The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Directed by: Stephen
Norrington
Written
by:
James Dale Robinson, based on the comic by Alan Moore
Starring: Sean
Connery (Alan Quartermaine), Peta Wilson (Mina Harker), Stuart
Townsend (Dorian Gray), Shawn West (Agent Tom Sawyer), Naseeruddin
Shah (Captain Nemo), Jason
Flemyng (Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde), Tony Curran (Rodney Skinner,
The Invisible Man), Richard Roxburgh (M/Mycroft Holmes)
Review by : Corey Henson
I went
into LXG not quite knowing what to expect, though hoping to
at least be entertained, which is more than the tedious and
pretentious Hulk could do. I'm a big fan of Alan Moore and
the LXG comic books (quick plug: the new issue of Comic Book
Artist features a ridiculously extensive and highly entertaining
interview with Mr. Moore), so I've been looking forward to
seeing the film for quite some time. But early reports of
on-the-set cock-blocking between director Steve Norrington
and star Sean Connery left me expecting the worst.
Truth
be told, this film has its share of faults. The script is
awful, which is a disappointment considering writer James
Robinson's excellent pedigree as a comic writer. The screenplay
strays about as far from the source material as the Howard
the Duck film did. The concept is there, but Moore's wit is
not, and the original plotline has been ditched in favor of
something that would be completely ridiculous in a comic book,
let alone a movie based on one. You can tell the plot is secondary
to the concept by the fact the filmmakers take the story in
a completely different direction halfway through the film.
Character development is almost non-existent, and what little
there is doesn't resonate in even the slightest. We're supposed
to feel sorry for Connery's character, who tragically lost
his son years prior in a way that may have been his fault,
but the subplot is barely explained, so it's hard to care.
None of the other characters are really explored, save Jeckyl/Hyde,
who seems eager to redeem himself/themselves for past crimes.
But even that's unconvincing.
The acting
is serviceable, but nothing special. Stuart Townsend does
seem to have fun as the immortal Dorian Gray, mostly because
he gets the best lines. Connery is a disappointment in particular.
He's a good enough actor to transcend the two-dimensional
character he's given, but he doesn't seem to try. And man,
has he put on some weight. He's not fat, just paunchy, in
that way old people tend to get when they stop trying not
to. Seriously, if you're the type who's always thought of
him as a sexy old man, you'll probably think twice after seeing
this.
But despite
its many faults, I have to say I actually enjoyed watching
LXG. Thankfully, it doesn't take itself too seriously. The
concept is so inherently cool, I got a thrill out of watching
all these famous characters together in one flick. The addition
of Tom Sawyer to the group is also welcome, as there are some
nice moments between him and Quartermain. And Captain Nemo
kicks serious ass, opening up a can of Jet Li on some thugs
in an early scene. I'd love to see a Nemo spin-off, sans the
rest of the League. LXG makes for a decent summer popcorn
flick, provided you can set aside any fanboy prejudices you
might have and just enjoy yourself.
Corey Henson is the Senior Marketing Coordinator for ADV Films,
and has written for Wizard, Anime Insider and Newtype USA,
where his "Bagged and Boarded" comic column can be seen every
month. In his spare time he likes to picture Eliza
Dushku naked.
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