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| League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, The |
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  (5/10)
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Runtime: 110 |
| Public Rating: 4.40 (133 votes) |
Director: Stephen Norrington |
MPAA Rating:  |
| Genre: Action adventure |
Year: 2003 |
| Writer(s): Alan Moore & Kevin O;Neill (comic book); James Dale Robinson (screenplay) |
| Distributor: 20th Century Fox |
| Reviewed by: Le Apprenti |
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Sean Connery has 'been there, done that'.
This is in reference to being in a movie that boasts impressive trailers but offers little to no advanced screenings or sneak previews because it really is not that good. He has been there in 1998 with The Avengers, and goes back there with The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (LXG for short). Loosely based on the Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill's comic book of the same name, this flick is what summer movies are all about - a banquet of loud, high action without the need to stress one's mind in plot depth. LXG also serves one other purpose: an ice-breaker to reintroduce the characters you remembered in films, and the books (if you have read any) that inspired them. The reason for this is that there will probably be a sequel.
Renowned hunter Allan Quatermain (Connery) is summoned by the British Empire to organize a group comprising of "singular individuals" to oppose an evil that could threaten the world. This group comprises of himself as leader, Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), Rodney "an Invisible Man" Skinner (Tony Curran), vampire Mina Harker, immortal Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng in both roles), and former American teen anti-hero turned secret agent Tom Sawyer (Shane West). Their adversary is a disfigured phenom called the Fantom, who intends to turn Germany and Great Britain against each other in a global war so that he can make lots of money in the weapons sales. In this movie, it is not important whether or not both countries will war against each other as long its provides a backdrop for the League members to meet and for the audience to get to know them.
The part of Allan Quatermain that is frequently highlighted is the loss of his son, which sets him up for a father-figure relationship with Tom Sawyer. Both men bond easily with each other in their passion for adventure and their marksmanship. Connery's Quatermain is robust and steely, and has no problem taking down a group of gangsters with his fists. Sawyer is nicely presented in deep Southern spirit with the drawl to match, which West delivers in distinctive late 19th century American flavor.
If your only knowledge of Captain Nemo comes from 20,000 Leagues under the Sea (book or movie), be prepared to be shocked when he appears in a turban, a sword, all decked in Sikh garb, and he is not white. Then again, with the previews spotting on TV and movie theaters, it should not come as a shock to anyone. Nemo is apparantly faithful in costume only, but not in personality (do the scriptwriter bother to give him one?). He is not the romantic yet devious undersea mariner that wowed and frightened seafarers at the same time. Very little of the charm that Jules Verne gave him ever made it to the screen. But his martial arts movements and swordplay, and technological providence compensate for the lack thereofs. Nemo's great submersible the Nautilus, an extremely streamline submarine, looks visually stunning but not fearsome.
Now how did Mina Harker become a vampire? I have no idea, despite being the author of the film's Movie Companion Guide. In Bram Stoker's novel, she almost turned into a vampire but did not because Dracula's death broke the transformation. But that is not the issue. The issue is that every film adaptation of Dracula stated the same thing regarding Mina. There would have been no problem with her being a vampire had the movie explained why or how it happened, instead of blatantly contradicting every screen version of Dracula just to give her a 'killing' edge. Speaking of which, aren't vampires supposed to be powerless during daylight (if they are not burned to dust)? Mina appears as powerful in the day as she is in the night.
Unlike the savage green goliath Hulk that he inspires, Mr. Hyde is not CGI (the giant beast he fought, however, is). His transformations to and from Jekyll is shown in a sequence of jump cuts. Each cut shows Flemyng in a different set of body suit and prosthetics. It would have been perfect had Hyde's body came with his personality, but such is not the case. Instead of the dual good-evil persona, Hyde possesses Jekyll's personality, without any tinge of the evil side that Hyde supposedly represents. This makes Hyde less of a danger than he should be, more man than monster.
