Post originally by Frank Frey at 2003-07-16 05:21:36
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Nathan,
I liked League very much and so did all of my friends that have seen it. I found it to be entertaining and fun. It delivered those two items IMO. If you're looking for a good evenings entertainment, I highly recommend this film.
Post originally by Wulf Corbett at 2003-07-16 05:52:32
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Actualy, this review has served it's purpose well, in that it's made me interested in a movie I otherwise was going to ignore...
Apart from anything else, anyone who uses the phrase 'It/he/she/they sucked' that often (or indeed at all) is almost certainly diametrically opposed to my own taste in movies...
Post originally by Jason Vey at 2003-07-16 06:03:15
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Indeed. The reviewer here also demonstrates his own severe lack of knowledge about the backgrounds of the characters involved, which probably served only to heighten his lack of understanding for the film itself. Here are a few examples:
1. Dorian Gray doesn't just "own a painting." The painting in question is the physical evidence of a deal with the Devil of sorts that keeps him young, but robs him of his humanity.
2. The Invisible Man dies at the end of his original book (presuming they "couldn't get the rights" to a character over 100 years old is ludicrous--there isn't a single Victorian era character that isn't public domain; copyrights from that era only last for 75 years after the writer's death.)
All-in-all, if you are interested in Gothic and Victorian era literature, you should enjoy this film, as all the characters are true to their origins and very well portrayed.
I was pleased that the members of the League were not watered down to suit the tastes of a mindless action film. Rather, their dark backgrounds make an interesting dichotomy with their actions--Quartermain and Sawyer are unabashed heroes. Mina Harker is a woman who would be a hero but has fallen to darkness, and the others are (or were) unabashed villains thrust into the heroic mold. It's a fascinating character study about redemption...with one notable exception who I won't name in the interest of not spoiling the film for those who haven't seen it.
Fans of the comic may not appreciate the film, as the members of the League are pumped up to super heroic status in the interests of a dynamic action film. However, on the screen and as an entity unto itself, LXG works very well, and is definitely a film I will be purchasing when it hits the shelves on DVD.
Post originally by wyrdlyng at 2003-07-16 06:38:57
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Being a huge fan of the graphic novel didn't suck too much enjoyment from the experience of watching the film. It deviated from the original GN but retained enough elements in order to be recognizable. I particularly liked the inclusion of Dorian Gray.
On the down side, Mina is no longer the leader of the group and displays behavior (dressing in definitely non-Victorian garb and doing all that vampiric stuff) which the GN version would never do.
In the end the GN is considerably darker (Quartermain is an Opium addict, Hyde is a devious bastard waiting for his chance to screw everyone else over, the Invisible Man was captured at an all girls' school where he was raping students, etc.)
than the film but I think that a direct translation would have spawned something that most people (and I don't mean YOU but people like your family and neighbors) would not watch.
Post originally by Ralph Mazza at 2003-07-16 06:58:24
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I also really enjoyed this movie.
Its pulp action. "Laws of Physics" must be understood to mean "Laws of Pulp Physics".
Their were only three things I really didn't like.
One was the Nautillus...Sailing that thing up a canal in Venice defied even pulp physics and was completely unnecessary. Besides the sub in the graphic novel was much cooler looking.
Two was Venice. The whole Venice scene served no purpose. MUCH better would have been foiling a plot to assasinate the world leaders at the conference that didn't involve blowing up half the city. That segment of the movie just wasn't fun...except for Mina going all demonic on some goons...
The last thing I didn't like was the introduction of the League. Better I think would have been to handle the introductions as if the League was being reassembled rather than assembled for the first time. That way it could be seen as just another adventure of the league that fits around the comic canon rather than an actual replacement of the comic.
But overall I enjoyed the movie greatly. Not as much as Pirates of the Caribean, but still well worth the ticket for me.
Post originally by Nathan Hill at 2003-07-16 06:59:34
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Well, I've read part of the comic book, and it was "different". I wasn't sure if I liked it, but it definitely was not what I was expecting. I do know all the background of these great characters -- but ultimately, the movie boiled everything down to "dark pasts". It was lame.
And if you remember, Dorian Gray died too. Allan Quatermain supposedly died at the end of his adventures, but he faked his death several times -- so no biggie there. The Wells Estate refused the producers to have access to the original Invisible Man (Griffin?), so they had to come up with a invisible man.
I understand some people enjoyed the movie, and while I'm not sure why, that's cool. For some reason, I was really disappointed -- and I was not expecting a great film at all.
Post originally by Nathan Hill at 2003-07-16 07:12:45
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Yo Ralph,
I don't know. I did not get the feeling that the movie was "pulp" in anyway. I would have been cool with the little jump out of the car deal if it was pulp -- but the movie was just an action film. Automatic machine guns, fast cars, a big submarine, kung fu fighting.... The villain looked like they were going for the pulp feel, but all he did was run away.
Post originally by Coyraven at 2003-07-16 07:20:01
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A lack of knowledge about backgrounds?
Well, that might be excusable, but a ranting based off a misunderstanding of the movie is not.
From the review:
"I know if I were forming a league of heroes to save the world, I would hire a homicidal maniac."
Err.. yeah.. he obviously missed something there.
Anyway, I thought the movie was in the "ok to good" range. It had some nice touches: Hyde looked great and the look on Mina's face during the end of her final confrontation scene was classic.
I did not care for the design of the Nautilus, and the fights were too choppy from editing to reduce it to a pg-13 rating.
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