He went out kicking ass and passing on wisdom on screen which we will have forever. It's an aspect of a script that he no doubt was looking for in his final years in the business. For example, he mentored Snipes in the 1993 film "Rising Sun". Who would have ever thought Sean's last film would have been only a decade later? We should all be thankful that he gave the world the performance that he did in " League". RIP Sir Sean.
My experience is most people get that way with age, more opinionated than they were before that is. Maybe they just get too tired of caring that much about other people's reactions 😅
This film is incredible fun, I tend to look over it’s obvious imperfections and have a fun ride. And Sean with the toupee looks fantastic for a 73 year old. And Calvin you will never know, just how much enjoyment, You video’s give us top tree entertainment.
Thanks very much, Dale :) happy to hear you enjoy the film too! Agree that it definitely has flaws to over look but if you switch of the brain and just go with it for what it is I think it’s a fun enough time!
@@calvindyson - awesome video, with a slight reservation - you were a little harsh on director Stephen Norrington; his visual style is what made Blade so good, and was a large part of the awesome visuals in this movie. It's been reported that at least one thing that got Connery so angry was the long set-ups for complicated f/x and 'hero' shots. He probably would've hated working on The Matrix. Most of the action movies he made were pre-Matrix and fairly traditionally shot action films, and may not have had the patience for or understood the complex shooting process of a post-Matrix world. Norrington is awesome, he came from an art design and special f/x background just like Cameron, which likewise highly influenced his style resulting in such great camera work. He basically created the market for Marvel Movies by giving them their first hit film - his absence was definitely a loss for action films.
@@HeroJournalism Very well said. Connery did not suffer fools gladly, and the long set-ups were no doubt quite problematic from his perspective. No wonder he blamed Norrington for everything. So he directed Blade? A terrific film BTW. The effects, the script, and cast were "extraordinary". Excuse the pun.
Before shooting, Roger Moore was to have been in this as an ancestor of James Bond called Campion Bond (I believe he's in the graphic novel). However legal threats from Eon prevented it.
Apparently they were thinking of getting Moore for the sequel [which was going to be based on War of the Worlds] to replace Connery...which would have been interesting.
@@jamesatkinsonja Okay. I know def Moore was to have played Campion Bond in the first as I remember it being announced, then later news came out he was no longer going to do because of legal threats. Maybe Fox resolved things with Eon?
@@jamesatkinsonja It would have been extremely interesting if both Connery and Moore starred in the first one. THAT would have been a huge blockbuster.
With both Sean Connery AND Alan Moore giving this movie tons of flak -- each for his own, different set of reasons -- it's not surprising the film has a bad rep. I thought it was okay -- not as good as it should have been but nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be.
So if Sean had simply said "sure, maybe it'll work out" instead of "no, it sounds too confusing" we could've had him in The Matrix and/or The Lord of The Rings. Hard to imagine what role he would've played & if he would've done better than whoever he'd have replaced but it hurts knowing that we were so close to having him in either of those two franchises.
That's not exactly the right phrasing though. It's not that he turned down those FOR THIS. He accepted this one BECAUSE the turned down those previous ones and they've gone on to be huge successes.
@@gocsa Reminds me of what Universal did with Star Wars then Indiana jones. They snapped up the third Lucasfilm license but that turned out to be Howard the Duck.
2000s was easily the best decade for superhero movies - Iron Man (best Marvel movie), X2 (best Fox X-men movie), Batman Begins (best Batman movie), Unbreakable (best superhero movie), Incredible Hulk (best Hulk movie), Daredevil, Spiderman 2 (best Spiderman movie), League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Hellboy: The Golden Army (best Hellboy movie), Rise of the Silver Surfer (best FF movie) and The Punisher.
I think the director put it best, they said that the idea of a superhero team being brought together just so a villain could steal their powers is an interesting one and one I don't think anyone else has done. Sure you get the occasional trap to steal powers but never orchestrating the entire forming of the team.
I enjoyed it. The concept is fantastic, the execution doesn't live up to it, but it is fun and the production design is A1. I'm a sucker for Indiana Jones alike and Spy films so it's an easy sell.
