Anyway, I remember being mesmerised by the site of the Nautilus, what an evil looking machine! I loved the design of it! '20,000 Leagues under the Sea' has so much to offer in the way of action comedy, imagination and story.
One of many movies portraying the genius of Jules Verne :) Buy the film, buy the book!

It will still take your breath away
Review date: 2004-08-30 Rating: 10 out of 10

Today, 50 years after the fact, Disney's Jules Verne epic will still take your breath away, as this luxurious new one-disc edition amply proves. This edition has the warm, deep colours preserved and is full of insightful extras.

I am a lukewarm sort of fan of the Ray Harryhausen scifi epic B-movies of the 60s, which is to say, I applaud what they aim to do and the sheer fun they had doing it. With Disney's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' we're in another realm altogether, the realm of big bucks and limitless ambition, and every cent of it shows on the screen. Today, obviously, they would film the climactic battle with the giant squid with ample use of CGI, which in my mind only serves to make things look artificial, and they would get nowhere near the dynamics and energy that exudes from this film.

James Mason's portrait of the desillusioned idealist Captain Nemo has well-deserved classic status, but too little has been made of Kirk Douglas's cheeky and heroic harpooner, and I just love his duet with the seal!

Disneys' Underwater Epic
Review date: 2004-04-21 Rating: 8 out of 10

Even 50 years after it was released, Disneys' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is still the best screenplay based on the Jules Verne novel.
The story is well known:- A sea monster attacking shipping in the 1860s is hunted by a U.S. warship and is revealed as being an advanced submarine boat. Three survivors from an attack on the warship, a French professor (Paul Lukas), his assistant (Peter Lorre) and a Canadian harpooner (Kirk Douglas) end up as unwilling "guests" on board the submarine Nautilus. The interraction between these three characters and the Master of the Nautilus, Captain Nemo (James Mason) forms the backbone of the films plot.
The performance of James Mason as Nemo, the genius builder of the Nautilus and its futuristic propulsion system, driven by hatred to commit horrific acts of revenge, is superb. Unfortunately, by comparison, he tends to make the other characters seem a little two-dimensional at times.
The general "feel" of the film is rather darker than you would expect from a Disney product from this period, although a trained seal and the obligatory song help to lighten things up.
The widescreen ratio of the DVD is ideal for the subject matter. Underwater shots pf the Nautilus miniature (a masterpiece of design by Harper Goff) fill the screen nicely, while the interior sets are given a genuinely claustrophobic feel.
Scenes that remain in the memory include the glowing porthole "eyes" of the Nautilus as it churns through the water to ram an unsuspecting steamship, and the epic hand-to-tentacle battle with a giant squid.
Although not mentioned on the packaging, there are several excellent bonus features, including a tour of the Nautilus and recently discovered footage of the first attempt to film the squid attack.
All in all a very pleasing, and long awaited,DVD. My only regret is that Disney did not take the opportunity to release a 50th anniversary special edition, with extras more in line with those on the Region 1 edition.

Superior DVD Package of a Memorable Film
Review date: 2004-01-26 Rating: 8 out of 10

Loosely based on the celebrated novel by Jules Verne and set in the late 19th Century, LEAGUES offers the story of Professor Arronax (Paul Lukas), his assistant Conseil (Peter Lorre), and harpooner Ned Land (Kirk Douglas), who are coaxed by the United States government to aid in the search for a sea monster said to be terrorizing shipping lanes. But the monster is not of flesh and blood, and soon the three find themselves in the hands of the mysterious Captain Nemo (James Mason) as prisoners aboard the Nautilus--a fully functional submarine capable of ramming ships and sending them to the ocean floor.

Underwater photography was hardly new in 1954, but never had it been used so extensively nor to such visually beautiful effect, and the art designs--particularly those for the Nautilus--are justly celebrated. But for all its beauty, it is the performances which make the film work. James Mason does not merely play Nemo, he seems to be Nemo; after seeing his performance it is impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. Paul Lukas adds yet another brilliantly understated performance to his memorable career, and while Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre are hardly the Ned Land and Conseil of the Verne novel they have surprising chemistry and lend the film considerable dash.

At the time of its release, LEAGUES was the single most expensive motion picture ever made (ironically it would loose that dubious distinction later that same year to yet another film featuring James Mason: A STAR IS BORN), and every penny of the money spent shows in the onscreen result. While many of Disney's live-action films are fondly recalled, few have had enduring fame, much less claim to status as art--but LEAGUES is the exception, and although the episodic nature of the story seems a shade languid from time to time it remains both a landmark and one of the most influential films of its decade. Truly enjoyable from start to finish.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

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