League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

[Majin Gojira]

Adding another topic to this thread, was it just Nitram and I that noticed the symbolic relationship between Quartermain (Old England) and Sawyer (Young America)?

Well, yeah. It was kind of obvious IMO, didn't feel the need to mention it, really.

[neoolong]

I saw it last night and I thought it was top notch, it surprised me too with the plot twists. Now I ask where each character came from

Tom Sawyer-The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Tom Sawyer, Detective actually. The lesser known Tom Sawyer book.

[Dizzy D]

I have to say it. How can the comic have purists, when it pissed on so many of the originals?

Because it pissed on the originals in an interesting way Plus they explained why the originals had changed. I was not expecting a 100% translation of comic to movie. I didn't mind Dorian Gray, hell I didn't even mind Tom Sawyer (though he should have been like 60 years old.) But why Venice ? Why the car ? Why making Quartermaine, the alpha male, the leader as is usual, why make Mina (see below) a vampire, instead of a strong-willed female, capable of handling herself without powers.

Alan Quartermain is a hero. It's what he was written as. You know, Pip Pip, Here We Are In Africa, Bringing Civilization To The Savage, Jolly Good, Aren't We Wonderful. British propaganda. Of course, later in the writings he became more real and human, like what we see in the movie. I still don't know why they made him an opium freak for the comic. The only drugs he took were medicinal halocinagenics.

And you think the death of a wife, a son and a best friend won't change a man ? And that the so-called medicinal hallucinogenics didn't have any addictive effect (if not physical than at least psychological) ?

Mira's vampirehood is not-so-gently hinted at(Read: Hammered in) in the comic, so actually coming out and saying it was preferable. It made her less of a background setting.

Too bad that Moore himself has dismissed the idea of Mina being a vampire. (The interview itself is taken down, but read the "Notess to League of the Extraordinary Gentlemen") The scene with Hyde was simply that Mina was not afraid of him: she had faced Dracula was a dozen times worse than Hyde and survived that.

As for moving the thing, it's a completely different plot. Entirely. But it stands on it's own feet, in my opinion.

Maybe, I'm not saying that I'm never going to see this movie since I'm a purist, but I'm not spending 8 bucks on it.

[Darth Garden Gnome]

Fixing the "this thread will forever be marked unread" by posting in it. This is the last one.

[LadyTevar]

Maybe, I'm not saying that I'm never going to see this movie since I'm a purist, but I'm not spending 8 bucks on it.

So go see one of the Matinees. It's very much worth it as a simple Summer Adventure Flick.

[TheDarkling]

I have to say it. How can the comic have purists, when it pissed on so many of the originals?

The comics did bring back those who should have been dead, namely Quatermain, Hyde, Griffin and others.

However since the film is just as guilty in such regards (apart from Griffin) lets just drop that (plus the film also has Dorian Grey equalling up the score).

Now the film also does a great disservice to Hyde who has basically become Jekyll’s brother with a bit of a temper, not the sort of inhuman (or purely human dependant upon your viewpoint) monster who goes around killing people and complaining about having to wipe small children off his boots.

Quatermain at his death was far less of a gung-ho adventurer that we see in the movie, Mina wasn't a Vampire and Sawyer should be about 60 during the film not closer to 20 (the main villain is also too young and out of character).

The comics stick far closer to the original literary characters and simply explain away their deaths as a necessity for the plot.

With all of that said however I enjoyed the film although the link to the comics is somewhat tenuous at times it is there, I do still that the comics are superior though both in plot, tone and respect for the original characters.

[CorSec]

Some questions:

Non-spoiler: What's with the auto-mobile? (Nautilus itself was more than enough of an engineering marvel, the car - while stylish and cool - was woefully out of its time.)
Second, (minor spoil)was the rocket that Nemo fired in synch with the time period? I want to say no, only because guided rocketry wasn't even in use during the second world war but I'm not a student of the weapons of war.
Finally (minor spoil) If Mina is a vampire in the movie, then how could she have been at Quartermain's grave in Africa? In some shots, I excused it because it looked like the sun hasn't yet crested the horizon; but in others it looked like early morning.

These are truly nitpicks - things that stood out for being asynchronus with the setting. Overall, I was thoroughly entertained.

[Majin Gojira]

Finally (minor spoil) If Mina is a vampire in the movie, then how could she have been at Quartermain's grave in Africa? In some shots, I excused it because it looked like the sun hasn't yet crested the horizon; but in others it looked like early morning.

Like Dracula, she could move around durring the day, but had no powers durring it.

[TheDarkling]

The advanced tech is in keeping with the comics, where lunar expeditions are being discussed, a bridge across the channel is under construction, air ships are common and so on.

However the comics kept the technology different in design (using ant gravity devices instead of rockets, an automatic harpoon gun instead of a machine gun etc), the film showed this tech level but sadly had it too similar to our own (for example the car should have been steam powered or some such).

[CorSec]

Thanks, Majin and Darkling.

[Admiral Johnason]

Possible spoiler

Was the Natulius always solar powered? Where was it in Mystery Island?

[SyntaxVorlon]

<Snip>

IIRC Originally it was not well explained by Verne, and later on it was made into a nuclear sub by Hollyweird, and now they've turned it into a Solar Powered sub, though I haven't read the comic, so I can't help you there.

[Darth Gojira]

<Snip>

IIRC Originally it was not well explained by Verne, and later on it was made into a nuclear sub by Hollyweird, and now they've turned it into a Solar Powered sub, though I haven't read the comic, so I can't help you there.

I thought it had some sort of water turbine.