What really gets to me, especially in light of Connery's death, are Quatermains last words - of course also the last words of Connery's long career. _"May this new century be yours, son, as the old one was mine."_ Quatermain wasnt just speaking to Sawyer there, I like to think that Connery was also referring to all of us.
Alan moore said that the M in this film is James Moriarty (From Sherlock Holmes). After his death, Mycroft Holmes took his place as the next M. And the M after that Is the M we see from Dr No. To Moonraker.
That’s the thing about Connery and acting. When you get to be a big enough name, they will often come to YOU about being in their movie, not the other way around.
man, that was one of greatest fims of my childhood. It formed my view and style preferences! Loved it really much, and thank you for positive review of it!
A shame I didn't know you or your family back in 2093 in a time whimey way - you could have had my tickets to attend that Premiere of LXG and see Sean Connery (I couldn't afford travel / accommodation).
I agree with you completely on this movie. Vastly underrated. I also agree Sean still acted more interested in the role on-screen than his bored YOLT performance. I can't disagree with his summation that there was a growing gap between people who know how to make movies and those who greenlight them. Finding Forrester was also a good send-off for Sean.
A film I'd like to see you respond to is THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM, another take on spy-filming from the 60s, with George Segal in the lead but also stars two all-time greats, Alec Guinness and Max von Sydow. It's an odd film, and definitely a response (in part) to the Bond movies, but a largely forgotten one. (According to Segal, though, Quentin Tarantino was obsessed with it.) You can find it on UA-cam, if you like. Would be curious to hear your thoughts on it.
It’s so refreshing to hear a positive review for this! I actually really enjoyed this and as you said Connery is great in it. Such a shame it was his last movie!
READ THE COMIC CALVIN. It’s really good, it’s amazing really. Especially if you love steampunk, as you say in the video. I think most of the disappointment about the film comes from just how amazing the comic is. It’s insanely dark, Tom Sawyer isn’t in it, and it’s just a really interesting dissection of Victorian gothic horror. The second book too is fantastic.
Funnily enough, James Bond actually shows up in the comic in a volume set in the 50s. Of course, they can't actually say his name is "James Bond", so they call him "Jimmy". He's also a villain, probably because Moore and O'Neil didn't like Connery as Quatermain.
His final live-action film...he voiced the lead in Scotland's first homegrown feature-length animated film. That apparently was a giant stinker, or least derided for looking like something that would have been made 20 years earlier.
Yay, thanks for the shoutout! And that Simpsons clip, très bien! I assumed you were going to do a “Hello Darkness, my old friend” bit which made it all the sweeter. Connery’s face does look like he’s in actual pain. As for the film, I don’t have much to say as I’ve never seen it, but I have met a few people who love it. I think it’s become a bit of a cult film in recent days: it’s developed a small but devoted fanbase keeping the flame alive.
Everytime a Simpsons reference pops in my head making these videos I swear it's entirely down to you and that avatar of Skinner haha! Yeah it popped up on the Disney+ Star add on recently under a 'cult movies' banner and I was like, huh, I didn't realise it'd gotten such a devoted bunch of fans after all this time!
It's simply hilarious to me that Sean Connery turned down "Lord of the Rings" because he didn't quite understand the script and yet he said yes to "Zardoz". No problem problem in making sense of that script presumably.
Like V for Vendetta or Batman v Superman this film was IMO pretty good and enjoyable on release, but on last viewing came across as a missed opportunity as the source material is excellent.
"This lady" lol. Peta Wilson was a well known TV actress at the time. I remember La Femme Nikita being a popular, well-received show 😃 (and Shane West was later cast in its reboot!)
I remember convincing a few of my friends that we NEEDED to go see this in theaters when it came out because I was so sure it was going to be awesome. I also remember how pissed they were at me afterwards. But it’s been like 18 years. Maybe it’s time to give it a 2nd try!
I appreciated this video. I saw the movie first run at the cinema and thought it was fun. Tbh, I would see anything with Connery, and was it top notch entertainment? Not really, but I was entertained! And thank you Calvin for your humor.