Next is "an Invisible Man". A pretty fine chap, even though he is not the H.G. Wells character. The visual effects used in portraying him are sufficiently accurate. One bad stab at his character is that throughout the entire movie he never stole anything despite being the "gentleman thief". The League's boss M (Richard Roxburgh) is revealed to be Sherlock Holmes' arch-enemy James Moriarty, not that it is of any interest. All of the character development goes to M and whoever he masquerades as; by the time Moriarty is revealed, nothing new is brought to the plate other than being faithful to the comic book. Character-wise, he is still M, not Moriarity.
Probably the most intriguing character is Dorian Gray, played with homoerotic grace by Townsend. Dorian has been an immortal for decades, which means his portrait has aged into a wizened over-expired old man. He and Mina has had a previous love relationship, the roots which is not clearly explained. The intrigue is his ties with his portrait, which takes on a different twist from the novel. Only this time, he dare not look at it. He has a richer role in the movie than most of the characters: a protagonist/antagonist relationship with the League.
Unlike the comic book, the plot in LXG leaves much to be desired. It is small in idea and its story finishes after the League is formed, which occurs 20 minutes into the movie. Everything else is a series of action sequences, all of which are terrific but none expands the plot in any way. League members are written in situations purely to display their extraordinary abilities - Sawyer driving a 'futuristic' automobile is one of the few high points.
The dialogue is fresh out of a stereotypical 'fanboy' comic book. Full of camp and cartoonish style, but little humanity. Its tone at times sounds like an adult reading a story to a child. Some of the plotholes are horribly evident, such as the Nautilus docking along the Venice canals even though it would be impossibly narrow for the vessel - captured in its glorious immensity in all of its scenes - to do so.
LXG the comic book is extraordinary for several reasons. One, it plays up to the conflicting personalities and abilities of the League members to emphasize the uncertainty of their relationships with each other. Two, it portrays the characters as accurately as they were in their respective literature sources with only the situations being different. Three, being of an extraordinary tale of an ensemble of fictional characters, it therefore follows that the story should contain references to characters, places and objects from various classical literature to reinforce the idea.
LXG the movie, though has some of the first two (in decreasing quantity), has none of the third save for the only one mention of Phileas Fogg's 80-day travel around the world. It has decent special effects, action sequences and production value to make it enjoyable. But without a substantial plot, it is far from extraordinary. Hopefully, the sequel will make every effort to improve on plot if this series intends to be a serious movie franchise for a long time.
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"It is the year 1898. The Victorian Era draws to a close and the 20th century approaches. In a time of great change, an age of stagnation, a period of chaste order and ignoble chaos, the British Empire has assembled a group of extraordinary men... and woman... to oppose the forces of evil that threaten to consume the Earth. A hunter, a scientist, a vampire, a beast, an invisible man, a spy and an immortal; outcasts divided by checkered pasts and gifts that have been both a blessing and a curse, but united by a singular goal of self-redemption. Together, they are known as the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen."
Allan Quatermain
Occupation: Hunter and adventurer.
First apperance: King Solomon's Mines (1885).
Author: H. Rider Haggard.
Origin (novel): Allan Quatermain was a hunter renowned for his journeys to unchartered regions of the Earth. He was a hero of the British Empire, a veteran of many exploits before the search for the legendary diamond mines of King Solomon in Kukuanas of Africa. He is resourceful, clever and an excellent marksman.
Allan was married twice. His first wife was Marie Marais, whom he was dearly devoted. When she died to save him, he was so grief-striken that he could not bring himself to say or hear her name. His second wife, Stella Carson, was a childhood friend whom he met in one of his earlier adventures. She died after giving birth to their son Harry.
Tragedy stuck Allan a third time when his son died of smallpox while working in a hospital shortly after receiving his medical degree. A few years later, Allan went to Africa into the lost land of Zu-Vendis and was never seen again. He was said to have been killed in action.
Origin (comic book): The rumors of Allan Quatermain's death were greatly exaggerated. He had been hiding in an opium den in Cairo, Egypt for at least a decade. Long past his prime and enslaved by opium, he wants nothing more than to be left alone.
First screen appearance: King Solomon's Mines (1950).
