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25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting Though Uneven, December 29, 2003
Once again we have the temptation to compare the book to the movie, which I will succumb to just a little. Books and movies are different media, and each brings its own strengths to art. Such is the case here. The book was full and lengthy, and while it brought the same breadth of characters, it was able to provide a broader background for each of the characters. There were some spots where I thought the book was just a bit fuzzy on the plot, but I loved the style.The movie provides more visuals, but with a two-hour length it had to cut back on the length of background for the characters. The movie glossed over some of the darker aspects of the characters, particular Alan Quatermain, but enhanced others, particular the background of Mina Harker. The other strange addition was that of the character of Dorian Gray. I also objected to the change in the invisible man character from the book to the movie. I much preferred the book's Hawley Griffin as the invisible man versus Rodney Skinner, who supposedly stole the formula. Griffin was a much stronger, more tormented character, though his characterization would require more film time to establish and would likely have weakened the roles of the primary actors. In terms of characterization, Sean Connery clearly shined as Quatermain, as he always seems to do in every role. Peta Wilson is excellent as the sultry, dangerous Mina Harker. Naseeruddin Shah as Captain Nemo returns Nemo to his original characterization by Verne as a Sikh. Shah's Nemo was a welcome variation to previous Nemos, providing a sense of command, control and honor in comparison to those others who sometimes seemed simpering and typically talked far too much for Verne's Nemo. The other actors have insufficient screen time to fully flesh out their roles, partially because of the large number of lead characters. The plot itself is a bit of a muddle. It's difficult to follow the progression and contrivances that lead from point-to-point. Often the logic is non-existent, and the viewer is left to wonder how they knew they were headed the right direction other than a trite explanation by one of the lead characters. Had the movie been extended by another 15 or 20 minutes many of the incongruities could have been reduced and the story flow could have been smoothed. To try to minimize the various confusions: Essentially the story is about a group of sort of good guys out to stop a definite bad guy from conquering the world, except the bad guy has been cleverly manipulating the sort of good guys all along and has a nefarious reason (of course) for doing so. The special effects end up providing much of the focus of the movie in lieu of a more coherent plot. Some of the special effects are very good, such as the bizarre image of the Nautilus sailing the canals of Venice. The destruction of Venice by underwater bombs is standard fare by today's standards. The other special effects vary in their quality and effect on the viewer, but are generally good. As noted before, the special effects often substitute for plot. Though some of my criticisms are not encouraging, I actually liked the movie. As a B movie it is okay. Clearly not in the league of movies such as The Lord of the Rings, it is nonetheless a rousing adventure. In general the movie rates 3 stars, but I'm giving it 4 stars because of the three actors that really made this movie for me: Connery, Wilson and Shah.
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DVD ~ Hugh Jackman
DVD ~ Keanu Reeves
DVD ~ Ben Affleck
DVD ~ Sean Connery
DVD ~ James Babson
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