This was my first Sean Connery film I saw in the theater. I was like 4 or 5. Me and my parents saw it at the drive in theater and I was immediately hooked. Seeing all these cool fictional characters from different stories come together to fight an unknown evil while all speaking casually as if this was just another Saturday night. It's one of my favorite guilty pleasure films and first introduction to bond himself. My dad hated it but I love it and gave me a love for steampunk.
That quote about Connery being sick and tired of the widening gap between those who make movies and those who greenlight them is pretty ironic when you consider that he actually saved Michael Bay's career. No, that's actually a true story. The powers that be on the production of The Rock wanted to remove Bay as director when some production issues arose, and Bay had to go to a meeting to argue to keep his job. On his way, he ran into Sean Connery and told him about the meeting; Connery insisted on accompanying him. At the meeting, the powers that be were dumbstruck when Connery (who had a producer's credit on The Rock) cussed them out and told them that Bay was doing a great job and deserved to keep working. Just to think, had Connery said otherwise, we may have been spared some crappy Transformers sequels (and I actually enjoy them as guilty pleasures.)
I liked this film so much that I came up with a premise for the sequel that would feature a new league and a young quartermaine because apparently it was a side effect of the witch doctor bringing him back. When I made up this idea I had only heard that Sean had retired from acting though never knowing why. I had it set during WWII and they have to stop a big plan with the spear of destiny and norse gods that would threaten to destroy the very earth! Then I heard how horrible the movie was and everyone bashing it and felt sad something I liked got so much hate. It kind of mad me lose interest in really creating the sequel fully. This review though has inspired me to work on it again!
I really enjoy this movie. Look, when you go into a movie called The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman, ideas of some perfect Oscar-worthy films should just go out the window. It's meant to just be a fun romp featuring Universal and literary's most iconic characters teaming up to fight a bad guy. Going in expecting some tour de force that's going to change the way we look at film is just silly. Sometimes we need stupid fun movies for those days we feel down and just want to see something to lift the spirits. That's what LXG is for me. Is it flawless? No but it certainly is not this Battlefield Earth/Batman & Robin level bad movie so many make it out to be
Great review! I saw this film at the cinema for my 13th birthday and also got the DVD when it was released. I’ve always defended this film as I think the general popular opinion of it has been overly critical and exaggerated by film fans over the years. Quoting Jonathan Ross on the back of the two disc special edition DVD “Great fun... A splendid Romp!” Kind of sums it up perfectly!
Moore's original comic is... Well, it's certainly something. The first thing that comes to mind is Invisible Man s**ually assaulting Mina and then Mr Hyde literally r*ping him to death out of revenge... Yeah.
I think that's fair enough in terms of those characters; Griffin is monstrous enough to sell out the human race entirely and was assaulting girls at a school before he was caught, and Hyde is literally meant to be every negative impulse or thought Jekyll has ever had, so much so that he notes that he's grown considerably since he first came to being. Both are monsters. There's also a lot more going on then just those two moments.
I love LXG. It was one of the first movie bonding experiences with my then ten year-old son. It introduced a lot of great characters that my son took an interest in.
There was a great Empire magazine article in 2007 [which unfortunately I can't find online] about the making of this film and...yeah it was a train wreck from start to finish. There was a suggestion to get Julia Roberts/Catherine Zita Jones to play Mina Harker but Connery's salary sucked up a lot of the budget which is why Connery's co-stars are mostly TV actors and unknowns.
I saw this film in theaters twice as well. So as a teenager it was apparently giving me something I was looking for. I particularly remember enjoying the way they did the Hyde practical effects, and it just had so much stuff going on that it kinda couldn't be boring...despite being very silly and lacking any emotional engagement.
Because 20th Century Fox was unable to secure the rights to the eponymous character of H. G. Wells' 1897 novel, the script referred to "The Invisible Man" as "An Invisible Man", and his name was changed from Hawley Griffin to Rodney Skinner.
