Set in a literary world, "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" brings together classic fictional characters in a globe spanning adventure. However the film suffers, in my estimation, from trying to be the greatest action adventure of all time. Had the film makers spent more time on character development and motivation, the picture might have salvaged it's most intriguing premise, the team up of disparate personalities to defeat a megalomaniac who threatens the world.
Interestingly, the single character that is most sorely missed and needed in the band of heroes is the great detective Sherlock Holmes. Granted, he was not a principal in the comic book series of Alan Moore, but since the man behind 'M' the Phantom was Holmes' arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, it would only have made sense for them to match wits one more time. True to form though, Moriarty dies in the film, which he did in at least three different Sherlock Holmes movies of an earlier era.
Having seen the film during it's original theatrical run, I managed to catch it today on the cable FX channel. What made it more interesting this time around was the inclusion of deleted scenes and commentary about how certain scenes were filmed. What many would perceive as CGI at work, for example the destruction of Venice, was actually done with a miniature set built to one fifth scale. The buildings took four months to build to architectural precision, and another two months were taken for the filming of the action scenes, including the vehicle race through the (non existent) streets of Venice. At least if one has a problem with the story, some appreciation for the effort is in order.
When I first heard about LXG being made into a movie, I had a confident hope that it would do the original Alan Moore concept justice, though I might have known better. It's probably best to go into the film cold with no expectations. If you enjoy over the top action, Hulk like monster metamorphosis, vampire lore and massive destruct sequences, there's some excitement here for you. Don't get too worked up though for intrigue, suspense and mystery; there's too much in your face action going on to get in the way.
Interestingly, the single character that is most sorely missed and needed in the band of heroes is the great detective Sherlock Holmes. Granted, he was not a principal in the comic book series of Alan Moore, but since the man behind 'M' the Phantom was Holmes' arch nemesis, Professor Moriarty, it would only have made sense for them to match wits one more time. True to form though, Moriarty dies in the film, which he did in at least three different Sherlock Holmes movies of an earlier era.
Having seen the film during it's original theatrical run, I managed to catch it today on the cable FX channel. What made it more interesting this time around was the inclusion of deleted scenes and commentary about how certain scenes were filmed. What many would perceive as CGI at work, for example the destruction of Venice, was actually done with a miniature set built to one fifth scale. The buildings took four months to build to architectural precision, and another two months were taken for the filming of the action scenes, including the vehicle race through the (non existent) streets of Venice. At least if one has a problem with the story, some appreciation for the effort is in order.
When I first heard about LXG being made into a movie, I had a confident hope that it would do the original Alan Moore concept justice, though I might have known better. It's probably best to go into the film cold with no expectations. If you enjoy over the top action, Hulk like monster metamorphosis, vampire lore and massive destruct sequences, there's some excitement here for you. Don't get too worked up though for intrigue, suspense and mystery; there's too much in your face action going on to get in the way.