The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)

In an alternate Victorian Age world, a group of famous contemporary fantasy, science fiction, 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, Stuart Townsend, Peta Wilson

12 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 and inventor Captain Nemo, vampire 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 and Mr. Hyde.

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Plot Keywords:

victorian era | library | year 1899 | steampunk | mina murray character | 

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Taglines:

A hunter... Live for the chase.

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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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Richard Roxburgh later referred to the finished movie as "an unadulterated stinker". He had signed onto the project as an opportunity to work with Sir Sean Connery and director Stephen Norrington. Roxburgh said that he realized too late that the movie was going to be a bad experience, when he arrived on-set during the first day. However, Roxburgh did praise the graphic novel.

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Goofs

While the League waits for Skinner in the frozen wasteland, nobody's breath is visible. This is especially telling for Skinner when he arrives, as you can see the outline of his body from the fallen snow but not his breath when he speaks.

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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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Alternate Versions

For the Swedish release, approximately 33 seconds were cut from various violent scenes in order to receive an 11 certification.

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Connections

Referenced in Nostalgia Critic: Moulin Rouge (2011)

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Soundtracks

Promenade by the Sea
Score lyrics written by Victoria Seale

User Reviews

Saturday Matinee the LXG way.

Well, I just came out of the theater after having viewed LXG. First off, I do not think it was a bad movie. While i would not recommend it as a must see movie, I certainly didn't find it to be a waste of my time. Sure, some plot points could have been developed more/better, but hey, I didn't walk in expecting Shakespeare. Though I haven't read the graphic novel on which the film is based, I have read that both the graphic novel and the movie take place in a reality alternate from both out history and our literary canons; which means that even though Stoker never wrote Mina as turning into a vampire, it's okay for LXG to take the license to do so. And so on and so forth.

Yes, it would have been nice to see Connery make his character a little more swashbuckling. But maybe that was the writing. I almost loathe watching anything with Peta Wilson, but i found here surprisingly interesting in this movie. In fact, other than Tom Sawyer's character seeming a bit incomprehensible, I think the other Leaguers were pretty interesting. But what was the deal with the bad guy, "M"? I thought his M.O. was even more pointless and less fleshed-out out than any of the flattest Bond villains I've had the displeasure of seeing. It was just a badly written character.

Just a word or two about the Mr. Hyde F/X, the CGI wizards of the Hulk could take a clue. Sure, both characters were CGI rendered, but Mr. Hyde's size carried a credible degree of mass and weight, whereas the Hulk often moved as if mass-less, making him seem too two dimensional.

All in all, I give the movie a respectable 6/10.

Details

Country:

USA Germany Czech Republic UK

Language:

English German Italian

Release Date:

11 July 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

LXG: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Filming Locations:

Hungary

Box Office

Budget:

$78,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$23,075,892, 13 July 2003

Gross USA:

$66,465,204

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$179,265,204

Company Credits

Production Co:

Angry Films, International Production Company, JD Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

DTS Dolby Digital SDDS

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1