Note: Haggard wrote King Solomon's Mines on a bet that he could better Robert Louis Stevenson's Treasure Island.
Allan Quatermain has been a great influence in the world of literature. Notable characters that are inspired by him are Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter, DC Comics' Congo Bill, and Indiana Jones.
Captain Nemo
Real name: Prince Dakkar.
Occupations: Scientist, artist, soldier, engineer, pirate and naval captain
Nationality: Indian.
First appearance: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1870).
Author: Jules Verne.
Origin: Captain Nemo was born Prince Dakkar to a rajah of the then independent India territory of Bundelkund. His uncle, supposedly, was the Indian hero Tippu-Sahib, known in the history books as Tipu Sultan. He is of Sikh heritage, superiorly endowed and exceptionally gifted in the sciences, the letters and the arts. When he was a boy, his father sent him to Europe for a complete education with the intention that he would return armed with the knowledge and training to help his people fight against their oppressors - the colonial power of the British.
Prince Dakker married a noble Indian woman with whom he had 2 children. Using his talents and wealth, he organized an immense upheaval that significantly contributed to the great Sepoy revolt in 1857 and provoked many battles against the British. Dakker fought alongside his people in the front lines, establishing himself as a fearsome enemy to the British and a revered figure in the eyes of his people. Along the way, he was betrayed, and the betrayal endangered his family including his wife and children. Despite his efforts, the British triumphed and tightened their grip over India.
Filled with hatred and vengence not only against the British but also against the civilized world, Dakkar gathered 20 of his most trustworthy companions and disappeared into the one place that remain unconquered: the sea. He constructed a great submersible using technology that was ahead of its time. Dubbed the Nautilus, it served as his home beneath the depths of the ocean. Dakkar called himself Nemo, which in Latin means "no one", and severed all contact with the rest of mankind. Over the course of the years, he and his crew traveled from ocean to ocean amassing bountifuls of treasures and untold riches, many of which were given to aid freedom fighters in liberating their countries from oppression.
A French professor, his servant and a Canadian fisherman were the first 'outsiders' to enter the Nautilus after being casted into the sea following a collision between it and an American frigate. Nemo held them captive for 7 months, during which time they were treated to a fantastic adventure spanning 20,000 leagues under the seas. The three eventually escaped. The professor later wrote a book detailing the entire incredible experience on board the Nautilus.
Soon, all of Nemo's crew members passed on, leaving him the only occupant in the Nautilus. He docked the vessel at the 'mysterious' Lincoln island and settled there, waiting for his turn to pass on. During this time, he assisted a group of castaways who crashed upon the island. These castaways were American Union colonists who escaped from Confederate captivity during the Civil War. Nemo, for the first time since he set out to sea, revealed to them his origin, his knowledge and experiences. He told them that he wished to be laid to rest in the Nautilus, which would be allowed to sink beneath the sea where his crew members rested. They were present when Nemo breathed his last on board the Nautilus. Upon his death, the colonists left the Nautilus as the vessel dived into the deep, carrying with it its captain to rejoin his crew.
Origin (comic book): Thought to be dead for 15 years, Captain Nemo resurfaced as a member of the League. Armed with a fresh crew, a renewed spirit and the mighty Nautilus, he once again sailed beneath the seas.
First screen appearance: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916).
Note: Verne orginally wanted Nemo's nationality to be Polish but was overruled by his publisher. In Kevin J. Anderson's Captain Nemo: The Fantastic History of a Dark Genius, Jules Verne had a "real-life" friend named Andre Nemo, whose life story formed the basis for Verne's Captain Nemo. Presumably, Anderson based the character of Nemo from Verne's original idea.
The comic book marked the first time Captain Nemo is presented as Indian in accordance to The Mysterious Island. The movie marks the first time he is portrayed by an actor of the same ethnicity.
Mina Harker
Real name: Wilhelmina Murray Harker.
Occupation: Assistant schoolmistress.
First appearance: Dracula (1897).
Author: Bram Stoker.
Narrative style: First person by several main characters, which includes Mina but not the title character.
