Summer Cinema: ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’
“The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen” is a film with a lot of potential that just fails to be more than another tired comic book rip-off. Whether it is the rumors of squabbles between director Stephen Norrington and star Sean Connery, the press about sets being swept away by flooding of the fact that no manner of great acting can fix a bad script, “LXG” just fails to dazzle.
The film is based on a graphic novel about literary characters brought together into a team of quasi-superheroes including Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo, vampiric Mina Harker (Bram Stoker’s Dracula), invincible Dorian Gray, invisible Rodney Skinner and schizophrenic Dr. Jekyll.
The film features Sean Connery as Allan Quatermain (the explorer who found King Solomon’s mines). The mysterious M (Richard Roxburgh) recruits him at the turn of the century to lead the League. Their mission is to foil the plans of the mysterious Phantom who is attempting to start a world war by blowing up the city of Vienna.
The rest of film features relatively unknown actors (minus Peta Wilson of “La Femme Nikita” fame who plays Harker). No one really stood out as an outstanding character in the show. They all just glided through their joyless roles with little effort and no excitement.
The overall theme of the show seemed to be fakery from the obvious computer-generated streets of London to the oversized Nautilus (submarine). There was no effort made into making the locations believable to any extent. Maybe this was done to purposefully pay tribute to the subject matter’s origins. I found it distracting and about as pointless as the fake skyline Ben Affleck like to brood in front of in “Daredevil.”
Quatermain is really the only character we develop any sense of loyalty to. He is given a background, a reason for being and a character. The other bit players are there to fill space, provide excuses for special effects and to have someone for the great hunter to talk at.
Regardless of the problems plaguing the film, it is a fun ride. It is a unique concept, a fun idea for a story the effects surrounding Harker and Gray are very well done. Skinner however steals the show, especially when skulking around without his clothes or smearing makeup on his face in order to be seen by his fellow members of the league.
“LXG” can be an entertaining film, but is definitely not the best choice available. If you’re looking for a good action movie, take in “Pirates of the Caribbean” or “The Italian Job.” Let the league die off, it’s not worth the money for the ticket.
Grade: C-