I'd say the film is fine, but I'd argue that the main issue is just how the end product does not really match the sum of its parts and the definitive "dumbing down" compared to the source materials. The comic, like so many others of Moore is (beyond being INCREDIBLY DARK) quite political. The comic contains a lot of criticism of British imperialism and all of the characters are quite faithful to the way they are presented in their original stories, with some truly horrible people (especially The Invisible Man), while also loosing the depth of the characters in the film, like Nemo's hatred of British imperialism or ANYTHING in regards to Mina, who's the leader in the comic, while here sort of shuffled off to the side. But here, they essentially kept a few plot points and basically made an Avengers movie with steampunk aesthetic, with shameless pandering to the American market with the addition of Tom Sawyer. It's not so much a bad film, as just a very squandered opportunity. That isn't to say it's awful. It is quite fun and has a bit of that same matinée pulp adventure feel of The Mummy. I LOVED this movie when I was 14, where it was my introduction to steampunk.
Funny as ever (the job interview - pretitle sequence...I'm just waiting for a Maurice Binder-style Intro to your reviews now). I do not like the plot, but as you said, the visual style is appealing, also the music. The love - how did you say - hexagon with the Vampyre lady is quite confusing (maybe it was a kind of inspiration for Sense8), the antagonist is to hidden to create real fear, so it is a movie for some leisure time, but no comparison to real Bond films. The relation of Quatermain and Sawyer reminded me much of Indiana Jones - son and father, but the chemistry of Ford /Connery was a lot more exciting (despite the lack of age gap between them), here it is mor grandfather/grandson-style.
Great comparison to Last Crusade! That's totally what they're going for isn't it? Very much agree with you that in this instance, there's a lack of chemistry. Tom Sawyer in this film is very much a cut and paste generic action hero character and I wish they'd given him some more personality beyond the quips and the dad backstory.
Always great to see a new video by Calvin! Though I do want to add that Connery’s job is to act, which he knows pretty well no matter how confusing the script is!
I remember seeing this in theaters as a kid solely because of Sean Connery. I didn't hate it as much as most but not a great film for Connery's last film. Tom Sawyer inclusion was forced. I didn't even really like his character watching it bac then.
I'm not sure if anyone else said this. But the actor Richard Roxburgh who played M/The Fantom and Moriarty. He also played Sherlock Holmes in the TV movie, The Hound of the Baskervilles. So you can say he played both the detective and his arch nemesis.
I never hated this either. Speaking of early 2000's blockbusters, it's way better than Van Helsing, XXX, Superman Returns or any of the Mummy sequels. I'd rather watch it Matrix Revolutions.
For me Outland is Sean's best with The Rock second and Untouchables third. I would love to see you review Entrapment! I'm enjoying these Connery reviews.
As someone who enjoys reading classic novels I remember watching this film and I enjoyed back then. Calvin I do agree this the movie is the most criminally underrated Sean Connery film he was in.
The opening scene with Quartermain/Connery at his British Club in Africa is excellent on a few levels. 1.) It might have served as an apt depiction of Bond in retirement. 2.) Combines very good action piece with humor. 3.) Allows Connery the chance to say the line "God save the Queen.". ... The 'Quartermain at Club in African' scene should be a popular video clip on UA-cam all by itself.
I absolutely love your channel, but if Sean Connery turned down Lord of the Rings, and The Matrix, I just have no words 😅🤦🏻♂️ that’s definitely beyond stupid, that’s so unfortunate 😢 Sean Connery really made some piss, poor decisions in his later career 💔
Love your reviews, Calvin! Here are a couple suggestions: North Sea Hijack (American title: ffolkes) with Roger Moore The November Man with Pierce Brosnan
The movie makes a point to show that when the invisible man drinks something, you can see it going down his throat, proving that only his body is invisible and anything inside him would still be seen. Alright, makes sense. Think about this: it takes hours for food to be digested, and even longer to be passed through... Kinda wishing they hadn't shown the liquid in his throat...
Sean Connery's last in the flim is so good though. May this new century be yours, son, as the old one was mine. Like you I do have a double DVD. And the fx are a bit poor but it a fun Saturday afternoon film. Is very reminiscent of The Assassination Bureau with Dame Diana Rigg in it
I only saw it once as a kid, before I really knew any of the characters, but I remember finding it quite entertaining. I loved all the weird quirks the heroes had.