Origin (novel): Mina Harker was the true moral perfection of a Victorian woman. According to Dr. Van Helsing, metaphysician and vampire slayer, she was "one of God's women, fashioned by His own hand to show us men and other women that there is a heaven where we can enter, and that its light can be here on earth. So true, so sweet, so noble." In other words, she was the ultimate male fantasy of conservative feminity. Mina is married to lawyer Jonathan Harker, with whom she had a son.
Mina's life would change drastically when her husband visited Castle Dracula in Transylvania to close a real estate transaction with its enigmatic owner Count Dracula. Possessing supernatural powers and a longing for power and conquest that were once his family's glory days, the Count traveled to London with the intention of raising an army of vampires with which to fulfill his desire. He began by preying on Mina's good friend Lucy Westenra - who, unlike the prim and conservative Mina, is very sexual - and turned her into a vampire. She was killed via a stake through her heart, decapitated, and had her mouth stuffed with garlic.
Mina was the Count's next victim, and was on the way to become a vampire. In spite of her plight, she assisted Dr. Van Helsing and her husband in their quest to track down and destroy the Count. They found him as he was about to enter his castle, and set upon him with knives. Count Dracula perished, and Mina returned to normal.
First screen appearance: Dracula (1968).
Origin (comic book): The affair with Count Dracula casted a slur on Mina Herker's virtuous repute in the eyes of Victorian society. It led to her divorce from her husband. A year later, she was enlisted in MI-5, working under Campion Bond. Intelligent, resourceful and level-headed, she assembled the League and served as its leader.
Note: In both the novel and the comic book, Mina is not a vampire nor does she possess any vampiric powers save for the bite marks left on her neck by Count Dracula. In the movie, she does not stay normal for long and becomes a vampire. Apparantly, she still keeps her married name.
As a vampire, Mina Harker possesses superhuman strength, supernatural resistance to injury and aging, and the ability to assume the form of an animal. She needs blood for sustenance and would age quickly if she goes for long periods without blood. Once she consume sufficient amounts of blood, she will return to the age prior to being turned into a vampire. Like all vampires, she does not cast shadows or reflections. She is powerless during daylight but will not be burned by sunlight. (According to the novel, Count Dracula traveled during daylight and never felt a singe.)
Mina Harker also possesses some hypnotic powers for seducing her victims. She can turn a person into a vampire by first biting and almost draining the victim's body of blood. After a day or two, the victim then drinks the vampire's blood directly from her body. A mysterious chemical in the vampire's blood, once in the victim's bloodstream, will cause the victim to experience death. By the third day, the victim rises as a vampire.
Mina is vulnerable to garlic, and cannot travel across water unless she is carried over it. She can only be killed by a stake through her heart followed by decapitation. Contrary to modern-day vampire tales, she will not spontaneously combust after taking a stake through the heart.
The vampire legacy lives on in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Anne Rice's The Vampire Chronicles.
Jekyll & Hyde
Real name: Henry Jekyll.
Alias: Edward Hyde.
Occupation: (as Jekyll) doctor; (as Hyde) none.
First appearance: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886).
Author: Robert Louis Stevenson.
Narrative style: Anonymous third person. The closing 2 chapters are narrated in first person, in letters written by Dr. Jekyll and another character.
Origin (novel): Dr. Henry Jekyll was a well-loved respectable doctor, prosperous and well established in the community, and known for his decency and charitable works. Unbeknowst to the public, he secretly engaged in unspecified dissolute and corrupt behaviors. He had been striving to separate his good and evil sides to liberate them from each other so that he might enjoy the pleasures of one without the influence of the other.
In his laboratory, Dr. Jekyll developed a potion that when ingested enabled him to metaphysically transform into Edward Hyde. As Hyde, Dr. Jekyll's evil side was completely manifested in body, mind and spirit. He was as tall as Dr. Jekyll but younger, more powerfully built and therefore stronger, and hideously ugly, looking more neanderthal than man. He had a large amount of body hair and spoke with a deep raspy voice.
