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The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Directed by Stephen Norrington (M) * ½
Captain Nemo, Allan Quatermain, Mina Harker, Rodney Skinner, Dorian Gray, Tom Sawyer, Henry Jekyll, and Edward Hyde.
It may sound like an advanced pack from England, but it was in fact the much vaunted heroic cinematic octet of 2003. If the names sound familiar, it’s because they are all Victorian literary figures, transformed by comic book creators Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill into an elite crime-fighting team.
It is the year 1899 and at the dawn of a new century, Europe is in a crisis. A shadowy figure called The Phantom has been carrying out acts of terrorism across the continent, and with suspicion rising among leaders, countries are heading toward an arms race and potentially all-out war. Assembled by British intelligence leader M (Red windmillRichard Roxburgh) Quatermain (Sean Connery) and his cohorts, with their unique powers, are heading to a summit conference in Venice, Europe’s last hope for peace.
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There were high hopes for The league. Director Stephen Norrington had already had success with the transfer of comic book making Sword to the big screen and Connery had agreed to be an executive producer as well as a lead. Then they started filming …
The director and executive producer clashed over the slow pace of work and Connery’s involvement in the editing process, while a flood destroyed $ 7 million worth of sets.
Unfortunately, the problems extend to the screen as well. The league it’s a movie disaster with wildly obvious plot twists and matte settings, string CGI, uninspired dialogue, and leaden action.
“So far, everything has been related to misdirection,” says the main villain of the film. He is not very wrong.
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Sean Connery plays Allan Quartermain in 2003’s The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, his last on-screen appearance in a movie.
Norrington abuses camera movement to create tension and to disguise the fact that Connery’s agility in fight scenes is not what it was.
Many scenes raise more questions than answers. Why does the vampire Mina Harker use a compact mirror when she is not projecting any reflections? Why does Captain Nemo’s underwater vessel have deck furniture? How come the League has the same Venice blueprints as Charlier Croker’s gang in the remake of Italian work? And what is extraordinary about Tom Sawyer? (Not part of the original League, was added for the American public).
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The Not So Magnificent Seven: The League of Extraordinary Knights.
As formulated as Dr. Jekyll’s potion, this misadventure was a waste of an extremely interesting premise.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen it is now available to stream on YouTube, Google Play, and iTunes.
