered into 5.1 and the 2nd disc holds a fine documentary about the making of the movie, saving the squid sequence until last and showing the original concept for the scene. Very well done. Have no hesitation in buying this one. A great story, well told on film, presented wonderfully on DVD.
Rating:
Summary: A masterpiece & a "must have"
Review: This was only the 2nd CinemaScope release, and *was the most costly film* up to its time (even more expensive than "Gone With the Wind"!). I must admit that I am prejudiced in favor of the film (I first saw it at age seven, in 1954, at its premiere). I was so impressed by the movie that I convinced my patient and wonderful father to take me back to the local movie palace for a 2nd showing just one day later. The movie should ideally be viewed on a full-sized CinemaScope screen in a classic theater, but if that is not possible, then your best bet is to purchase this DVD set and view it on the finest home video installation that is available. Otherwise, just buy the thing and enjoy it on whatever TV/video equipment you have. Walt Disney (the man, not the problematic company that currently uses his name) insisted upon the highest production quality in "20,000 Leagues" and, as a result, the movie is entirely suitable for modern viewers and does not seem the least bit outdated, even after 50 years!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best classic adventure films...
Review: Walt Disney insisted upon the very, very best live-action film in this production and he got it! "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was a huge financial risk for Walt, but he strongly admired the Jules Verne story, and he desired to produce a film version that would do justice to the book. The film's production quality was so high that it remains a movie for all ages. The cast delivers big time, and not just for its 1954 audience, but for all following generations. Historically, this was one of the first movies in CinemaScope and Disney's first USA-produced all-live-action film. Accordingly, the film was the *most expensive* production up to that time (e.g., it cost more than "Gone With The Wind", etc). Add this movie to your collection, as it is definitely a "keeper".
Rating:
Summary: Walt's live-action masterpiece
Review: The film is as fine as I remember it. Perfect cast and great Cinemascope photography. This DVD preserves the Cinemascope aspect ratio, making the viewing far superior to the VHS video unless you have a really small (under 25") screen. The extras alone are worth the price of the DVD and the movie itself looks pristine, with an optional commentary track by the original director of the film. You won't go wrong with this. One of the very best classic and most intelligent adventure films ever.
|