Great review! I remember seeing this on Netflix shortly after I subscribed and finding it entertaining enough. It's on Disney+, so maybe I should check it out once again. James Bond is actually in the League comics, but from what I've heard of Bond in those, Alan Moore doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of the character - I remember it as if he's an angry, corrupt, syphilis-ridden agent of an authoritarian government. I could be wrong, but I also believe that there are several James Bonds in those comics, each bearing the resemblance of an actor who played him - guess Alan Moore subscribes to the codename theory. Maybe you could try tracking down those comments?
although its now remembered as a bad film i remember when i was young me and my mum would watch it all the time my mum is a massive connery fan thats how i got into bond but i remember watching this film way before bond and i will still watch it from time and it always has a place in my heart
Well, it was made years before either. It's fun to think that "Game of Shadows" is somehow a prequel of "LoEG" and Moriarty is trying to carry out the same evil scheme after failing the first time.
I loved the original comic series and I really enjoyed this, especially Sean Connery. It is not a good adaptation but is still a very entertaining movie.
For this movie to Sean's swan song was deplorable. A convoluted mess. I quote Mr Connery in an interview he gave after the films release "They gave the director too much fu**ing money"
7:16 The reason Phantom is spelled with an 'F' is because, in the original comic, the character was the French superhero Fantomas. But when it came time to make the film, I guess the producers decided he was too obscure a character, so they changed him to a Phantom of the Opera pastiche, but for some reason kept the original spelling.
I have gotten comments that information *from a press release* is a spoiler. I attempted to reason with this person. I pointed out this is information sent out for *general distribution*. This person replied: "Well, they didn't send it to me!" At that point, I had to give up. If you're that hard core, trash your laptop, turn off your TV, etc, etc.
Haven't watched this film since I was a kid, but also loved it at the time (and could probably challenge you for being it's number one fan.) Part of the reason I haven't rewatched it since 2005 or so is reading everyone talk about terrible it was made me worry about how it would hold up watching it as an adult. But this video had made me think that a rewatch might be in order!)
Sounds like we were very much on the same page then, Richard! I feel like I also put it off myself because of all the negativity surrounding it but coming back to it after all this time, super pleasantly surprised!
Great review. I totally agree with everything you said. I remember being really excited when this was announced. I wasn't familiar with the source material but the concept and characters sounded great. Like yourself I love the Steampunk feel to it.Upon rewatching I was very aware how the special effects had dated for the most part but production design was excellent. Sean Connery absolutely still convinces as a leading action man.... something very few actors could pull off in their seventies. Harrison Ford maybe? I look forward to any future non Bond reviews. Rod Taylor's The Liquidator maybe ( apologies if you've covered it)
Just for the record the film has zero to do with the source material. The books are a genuine love letter to Victorian literature and culture. The film basically just lifts some names from the book, not plot or characterisations. If you need convincing just look up the fate of Griffin (not Skinner) in the books
LXG is a fun flick, never understood the hate for it at the time. It’s certainly not a great flick but for a silly action flick it hits more than it misses and compared to other action/genre releases at the time holds up fairly well.
While this film obviously isn't a cinematic masterpiece, and not everything has to be, it's just so much fun. I love all the set and costume designs, the Nautilus and Nemo's car look absolutely gorgeous with their gleaming white and shiny silver frames, the action is entertaining and I enjoy the banter between the characters. A film I'm always happy to rewatch :)
I must be a slag for steampunk as well, having watched this movie so many times back in the day! Loved that aesthetic, admired the ambition, was intrigued enough to buy the comic book. It's Fu Manchu they face there but ugh, these characters are not likeable in the hands of Moore. One scene involving the Invisible Man in particular... will always hope for that sequel though, animated maybe, straight to streaming definitely! Based as it was, in the follow up comic book, on a minor work by some forgotten author or other ;) But no, even lockdown hasn't exhausted my watch-list enough to retry this one... but this review has kind of piqued my interest tbh. Never say never again, I guess ;)
Well, the original Invisible Man (written by you, "Mr Wells"), WAS basically an evil and deranged character, so Moore didn't get him wrong there. Besides, The Invisible Man in the movie is explicitly a different character, a thief (Skinner) who stole the formula from the REAL Invisible Man (Griffin), who was an increasingly deranged mad scientist.
