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M: He apparently calls
himself "The Phantom".
Allan Quatermain: Mmm...a bit operatic, if you ask me.
Loosely based on the critically acclaimed comic book from critically acclaimed
author Alan Moore, "LXG" tells the tale of Allan Quartmain, an aging adventurer
in 1899 who is called upon by a mysterious man named M (Richard Roxburg:
Moulin Rouge, MI2) who enlists him and six
other super-powered beings whose powers are parallel to legendry literary
characters who must fight a warlord called "The Phantom" who plans to take over
the world.
Alan Moore presents an idea and
concept so ingenious and brilliant, I was stunned upon hearing of it. Take some
of the most famous heroes and villains in literary history and turn them into
superheroes. What turns up as the end result is truly entertaining material that
kept me enthralled all the way through. I always enjoy a good action yarn from the "Indiana Jones"
films to "Gunga Din", this follows along the same themes those films do. The
story takes a strange twist to some of the classic characters shown in the film:
Allan Quartermain is an aging adventurer, Captain Nemo is now a strict commander
of his Attilus, Mina Harker is now a part vampire and seductive heroine, The
Invisible Man is not the scientist but a thief who attempted to make himself
invisible for personal wealth but it inevitably backfired, and the aristocratic
charming Dorian Gray who possesses invincibility and immortality due to his
painting that bears his soul, and Dr. Henry Jekyll who, with the help of his
elixir turns into the hulking Mr. Hyde, and they're all assembled by "M", the
mysterious leader of the group.
Throughout the film, they must take
on the enigmatic "The Phantom" (whose identity I wouldn't dare to reveal, but it
is a real jaw dropper). Director Stephen Norrington gives a bright and
entertaining tone apart from his last blockbuster, the bland "Blade"
and "Death Machine". He manages
to present a film that was in the tradition of many of the old fifties serials
that were so enjoyable, and like its predecessor's, Norrington manages to pay
homage to those landmark films. For the incredible characters, Norrington
enlists some talented character actors to take up the slack. As main hero and
adventurer Allan Quartermain, legendry actor Sean Connery whose been in previous
action tales such as the "James Bond" films and the bomb "The Avengers" takes up
task and manages to handle the role with much vigor.
He's very believable as the character
and becomes a true tour de force in the part. He manages to pull of some of the
best action scenes and even tends to outdo some of the other cast members while
doing it. Along with his incredible professional acting, Shane West whose
previous films credits include the charming "A Walk to Remember" and
"Dracula 2000" plays Agent Tom
Sawyer, a wry American young soldier who looks up to Quartermain's character.
Though, not as emphasized as I would have desired, he's a great character and
keeps up with Connery. Naseeruddin Shah (Moksha, Kasam)is best as Captain Nemo providing the
dramatic grace and acting abilities to become the diplomatic and skilled Nemo.
The Attilus is also featured as was
in the book "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" and it is an incredible sight in the
film which he describes as "The Sword of the Ocean", The ridiculously gorgeous
Peta Wilson whose best remembered in her starring role in the cult series "La
Femme Nikita" becomes Mina Harker skillfully displaying the seductive
alluring element of the vampire queen along with the innocence that lures men
towards her. Some of her best scenes in the film include when she's a vampire
and when she clashes with Dorian Gray. I'm not a fan of Stuart Townshend (Queen
of the Damned, About Adam) whose films often present him in an oddly pasty
faced tone, but he manages to shine well in this film as Dorian Gray, often
becoming true adversary to the casts talents. Tony Curran (Blade 2, Pearl
Harbor) as Rodney Skinner, the Invisible Man, and Jason Flemyng (Below,
Lighthouse Hill) as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Hyde truly shine among their
roles as these legendry figures and as superheroes. What makes the film work is
the conflict between the characters and the dysfunctional motif thrown onto the
audience.
They're all shady characters, mostly
dependent upon their character's novel back--grounds, and all become questionable
during the search for the traitor within the group. It soon becomes an
intriguing mystery to discover who might be infiltrating the mission and how
they are doing so. It becomes shocking to discover who the traitor is in the
group as the story builds up the suspense and atmosphere almost sweeping the rug
from under us. Along with many other superhero teams, "LXG" might rank as one of
the cleverest, but there's a lot of difference between the members.
What became a sheer
charming element during the viewing of the film were the various clever
references and in-jokes referring to the characters' stories. There are many subtle and very witty
literary references that only a true reader or aficionado of classic literature would know. There are references to
Sherlock Holmes, The Phantom of the Opera (The Phantom's Mask, scarred face, and
mystique), and even the most hilarious of all "Moby Dick" when Nemo's valet's
first words are: "Call me, Ismael." Which is the famous opening first sentence
uttered by a character in the legendry novel "Moby Dick".
 This
could have been a truly creditable action adventure yarn had it not taken such
giant leaps of logic. What truly becomes hard to ignore are the scenes in
Venice. There's a scene where the Attilus, a ship the height of a skyscraper
rushed through the waters of Venice and then is tall enough to just scrape the
top of a bridge. It never makes a large tidal wave nor does it disturb any of
the landscapes. Then there's an epic car chase scenes through the streets of
Venice.
What's wrong with that sentence?
