Review of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" DVD (2003)

Review by Staci Layne Wilson for Horror.com

Victorian horror meets high-tech, ala Wild Wild West, in this X-Men'esque period piece, assembling a "league of extraordinary gentlemen" (and one woman). The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is an adaptation of... you guessed it... a comic book series!

Although the road to hell may be paved with good intentions, the road to the Academy Awards is certainly not paved with comic books. Which is not to say that League of Extraordinary Gentlemen deserves its poor reviews on the theatrical release, but let's face it: Unless you're a 13 year old boy or a C++ geek with a pocket protector, you're probably a little tired of the comics-to-film craze by now.

The thing that sets "LXG" apart, is that its heroes are based on substantial literary icons and not strippers gyrating out of Stan Lee's imagination. And, get this -- the actors in the movie are actually old enough to order a drink in Hollywood. Adventurer Allan Quatermain is played with panache by the incomparable Sean Connery; undersea impresario Captain Nemo is played with serenity and dignity in a kick-ass sort of way by well known Indian actor Naseeruddin Shah; and Jason Flemyng plays both Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde to the yin-yang hilt. Richard Roxburgh, who was so wonderful in Moulin Rouge, and will soon kill in Van Helsing, has a meaty role. Also appearing in this very well-cast film are Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray (finally, Townsend in a role I can believe him in); Peta Wilson as the regal Mina Harker; and a delightful Tony Curran as The Invisible Man.

As for plot, it's 1899 and these legendary figures are brought together by the mysterious M, supposedly to help the British government avoid a world war. But of course, we know that's not all there is to the story... so let the adventures begin! The adventures are indeed rousing and I have no complaints there, but to make room for all the adventures in the 90 minutes allotted, character development is sacrificed. Also, director Stephen ("Blade") Norrington tends to cut away from important scenes with the speed of Nautilus in high gear. LXG is a rapid-fire film, shot with viva-Victoriana style and flair by D.P. Dan ("Darkness Falls") Lausten. It's a good-looking film.

If you can picture Wild, Wild West on speed with a dash of the horror Classics thrown in, then you'll have some idea as to what to expect from LXG. (And hopefully, it will encourage some younger viewers to look beyond DC and Marvel for their next read, and check out some Bram Stoker, Jules Verne, H. Rider Haggard, Robert Louis Stevenson, H.G. Wells, or Oscar Wilde, as well.)

DVD features include audio commentary (a technical Track 1: Jackie West Costume Designer, Steve Johnson Make-Up Effects, Ian Hunter and Matthew Gratzner Miniatures Creators; an anecdotal Track 2: Trevor Albert Producer, Peta Wilson, Jason Flemyng, Tony Curran, Shane West), a pretty standard "Making Of" featurette, and a dozen deleted and extended scenes.