The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (DVD: March 2003)

If you don't mind films that are happy to take massive liberties with literary history for the sake of top notch, comic book entertainment then this is the film for you. Captain Nemo, Allan Quartermain, Dorian Gray, the Invisible Man, Tom Sawyer, Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde & Mina Harker (the Winona character in Dracula) team up as the LXG at the turn of the 19th century to defeat the James Bondish nemesis The Phantom. The story takes further liberties by looting bits of Bond & picking & choosing from the character's literary backgrounds to suit it's needs.

It's all very outlandish & incredibly improbable and really shouldn't work but nonetheless turns out a treat. Norrington does a spiffing job of maintaining a peculiarly British Empire feel throughout (this is 1899 and we still ruled the world) with Connery firmly at the helm. The director of Blade maintains a firm grip on proceedings throughout, extraordinary in itself when you consider all the up & coming talent of recent years that overstretched themselves with their second major features. The effects are impressive enough & the sheer presposterousness of the whole thing somehow ties together to make great entertainment.

Oh yeh, and the ending's better than Blade.

RATING:

(c)Limer 2004