Rated PG-13 for violence
Starring Sean Connery, Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Stuart Townsend, Shane West, Jason Flemyng
Directed by Stephen Norrington
The Story:
In an alternate Victorian era where characters from literature are actually real-life, a group of adventurers is gathered to stop a madman's quest for world domination. Led by Allan Quatermain (Connery), he is joined by Captain Nemo (Shah), vampire Mina Harker (Wilson), an Invisible Man (Curran), the immortal Dorian Gray (Townsend), Dr. Jekyll (Flemyng) and US Secret Service Agent Tom Sawyer (West). Their quest begins, but can even this formidable assemblage of adventurers save the world?
Probably.
Based on a comic book series by Alan Moore that I never bothered to read, the idea is actually very smart and clever.
Thinking back to old Looney Tunes cartoons where the books could come to life and characters could jump in and out of each other's stories, why not have a world where literature's finest fictional characters are actual flesh and blood?
In the annals of comic book movies, this one is easily overlooked by the heroes in spandex.
It also didn't have the oomph of a lesser known property, like Men in Black, to just take the world by storm and create its own franchise.
You can point a dozen fingers with what may be wrong with the film.
Too many characters?
Too many characters that moviegoers might not be that familiar with?
So much infighting among the heroes, nobody cares about them catching the bad guy?
That said, this is a much better film for Connery to work in than the remake of The Avengers.
However, for the final film in his distinguished career, this film is a bittersweet farewell to one of the cinematic legends of the screen.
I would not have been opposed to a sequel if they could tighten up the storyline, and perhaps lured Connery out of retirement, but now too many years have passed, and it just wouldn't work now.
Speaking of alternate universes, in mine, Shane West would have been hired to play Spider-Man in the Sam Raimi franchise.
Younger than Tobey, this is the guy I was hoping would have become the web-slinger.
Much like this movie, I am left to lament "what could have been"...
Final Grade: C
Rewatchability/Purchase Factor: It's okay, but nothing I would go out of my to own. If it was on, and I couldn't find the remote, there are worse things to sit through again.
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