Search - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea on DVD

A decent retelling of "20,000 Leagues under the Sea"

T. D. Taylor | Sequim, Washington State, US | 03/16/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Ben Cross and Richard Crenna are both fine actors. I am never afraid to check out a movie when either one is involved.

Unfortunately, they are not given the proper support from the writer or the director. This movie covers the basics from the book and Crenna and Cross put in fine performances. However, the story is spotty at best and the monsters are borderline ridiculous. Julie Cox (good lord, those eyes!) puts in a decent but largely two-dimensional performance as Aronnox' daughter, an added character that provided romantic tension between Ned Land and Nemo.

Not a bad movie, but I'd rather you check out the Michael Caine version produced at around the same time."

Okay, but not as good as the original

magellan | Santa Clara, CA | 05/10/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I didn't think this movie was as bad as most of the negative reviews here. (But then I admit to being easily entertained when it comes to movies:-)). The movie doesn't have the big screen appeal of the original, perhaps, but for a made for TV movie I thought it was okay. The detractors are right about many of the changes from the original--the professor's daughter rather than his servant accompanies him, providing fodder for the love triangle between Nemo, Ned Land, and the daughter, which was all too predictable. The Nautilus itself isn't as striking as the sleek, sinister-looking original with its buzz-saw-like snout, this one looking more like a gigantic, super-size burrito tapered at one end with a prop at the stern. But the interior of the ship is where this version of the Nautilus shines, with nice interior visuals, including striking views of the captain's quarters and library with the many impressive books, and the nice circular viewing windows in each room, a stylish touch, I thought.



Also, it was good to see Richard Crenna is still working. I hadn't seen him in a movie in 20, maybe 30 years. It was good to see him again, and in a decent role. Cross plays a less flamboyant but equally credible Captain Nemo than James Mason, bringing a quiet intensity and thoughfulness to the role. There's the obligatory SCUBA walk on the ocean floor with beautiful cinematography of a tropical reef and fish, and Ned Land falls into a hole and barely makes it back to the ship in time. This didn't happen in the original, either, if I remember right (having read it 40 years ago). But again, it was okay. The actor who plays Captain Farragut, Nemo's nemesis, was also good, but I can't recall his name. He has the sort of "historical" looks that would make him perfect for a Civil War movie, so he fits right in here as the man determined to catch the elusive Nemo. The exciting original scene with the Kraken is replaced by an attack by a huge "proto-leviathan," an enormous, primitive sea creature that the professor has theorized existed but no one had ever seen until now. In the end, Nemo lets the three go and he and his crew and his ship disappear, never to be seen again.



Overall, not a great flick compared to the original, but at only a little over 90 minutes, still decent and something quick that you could knock off in one short sitting. I still enjoyed it despite its not being in the same class as the original flick."