[SyntaxVorlon]

<Snip>

IIRC Originally it was not well explained by Verne, and later on it was made into a nuclear sub by Hollyweird, and now they've turned it into a Solar Powered sub, though I haven't read the comic, so I can't help you there.

Snip

It's sort of embarrasing because I've read neither the book nor the comic.

[Baron Mordo]

Besides, I won't give away the big secret of why, how, and the big twist and turns.

That's like saying, "Darth Vader is Luke Skywalker's father. I won't tell you how, where and when Luke finds out, though."

That being said, I liked the movie. Dorian Gray was a cute touch, but I think Tom Sawyer should have been a little more arrogant and cocky. The effects were top-notch, except in a few places(underwater explosions don't look spherical), and Captain Nemo seems to have learned kung-fu. A fun summer flick, all around.

Oh, and CorSec:
If Nemo can engineer a submarine of that size, he can probably calculate a parabolic firing arc. No guidance systems neccessary.

[neoolong]

Was it just me or did Tom Sawyer's accent seem to come and go. And for some odd reason, I kept imagining him saying "Jeepers, Mr. Wilson."

On further examination it doesn't appear that Tom Sawyer is that misplaced in the League.

Other incarnations have not only had Americans, but have also altered the ages of the various members to fit.

[LadyTevar]

Was it just me or did Tom Sawyer's accent seem to come and go. And for some odd reason, I kept imagining him saying "Jeepers, Mr. Wilson."

On further examination it doesn't appear that Tom Sawyer is that misplaced in the League.

Other incarnations have not only had Americans, but have also altered the ages of the various members to fit.

I'm still trying to place all the people shown in the portraits on the walls

I'm thinking the Medieval one is prolly Robin Hood (the bow) and Ivanhoe (the Crusader), but I don't know who the third man would be.

The 18th Century one had The Scarecrow (aka the Reverend Doctor Syn), Lord Blakely (aka the Scarlet Pimpernel), Natty Bumpo (from Last of the Mohicans? I forget Just know he's American.)

[TheDarkling]

I'm still trying to place all the people shown in the portraits on the walls

I'm thinking the Medieval one is prolly Robin Hood (the bow) and Ivanhoe (the Crusader), but I don't know who the third man would be.

The 18th Century one had The Scarecrow (aka the Reverend Doctor Syn), Lord Blakely (aka the Scarlet Pimpernel), Natty Bumpo (from Last of the Mohicans? I forget Just know he's American.)

Here is a site that identified people in the comics, they have section on the movie but it hasn't been updated yet.

http://www.comp.dit.ie/dgordon/League/loeg0002.html

Here is the 1780 league (based on comic info)
http://www.comp.dit.ie/dgordon/League/O ... eague.html

And the Medieval one (from the film).

http://www.comp.dit.ie/dgordon/League/O ... eague.html

[neoolong]

Was it just me or did Tom Sawyer's accent seem to come and go. And for some odd reason, I kept imagining him saying "Jeepers, Mr. Wilson."

On further examination it doesn't appear that Tom Sawyer is that misplaced in the League.

Other incarnations have not only had Americans, but have also altered the ages of the various members to fit.

I'm still trying to place all the people shown in the portraits on the walls

I'm thinking the Medieval one is prolly Robin Hood (the bow) and Ivanhoe (the Crusader), but I don't know who the third man would be.

The 18th Century one had The Scarecrow (aka the Reverend Doctor Syn), Lord Blakely (aka the Scarlet Pimpernel), Natty Bumpo (from Last of the Mohicans? I forget Just know he's American.)

Natty Bumpo is from Last of the Mohicans and other stuff.

The other Leagues, and I'm mixing movie with comic, you can ask me to separate them if you really want to know, include Lemuel Gulliver(Gulliver's travels), Fanny Hill, Black Arrow, Allan Quatermain, Jr., and Professor George Edward Challenger.

Also the League isn't just a British idea. A French one appears to exist.

[LadyTevar]

The other Leagues, and I'm mixing movie with comic, you can ask me to separate them if you really want to know, include Lemuel Gulliver(Gulliver's travels), Fanny Hill, Black Arrow, Allan Quatermain, Jr., and Professor George Edward Challenger.

Also the League isn't just a British idea. A French one appears to exist.

I did notice the Three Musketeers in one portrait, yes.

Just please clear up who Fanny Hill, BlackArrow, and Professor Challenger are?

[Andrew J.]

Just please clear up who Fanny Hill, BlackArrow, and Professor Challenger are?

You don't know Challenger? The loud, temperamental scientist introduced in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World?

Well, I don't blame you. I only read The Lost World for a research project on Doyle.

[LadyTevar]

Just please clear up who Fanny Hill, BlackArrow, and Professor Challenger are?

You don't know Challenger? The loud, temperamental scientist introduced in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World?

Well, I don't blame you. I only read The Lost World for a research project on Doyle.

No, I fear I've not read that one.. I'll have to do so.
But what of Fanny Hill and Black Arrow?

[TheDarkling]

Click on the links I provided it tells you all about them.

[neoolong]

Just please clear up who Fanny Hill, BlackArrow, and Professor Challenger are?

You don't know Challenger? The loud, temperamental scientist introduced in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World?

Well, I don't blame you. I only read The Lost World for a research project on Doyle.

You mean you haven't seen the tv show of The Lost World? Shame on you.

[Darth Gojira]

Just please clear up who Fanny Hill, BlackArrow, and Professor Challenger are?

You don't know Challenger? The loud, temperamental scientist introduced in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World?

Well, I don't blame you. I only read The Lost World for a research project on Doyle.

Read the book, then watch the post-1925 movies. They seem much worse now.