Wow! I thought I was alone in liking this film until I watched your review. I saw this film in the cinema and had fun doing so. I also owned the special edition two-disk DVD when it came out and now own the Blu-ray, although I bought the latter under an assumed name! lol I never understood the total hatred for this film, as it's a fun romp and Connery is, well, Connery and even if he hated the experience of making the film, it doesn't show. It's a blast, plus, the commentary is great fun too and boy is it honest! It might even be time to revisit this film again! Thank you.
Absolutely terrific video Calvin- easily the best review ever done on this movie! Obviously it’s not a great film - but it’s really not too bad either. Had some good action - and lots of fun moments. And,of course as you mentioned - at 73, Sean is still pretty great here in this grand finale of his acting career! So Funny to read those early comments about him not understanding the film! Think the role he was offered in Lord Of The Rings was Gandalf - and he would have been fantastic as that character for sure. Curious which role he was offered in Matrix though - Morpheus maybe? Not quite sure that would have worked for him - can’t see him as a master martial artist at 70!! But he’s still Sean Connery - and probably would have somehow made that work too. Still we will always have this film as his last great action hero, and the idea that he took orders from a character called M in it is just about as perfect as it could be to ride off into the sunset with for all of us Bond fans...
Alan Moore may have hated this adaption, but he seems to hate every adaption of his comics (he famously hated the adaptions of "Watchmen" and "V for Vendetta" too), so that may not be saying much. IMO, it's not a very compelling or memorable film, but I've seen several worse.
I've never seen the film. Somehow or other I just let it slip by. But I have read the books it was based on. To be blunt, by the time they got to the last book I thought the books had gone way more off track than what people claimed this one had. Now you have revived my interest in seeing the film..
I like this movie. I have the DVD too. Sean saving England and the world one last time, with the ending scene suggesting the possibility of his immortality, which he has now become through his films.
I adore Steampunk style movies, and Sean Connery in one is a big bonus point. This movie entertained me perfectly. I especialy adore the scenes between Quartermain and Sawyers.
Saw this for a second time on tv recently and it really is enjoyable in places. Great sets and costumes, so at least that was done well. I now want to buy the dvd for the commentary and extras! I have a feeling Sean was presenting those restaurant bills to the studio haha. By the way, do read The Invisible Man, it's very good. Jekyll and Hyde too. And the graphic novels of course- brilliantly detailed and atmospheric artwork.
M and (19th century) James Bond are both part of the LoEG comic book universe, as are many other non-public domain characters such as Patrick Troughton's Doctor Who, International Rescue, Jerry Cornelius (who should have had more than a one and a bit page cameo) and, erm, Rupert Bear.
The biggest takeaway from this whole thing is that Tony Curran's Sean Connery impression is spot on
I need the dvd for their commentary 😂
On his Instagram post Paying tribute to the late Sir Sean. Tony Curran revealed that he and Sean played golf together in Prague where LXG was filmed.
i was pissing myself laughing during that commentary part of the video 🤣🤣🤣
I haven't heard of him, but I instantly became a fan purely because he quoted Highlander.
I don't care what people say, I love this film, I grew up with it so it's very nostalgic, lots of fun and I think it's a great last film for Sean
He went out kicking ass and passing on wisdom on screen which we will have forever. It's an aspect of a script that he no doubt was looking for in his final years in the business. For example, he mentored Snipes in the 1993 film "Rising Sun". Who would have ever thought Sean's last film would have been only a decade later? We should all be thankful that he gave the world the performance that he did in " League". RIP Sir Sean.
Same. Except i didn't grow up with it (unless you count me watching this movie for the first time as a 16 year old me growing up with it).
