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The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Full Screen Edition)

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (Full Screen Edition)

List Price: $27.98
Your Price: $25.18
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not that BAD
Review: There are a lot of disappointed fans of the comic out there, but you know this movie isn't that bad. Sure there was a lot of potential there, but as a simple 2 hour diversion it fits the bill. My advice is rent it, enjoy it, and then buy it as a PV DVD

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Not So Extraordinary Gentlemen, still fun, barely
Review: 'Twas odd, I had order a new copy of The Young Sherlock Holmes in the same parcel with this. I think the people responsible for this flick, needs to take that film and see literary fictional characters brought to "life" and how to handy a good fantasy Adventure. The more I thought about it, the more I saw the films had a lot in common. Won't blow the punchline, but if you have seen both films you will understand, they share a common character.

I love Connery and REALLY wanted to love this film. I can say I sort of liked it...but that is the strongest emotion evoked by the film, outside of confusion. This movie had SO much going for it. A super premise and the promise of a thinking-man's fantasy-adventure flick. I mean I shall watch Connery in anything; he has a handsome and capable cast backing him, some great special effects...but someone needed to give them a road map!!

It was written sharply, with good dialogue sprinkled here and there, and nice touches like the "You may call me Ishmael" the chauffeur. Filmed with rich detail (a little darkly - sometimes you really had a hard time seeing what is happening!). Movie opens in 1899 where London Peelers are being chased by a Tank. Suddenly, the Bank of England is looted. The Brits blame the Germans in "pre war mentality". But we know there is a criminal mastermind with futuristic toys and he is not playing fair. Cut to a man calling himself M (double joke here!) recruiting Allan Quartermaine to head the League. On the team is Mina Harker, the Invisible Man, Dorian Grey, Dr. Jekyll and his alter ego, Captain Nemo and Tom Sawyer. Supposedly, some voodoo witchdoctor cursed Connery, and Africa will never let him die so, he, too share special powers.

While the idea of superheroes from Literature coming together to battle the Phantom (whose real identity is elementary!)is engaging, there is no real set up for it happening - just IS. Maybe they expect you to know from the comics? Well, excuse me, there is a vast audience out there that does not!! From that point on there is not pace, it is pedal to the metal now stop action. The action is filmed great - even the car chase through Venice?? Highways? I presume there was explanation for this that ended up on the cutting room floor.

In the end, you are left going is that all there is? Back to my original point, the seed is much like Young Sherlock Holmes, but there fantasy/fiction merger came to life with such brilliance. Then ending of LEG leaves room for a sequel, sigh, if they do, I hope they rent Young Sherlock Holmes and pinpoint how it is done RIGHT.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: LXG
Review: FIRST OF ALL THIS MOVIE IS NOT TO BE UP FOR A GRAMMY,OR ANY THING LIKE THAT.THIS IS A FAST FANTASY FILM,ITS DIFFERENT,I GET TIRED OF SEEING FILMS THAT ALL THEY DO IS COPY THE MATRIX.THAT GETS OLD QUICK.THIS IS A TYPE OF FILM WERE A PARENT AND CHILD CAN WATCH TOGETHER.IM 12 YEARS OLD AND I BOUGHT THIS A COUPE OF DAYS AGO,I ADMIT THAT THE FIRST TIME I WATCHED IT I WAS A LITTLE DISSAPOINTED,BUT I WATCHED IT OVER AND I LOVE IT.I THOUGHT SEAN CONNERY WOULD NOT MAKE A BAD FILM(I THOUGHT RIGHT).THIS FILM HAD TONS OF ACTION,ADVENTURE,AND DARK HUMER.I WOULD RECCOMEND THIS TO ANYONE,IT IS A GREAT FILM.
-MARCUS BILLINGS

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: WRONG DIRECTER
Review: They did this movie to compete on 'Lord of the Rings' but obviusly couldn't afford to hire Peter Jackson to direct. I mean he's only the greatist living directer right now in the filming world but *no* they didn't need him, so they desided to make this movie. well, its terrible! just thought I'd warn ya, 'kay? buy 'Fellowship of the Ring', 'the Two Towers' extended editians or go see 'Return of the King' at the movies :) for a real movie but please oh please leave this on the garbage pile with those films of George Lucus and other bad directers where it belongs!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: By far the worst movie I've seen, yet
Review: This movie makes absolutly no sense. It is 110 minutes of dis-jointed scenes punctuated by random explosions and CGI effects. The only good thing I can say is the fact that the video transfer and the sound is excellent, unfortunatley you could watch the whole film without any sound and you wouldn't miss anything.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Extreme living at its best
Review: This film is an antidote to our clockwork orange world. It brings to life the collective works of writers who genuinely understood the extremes of human mind and humankind.

This work, focuses its energy on character rather than non-stop gratuitious excitement. If your enjoyment is derived from having your senses continuously assualted, this may not be the right film for you. However, if you know something of the characters and their internal turmoil, you will completely enjoy this work.

This is a nice film, suitable for family veiwing. While it has its terrifying moments, they last only so long as is required to impart the needed effect.

A knowledge of the original stories from which these characters are derived is not essential. However knowing something of the stories will deepen the meaning of this film for you.

At a time when so many pretend "extreme" living, we have here a work that imparts the truth of extreme life.

