Bucky (LXG)
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Directed by Stephen Norrington
Screenplay by James Robinson
Based on a graphic novel by Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill
Directed By Stephen Norrington, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (TLoEG) is set in an altered Victorian Age world. Slap on a giant mansion, an over confident explorer, and small group of anti-heroes and you have yourselves what could be a casting nightmare. Now, for backdrop, the Nautilus. Thats right, Captain Nemo to the rescue! (What, really? Uhm, ok sure… whatever.)
Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neill are the scriptwriters of the comic, and James Robinson will be the one settled to the task of writing this into a formatable screenplay.
Well, normally I would go on talking about the actors—who played what and how they did, but why bother? This film and its actors are merely models for their CGI counterparts. Visually segmented, this movie is a blast to watch so long as you’re not looking for any real dialogue to tie it all together. I can’t even blame the actors because there’s only so much you can do with these two dimensional roles, and its not like they were ever given a chance to shine in any way. The first time you watch this, it’ll be almost fantastical with lulls of character development. Just get rid of Jekyll. Why bother, Hyde was the real star of that dynamic duo.
I have to give it credit, this movie did have a comic book feel. It was as if I were flipping through the actual pages (without reading, that is). To the comic fan with some zeal for the comic this will be a real disappointment because the characters that you really enjoyed are just not there. It’s not really Allan Quartermain, it’s more of a watered-down made-for-tv movie version. Dorian Grey is still stuck in the picture, the Invisible Man never actually shows up, Tom Sawyer seems too young, Mina Harker is hardly terrifying, and Captain Nemo just captains a ship.
I am going to end this like this: Watch it with ear plugs to help you enjoy it that first time and don’t give it a second glance its kinda sad to see empty shells where good icing should have been.
First time watch: 3 (visuals alone carry the torch)
Second watch: 1
Review by Bucky