First, there are no streets in Venice; most of it are waterways, but it's a good
excuse to have a car chase through the streets while the soldiers of the Phantom
shoot at Tom Sawyer who's steering even though cars are a new device at that
time but the phantom knows enough to post soldiers at the tops of the buildings
right at the location Sawyer will be driving. Also, Quartermain and the Phantom
have a showdown in a graveyard in Venice. There are no graveyards up on ground;
many graveyards in Venice are below water. But it all makes for some good action
fodder, nonetheless. There are also some truly unnecessary scenes that would
have been good had they been used on their own, instead they're given an
unneeded touch.
For example, when the team stumbles
upon the record from the Phantom revealing his plan, Director Norrington makes a
case of showing the phantom and his secret partner talking almost as if they're
talking and posing for a movie. Movies weren't invented at that time, and they
were listening to a record, so why would Norrington make it a point of showing
them in front of the camera? Its comes off more as cheesy and hokey rather than
dramatic or powerful.
 Despite
giant lapses in logic and time period inaccuracies, turn off your common sense,
sit back and enjoy this entertaining, adventurous, bright, action-packed tale
with solid performances from its immensely talented cast.
- When the League
is in Paris, the camera passes by a wall with a poster for a carnival
that is coming, there are two names: Dr. Alan Moore and Dr. Kevin
O'Neill. These are the names of the gentlemen that created and wrote the
comic "League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen".
- As was the case
with "From Hell" (2001), another movie based on a comic by Alan Moore, the
scenes set in London were filmed in Prague.
- Monica Bellucci
was originally cast as Mina Harker, but had to drop out due to schedule
conflicts.
- Filming was
delayed due to the summer 2002 floods in Prague, Czech Republic which
destroyed more than $7 million worth of sets.
- There were
widespread rumors that Jason Isaacs was to play the part of British
Agent Campion Bond. However, in an interview Isaacs revealed he hadn't
even read the script and that all reports of him in the role were, in
fact, fabricated.
- The last scenes
filmed were for the trailer, which were the first scenes publicly seen.
- The film's
literary characters are:
1. Allan Quatermain from H. Rider Haggard's "King
Solomon's Mines" (1885)
2. Mina Harker from Bram Stoker's "Dracula"
(1897)
3. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde from Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1886)
4. Rodney Skinner replacing Hawley Griffin
from H.G. Wells "The Invisible Man" (1897) (due to rights issues)
5.
Captain Nemo from Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" (1870)
6. Dorian Gray from Oscar Wilde's "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" (1891)
7. Tom
Sawyer from Mark Twain's "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer" (1876)
8. Professor James Moriarty from Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Final Problem"
(1893)
9. The Phantom's mask design alludes to Gaston Leroux's "The Phantom Of
The Opera" (1911).
- English comedian
Eddie Izzard read for the part of Rodney Skinner/the Invisible Man.
- The character of
Tom Sawyer was added because the studio thought many people in the
American market wouldn't care about the movie unless an American
character and cast member was in it.
- The magazine on
Quatermain's desk aboard the Nautilus is "The Strand". 'Arthur Conan
Doyle' originally published the Sherlock Holmes stories in The Strand.
- The Character of
Campion Bond, a British Intelligencer, was to be a main character in
early drafts of the script. He was eventually totally cut out of the
film to be saved for a possible sequel.
- Although Alan
Moore uses "Quatermain", and this is often considered the canonical
spelling of the character's name, H. Rider Haggard himself occasionally
used "Quartermain", and that spelling is used several times throughout
the movie (especially obviously on the grave marker).
- A poster in the
background of one scene displays "Volcanic eruptions on Mars". This is
an inside joke to the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2 comic
in which the League battle the Martians from H.G. Wells' War of the
Worlds. this is also a hint of a possible sequel to the film.
- When Nemo first
introduces Alan Quartermain to his first mate, his first mate introduces
himself by saying, "Call me Ishmael." This is the opening line of "Moby
Dick" by Hermann Melville, another great 19th century literary work.
- A portrait seen
in the background of one shot appears to be of a previous League, and
corresponds to a similar portrait seen in the comic. This previous
(1780s?) League consists, then, of: The Reverend Dr. Syn, pirate and
highwayman; Sir Percy Blakeney, the Scarlett Pimpernel; Natty Bumppo,
aka Hawkeye or the Deerslayer, hero of "Last of the Mohicans"; and
Lemuel Gulliver, of "Gulliver's Travels". Two female members appearing
in the comic portrait - Lady Blakeney and Fanny Hill - are absent.
- A scene was cut
from the film where Sawyer explains that him and his friend, Agent Huck
Finn, were tracking down the Fantom, and that the Fantom killed Huck.
Those explaining why Sawyer is so intent on getting the Fantom.
- Director Stephen
Norrington has a cameo as the bartender in the African club at the
African scene where he hands Quartermain a long-range rifle.
- The other two
portraits in the meeting room also represent previous Leagues. The first
shows Robin Hood (from various legends/poems), Ivanhoe (from Walter
Scott's novel), and the Black Arrow (a Robert Louis Stevenson novel).
The Black Arrow, though, is set in the 14th century, far later than
Robin Hood and Ivanhoe, but this may be one of the many who took the
name prior to the novel's setting. The other portrait displays the Four
Musketeers - Porthos, Athos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan - (from the various
novels by Alexandre Dumas), the Sea Hawk and Captain Blood (both pirates
created by Rafael Sabatini and incidentally, both played by Eroll Flynn
in the movies). These are according to the screenplay of the film.
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