The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

In an alternate Victorian Age world, a group of famous contemporary fantasy, SF and adventure characters team up on a secret mission.

Director:

Stephen Norrington

Writers:

Alan Moore (comic books), Kevin O'Neill (comic books),

Stars:

Sean Connery, Peta Wilson, Stuart Townsend

6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sean Connery	...	Allan Quatermain
Naseeruddin Shah	...	Captain Nemo
Peta Wilson	...	Mina Harker
Tony Curran	...	Rodney Skinner
Stuart Townsend	...	Dorian Gray
Shane West	...	Tom Sawyer
Jason Flemyng	...	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde
Richard Roxburgh	...	M
Max Ryan	...	Dante
Tom Goodman-Hill	...	Sanderson Reed
David Hemmings	...	Nigel
Terry O'Neill	...	Ishmael
Rudolf Pellar	...	Draper
Robert Willox	...	Constable Dunning
Robert Orr	...	Running Officer

Storyline

Renowned adventurer Allan Quatermain leads a team of extraordinary figures with legendary powers to battle the technological terror of a madman known as "The Fantom." This "League" comprises seafarer/inventor Captain Nemo, vampiress Mina Harker, an invisible man named Rodney Skinner, American secret service agent Tom Sawyer, the ageless and invincible Dorian Gray, and the dangerous split personality of Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde.

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Plot Keywords:

captain nemo | dorian gray | invisible man | mission | adventurer | 

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Taglines:

An invisible man... The unseen assassin.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of fantasy violence, language and innuendo

Details

Official Sites:

Official page [de] Official site

Country:

USA Germany Czech Republic UK

Language:

English German Italian

Release Date:

11 July 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

LXG

Filming Locations:

Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$78,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$176,107 (South Africa) (24 October 2003)

Gross:

£7,319,844 (UK) (28 November 2003)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Angry Films, International Production Company, JD Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital

Color:

Black and White Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The addition of Tom Sawyer to the cast may have been meant to increase the movies appeal to US audiences but it wasn't just a whim. After 'The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn''s success, Mark Twain wrote little-known two sequels to "Tom Sawyer" in one of which Tom has a Jules Verne-like adventure ('Tom Sawyer Abroad') and in the other, becomes a detective ('Tom Sawyer, Detective').

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Goofs

While Bram Stoker's vampires are not fond of sunlight, they are not adversely affected by it in the spectacular ways invented by writers of movie versions of the Dracula story.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Sanderson Reed: [to coachman] Don't... wander... off.

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Crazy Credits

In the original theatrical release, during the opening credits when Alan Moore's credit first begins to appear on screen, it reads "Based on the COMIC BOOK by Alan Moore" but suddenly changes to "Based on the GRAPHIC NOVEL by Alan Moore".

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Connections

Referenced in The Blockbuster Buster: Top 10 Lame LXG Moments (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Promenade by the Sea"
Score lyrics written by Victoria Seale

User Reviews

A graphic novel brought to the big screen.

Based on the graphic novel of the same name (as noted in the credits), it's no surprise at all to see the movie using similar lighting, colours and action that one would expect to find in a comic book. The characters are engaging enough, thanks more to the special effects than the actors and the roles they were given. The far more interesting character of a drug-addicted, wasted Allan Quartermain was sadly watered into the "tragic hero" the Connery plays so well. Other characters were seemingly better played by their CGI counterparts than the actors supposedly playing them - but one should expect two-dimensional acting in a comic book, and that's exactly what you get. The action is exciting, and a bit intense, if almost too frenetic at times. It's difficult to see all the action at the speeds it's shown, especially with the numerous cutaways to other fights. Nemo's fights would have been among the most spectacular, had they been slowed down to a speed a normal human could see. Still the violence is great and appreciable, although with comic-book-like regularity, seldom fatal. If you're a Connery fan, you may find this passable, though not much different from his role in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Fans of the graphic novel will be sadly disappointed at the startling alterations of their characters, and of course, unsurprised by the "twist" in the middle. Still, it is an enjoyable (if long) two hours, and the attention to detail of the sets, costumes and scenery make it almost worth it alone.