Enjoy!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Visually riveting League lacks enough substance
Review: Some projects misfire. More often than not its due to ego or an inability to admit that a project you've labored so long and hard on is less than it could be. Such is the curse of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. Based on a graphic novel written by the talented Alan Moore (Watchmen), League is less than the sum of its parts. There were times that the plot reeked of an old poorly written episode of The Wild, Wild West while at other times it was stirring entertainment.

A masked madman going by the nom de plume of The Phantom has been using his army and machines to break into the best guarded banks of Europe. He's looting Europe in order to prove his power and then sell his machines to the highest bidders. His hope is that chaos and war will dominate Europe allowing him to have the world's nation's at his feet.

Well known explorer Alan Quatermain is contacted by a member of Her Majesty's Government. It seems the Crown wants to lure Quatermain out of retirement from the beautiful plains of Africa. Quatermain at first refuses; he's tired of burying friends and lovers and has chosen a life without adventure. When thugs show up and try to murder Quatermain, he's in.

He arrives in London at the secret headquarters of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen. He meets "M" the director of Her Majesty's Secret Service (nice touch and reference to Connery's Bond past). "M" explains that this group has served Her Majesty secretly over the decades. The Phantom plans on attacking a meeting of the heads of state of various European countries. The meeting will take place in Venice within less than a week.

Quatermain is the lynchpin in this new incarnation of the League. His job is to recruit the best with unusual abilities to stop the Phantom. Already recruited are Mina Harker and The Invisible Man. Harker's ability as a chemist makes her a natural. Oh, and she's a vampire as well. She only wants to use her abilities for the good fight. The Invisible Man, well he's not the original but he's got more personality; he's a pickpocket and a feisty man who loves dropping his trousers. The most mysterious is the brilliant Captain Nemo. Nemo's swordmanship, distaste for war and scientific brilliance make him a natural for the League. Quatermain may not care all too much for his new partners but he knows his duty and they travel off in to recruit two more members. From here the team recruits Dorian Gray, Mr. Hyde and Tom Sawyer.

The film starts boldly and with a striking scene involving exploding zepplins and a massive war machine attacking the Bank of England. The scenes involving Connery at the beginning are also quite striking but the narrative loses some of its steam after they recruit all the members of the team.

One of the weaknesses of the film is its narrative. The screenplay is like a wild amausement ride--upon closer examination you wonder what all the fuss was about. The sequence in Venice is visually striking but the CGI work doesn't quite live up to expectations. Nor do the CGI sequences involving Mr. Hyde. Like The Hulk, it's clear he's computer generated. That wouldn't be the problem but the texture of the skin and the character just doesn't look believeable.

On the plus side, the film captures some of the best elements of Moore's story but misses much of his magic. It's like a cake that doesn't rise; you know you took all the right steps and prepared everything the right way. You also know something was missing but can't quite figure out what. Perhaps the most important and vital element was any sort of character development. These characters are sketched in. Sure, it's based on a graphic novel (or comic book take your pick) but the best comic book adaptions (X-Men, Spiderman, Superman)do spend the time to develop the characters. Instead, the various characters explain why other characters behave the way they do. We should be able to observe it and not have it explained to us.

The action sequences are well directed and many of the visuals are stunning. When Connery is on screen the film does gel more often than not through the sheer force of his charisma. Many of the cast also give it their best particularly the actor playing the mysterious, moody Captain Nemo. It's very clear that there was quite a bit of compromise and conflict around the making of this film. It would go a long way to explain the ambitious scope of the story and the limited way it is told.

While it doesn't quite live up to its promise, League is an entertaining diversion with a number of twists and (some unbelievable) turns. I'm surprised that the film director's chose not to involve Sherlock Holmes in the film. Then again, Holmes would have figured out the mystery at the heart of the film within five minutes.

Although it isn't completely successful, League manages to capture the audience's attention. When at its best, League manages to overcome the shortcomings in opticals, story and direction. Connery's famous charisma manages to salvage much of the film and the rest of the performers turn in marvelously detailed moments.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Good film
Review: I don't understand the smear campaign against this movie. My only guess is that it's most severe critics are illiterate youngsters that have never known the late-Victorian chararacters this movie features in print. X-Men? Laughable. Recent Star Wars installments? Please. This movie has all the technical effects with a little cultural substance to back it up. Not an excellent film, or the best I've seen, but it certainly is a creative and well-acted good film, and a pleasure to watch. That is, if you read more than text messages from your moron buddies.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An action packed romp around the world
Review: Come on people. It's a fantasy story taken from a comic book.

This movie was fun. Pure, unencumbered by pretention or moral lesson (ala The Matrix), devoid of depth of character development (hey, all the characters are from well established historical english literature, so if you haven't learned of them already you should probably read more!).

This is just a plain ole fun movie. I recommend it as an escapism. Just don't expect to come away feeling like you've learned any important lessons.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Sean blew it by doing this movie.
Review: In an extra feature about the making of the movie, Sean Connery stated, "I turned down The Matrix because I didn't understand the script; then, I turned down The Lord of the Rings because I didn't understand it; I didn't understand the script for this movie either, but, considering the others, I thought that I should do it." The third time was definitely not the charm for Sean.

This is one of those movies that had a lot of potential to be great, and I really wanted it to be great. As I viewed it for the first time, I did my best in trying to imagine that it really was great. However, the disappointment resulting from being excited by the storyline only to find out the film was actually not-so-hot made it, in the final accounting, a real stinker. I should have spent my twenty bucks elsewhere.


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