The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (DVD)

As far as comic book adaptations go, this had the makings and the opportunity to be a huge hit on the screen, with a brilliant collection of historical greats working as a team to fight crime and save the world. The transition from comic book to film, however, has gone through a vortex of 'oops'. Read on. The Plot In a Victorian age, an unknown enemy called 'The Fantom' is terroriseing the world, threatening a new Armageddon and the end of the world. Legendary adventurer Alan Quatermain is drafted in to lead a team of adventurers, superheroes and creatures to seek out the Fantom and stop him in his tracks before the world ends. The Cast ...  Read the complete review

I will begin the review with brutal honesty, if this film were a bird it would be a massively expensive wrapped turkey, if it were a football team it would be Newcastle United (no offence to Toon fans) and if it were a comic book it would be a million times better than this....oh it was!! The League of Extraordinary Gentleman is based on Alan Moore's brilliantly imaginative graphic novel of the same name, the premise of the film should lend itself brilliantly to the big screen. In 1899, in an alternate universe, the Fantom is trying to start a World War by manipulating World powers into believing others are plotting and acting against them causing ...  Read the complete review

(film only review) The Plot ----------- Attacks on Britain and Germany by “The Phantom” leave the world on the brink of war. It’s up to a group of small group of men and women with special skills – the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen – to prevent the Phantom’s evil plans. The Cast ----------- Boy, did they ever get the casting of this film wrong! Sean Connery is cast as English adventurer and supreme hunter Allan Quatermain. Of course, this being Sean Connery, his “English” adventurer speaks with a Scottish accent! Then there’s Naseeruddin Shah’s Captain Nemo with the most ridiculous false beard you ever saw - he looks like ...  Read the complete review

Adaptations of comic books have been enjoying great success in recent years, both artistically (Road to Perdition, Ghostworld) and financially (X-Men, Spider-Man). This film adapts a comic by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill in which a series of superheroes from Victorian fiction team up to fight a greater evil. It's a fantastic concept, and the comic is superb. Unfortunately the film is diabolical. Set in 1899, the film roughly follows the plot of the comic for at least part of the way: various 'extraordinary' individuals are recruited to help the British Empire in its hour of need. Allan Quartermain (Sean Connery), the hero of King Solomon's ...  Read the complete review

Extraordinary is in the oxford English dictionary, as meaning very unusual, or remarkable. So, to use this in the title of a film is either a stroke of genius, or a big mistake. Basically, very unusual and remarkable, are at the opposite ends of the scale in terms of films. So, what have we here? Very unusual, or remarkable? Before we answer that, we must first break the film down into it's basic elements. Take a look at its positives, and its negatives to determine if the film is posh, or tosh. --------------------------------- The story ------------------------------------------ In 1899, freak ...  Read the complete review