Initially pleased with the result, Dr. Jekyll enjoyed the moral liberties as his dark alter-ego. He was able to partake in dissolute behaviors without the need for secrecy. As time went by, the Hyde persona became more dominant to the point that the transformations were triggered spontaneously without the potion, such as during his sleep.
Dr. Jekyll ultimately realized that he could no longer control his dark side. His supply of potions to reverse the transformation were depleted, and as Mr. Hyde was wanted by the authorities for murder. He wrote his final letter - the last chapter of the novel - that explained everything that occurred, turned into Mr. Hyde and committed suicide.
Origin (comic book): Jekyll/Hyde faked his own death in London and has lived in Paris, France for 12 years before being contacted by the League. By this time, it is established that his transformations are triggered by extreme stress. Mr. Hyde has also increased in size (at 9' tall) and strength.
First screen appearance: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1910), Denmark.
Note: The novel is intended to be a mystery, hiding the dual identities of Jekyll and Hyde until the closing two chapters, via the letters of Dr. Jekyll and another character, explained everything.
Mr. Hyde possesses superhuman strength, dense muscle tissue and high resistance to injury. He also possesses heightened senses, able to see fairly well in the dark, hear small sounds, and detect people's feelings, if they are strong, by his sense of smell.
Jekyll & Hyde is the only member of the League that is an Academy Award winner. Fredric March's chilling portrayal of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) earned him the Oscar for Best Actor.
Jekyll & Hyde's legacy lives on in Marvel Comics' The Incredible Hulk and Mr. Hyde.
Invisible Man
Real name: I. Hawley Griffin; II. Rodney Skinner.
Occupation: I. Scientist; II. Professional criminal.
First appearance: I. The Invisible Man (1897); II. None.
Author: I. H.G. Wells.
Origin (novel): Little is known about the life of the Hawley Griffin the original Invisible Man other than he was a scientist and a student of the University of London. His life did not take any interesting turns until he invented a serum that could render his entire body invisible. Although he was pleased with the results, he discovered that that the invisibility was permanent and could not be reversible. He traveled incognito, hiding his face and hands with bandages, and wearing a hat and a pair of sunglasses.
A group of residents in a small English town were the first witnesses of Hawley's invisible condition. When he was faced with eviction because of his violent behavior, he removed his bandages in front of them, to their horror and to his delight. He then discarded his clothes and escaped. A sociopath, he realized the amount of amorality he can wreck by being unseen and began victimizing people for his own needs.
The formula that made Hawley invisible also heightened his paranoia and insanity, making him psychotic. Refusing to be captured for fear that he would be experimented upon to extract the formula that made him invisible, he threatened to kill anyone who tried to speak about him to anybody. When an old friend of his, after learning of his condition and his mentality, decided to alert the authorities, Hawley tried to kill him. Instead, he was met by a mob of townfolks who, even though they could not see him, were able to sniff him out, grasp him, and beat him to death.
Origin (comic book): It turned out that it was not Hawley Griffin that died but a half-witted albino whom he picked to be the first test subject for his formula. Hawley, on the other hand, settled in a convent masquerading as a Holy Spirit sent to impregnate its young students.
Origin (movie): The second Invisible Man is a thug named Rodney Skinner. He stole the invisibility serum from Hawley Griffin with the hopes of becoming the greatest thief the world has ever known, not realizing that the invisibility is permanent and irreversible. Like Hawley, he looks out only for himself though not nearly as amoral. He likes to be referred to as "the Gentleman Thief". Rodney joins the League for the promise that he will be cured of his invisibility.
First screen appearance: I. The Invisible Man (1933); II. The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003).
Note: Although Hawley Griffin (dis)appears in the comic book, he does not (dis)appear in the movie because the film rights to the H.G. Wells character is exclusively owned by Universal Studios. (20th Century Fox does own the film rights to the comic book.) This leads to the creation of Rodney Skinner, "an Invisible Man".
Neither Invisible Men are releated or connected in any way with Marvel Comics' Invisible Woman, who is a member of the Fantastic Four.
Tom Sawyer
Nationality: United States citizen.
Occupation: Former adventurer and robber, now government agent.
First appearance: The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876).
Author: Mark Twain.
Origin: Tom Sawyer hailed from the Mississippi River town of St. Petersburg, Missouri. He was a mischievous boy with an active imagination, and often got himself and his friends into and out of trouble. When he was not persuading them to do his work for him (which he received as punishment for his troubles), he would be embarking on an adventure that often involved looting. By the time he became an adult, he had forged for himself a colorful career that included being a hustler, a pirate and a robber.
During his early ventures, Tom Sawyer was joined by Huckleberry Finn, the son of a town drunk and a juvenile outcast, who shared his love for adventure and became his sidekick. They dabbled into piracy, making their base of operations in Jackson's Island. After they became wealthy from the gold they stole from a wanted murderer, Tom formed a band of robbers and invited Huck to join.
Despite his illicit undertakings, Tom had a good heart with a strong moral conscience. He took responsibility for an offence he did not committ and even testified for a man falsely accused for murder. He even played the role of a detective to solve a murder. Suprisingly, he learnt to make mature responsible decisions through his experiences, even though most of them were not on the straight and narrow.
His crimes finally caught up with him. Tom was apprehended by the authorities. Recognizing an adventurous spirit, a cunning disposition and a wealth of experience in him, he was offered to be a spy for the United States government. He has remained in their serivce since.
First screen appearance: Tom Sawyer (1917).
Note: Since its initial release, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has been banned from many public libraries and schools nationwide for romanticizing negative youth behavior. A similar but harsher fate befell its follow-up The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn when it was released in 1885, for its raw depiction of racism. It is ranked at #5 on the American Library Association's "100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990-2000" list and has certainly faced more bans than Tom Sawyer, which ranked #84 on the list.
Mark Twain asserted in his letter that both Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn were written exclusively for adult readers. They were not meant for "boys and girls".
The United States of America is not of the British Empire. Therefore, Tom Sawyer does not appear in the comic book. However, an American character is required to appeal to the movie's target audience, who may not be able to identity with "those bloody English".
Dorian Gray
First appearance: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890).
Author: Oscar Wilde.
Origin: Dorian Gray was a wealthy cultured young man whose exceptional beauty captured the imagination of an artist, who in turn wanted to capture him in a series of paintings. The first painting, a plain portrait, caused him to feel despair that his countenance would eventually disappear with age. He pledged his soul that he could exchange his own mortality with the ever youthful portrait of the painting so that he would remain forever young while the painting would grow old.
Dorian would not discover the gravity of his pledge until after his fiancee's suicide. His callous feelings towards her death was reflected in his portrait, which began to show signs of age. Knowing that he would remain youthful and not die, he lived a life of wanton sin and depravity with no regard for morality or consequences. As his portrait aged over time, it also reflected the character of his soul. Thus, it became more hideous and wizened as his decadance from his immoral lifestyle grew deeper.
Eventually, the portrait's aging revelations aggravated Dorian to the point that he wanted to destroy it. As he tried to stab it with a knife, the knife plunged into his own heart, killing him. The portrait, however, reverted to its ageless youth, the way it was when first painted.
First screen appearance: (by an actor) The Picture of Dorian Gray (1913); (by an actress) Portret Doryana Greya (1915), Russia.
Note: After trading his mortality with the painting's youth, Dorian Gray possesses the attributes of an immortal. He is immune to disease, aging and any form of physical afflictions. He cannot be killed by conventional means. His portrait bears his mortality, and continues to age naturally. The only sure way of killing him is by destroying his portrait. It is probable that should the painting 'die a natural death', so will he.
In order to portray his androgynous-like beauty, Dorian Gray has on occasions been played by an actress.
Dorian Gray is not featured in the comic book. His portrait does appear in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Vol. 1 (October, 2002) paperback edition.
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) from MGM Studios, the most celebrated film adaptation of the book, has a unique cinematography. It is in black-and-white throughout with several shots that are in color wherever Dorian's portrait is shown.
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