Is it just me or is Sean Connery about as opinionated as Fleming’s Bond in his old age? And I completely love it
My experience is most people get that way with age, more opinionated than they were before that is. Maybe they just get too tired of caring that much about other people's reactions 😅
@@Apanblod definitely. My mum hit 80 last year and she has turned into a right opinionated old dear!!!! It's an age thing 🙂👍💓🤣
I would say, you can get away with it when you are old and accomplished. Otherwise people see you as a poncy dick.
This film is incredible fun, I tend to look over it’s obvious imperfections and have a fun ride. And Sean with the toupee looks fantastic for a 73 year old. And Calvin you will never know, just how much enjoyment, You video’s give us top tree entertainment.
Thanks very much, Dale :) happy to hear you enjoy the film too! Agree that it definitely has flaws to over look but if you switch of the brain and just go with it for what it is I think it’s a fun enough time!
@@calvindyson If you like you could make videoes about Becoming Bond and Lazenby's appearance on This Hour Has 22 Minutes.
Love the optimism about this film
@@calvindyson - awesome video, with a slight reservation - you were a little harsh on director Stephen Norrington; his visual style is what made Blade so good, and was a large part of the awesome visuals in this movie. It's been reported that at least one thing that got Connery so angry was the long set-ups for complicated f/x and 'hero' shots. He probably would've hated working on The Matrix. Most of the action movies he made were pre-Matrix and fairly traditionally shot action films, and may not have had the patience for or understood the complex shooting process of a post-Matrix world. Norrington is awesome, he came from an art design and special f/x background just like Cameron, which likewise highly influenced his style resulting in such great camera work. He basically created the market for Marvel Movies by giving them their first hit film - his absence was definitely a loss for action films.
@@HeroJournalism Very well said. Connery did not suffer fools gladly, and the long set-ups were no doubt quite problematic from his perspective. No wonder he blamed Norrington for everything. So he directed Blade? A terrific film BTW. The effects, the script, and cast were "extraordinary". Excuse the pun.
As someone who has read the graphic novel, somethings could've been kept in but it's good that this didn't do much in staying faithful.
Before shooting, Roger Moore was to have been in this as an ancestor of James Bond called Campion Bond (I believe he's in the graphic novel). However legal threats from Eon prevented it.
Apparently they were thinking of getting Moore for the sequel [which was going to be based on War of the Worlds] to replace Connery...which would have been interesting.
@@jamesatkinsonja Okay. I know def Moore was to have played Campion Bond in the first as I remember it being announced, then later news came out he was no longer going to do because of legal threats. Maybe Fox resolved things with Eon?
@@davidjames579 Interesting.
@@jamesatkinsonja It would have been extremely interesting if both Connery and Moore starred in the first one. THAT would have been a huge blockbuster.
With both Sean Connery AND Alan Moore giving this movie tons of flak -- each for his own, different set of reasons -- it's not surprising the film has a bad rep. I thought it was okay -- not as good as it should have been but nowhere near as bad as it's made out to be.
So if Sean had simply said "sure, maybe it'll work out" instead of "no, it sounds too confusing" we could've had him in The Matrix and/or The Lord of The Rings.
Hard to imagine what role he would've played & if he would've done better than whoever he'd have replaced but it hurts knowing that we were so close to having him in either of those two franchises.
He'd have been Gandalf in LOTR and Morpheus in the Matrix. All in all I think the eventual choices were better overall.
He turned down Lord of the Rings and the Matrix for this. That hurts me.
it was a big part of him leaving films
he thought both lord of rings and matrix were stupid sounding and then they did amazing
Same thing
That's not exactly the right phrasing though. It's not that he turned down those FOR THIS. He accepted this one BECAUSE the turned down those previous ones and they've gone on to be huge successes.
@@gocsa Reminds me of what Universal did with Star Wars then Indiana jones. They snapped up the third Lucasfilm license but that turned out to be Howard the Duck.
Connery proved to be correct with The Matrix; at least the follow-up films (2 & 3) turned out to be no better than "League".
I'm just happy that Sean Connery was in a movie. That is enough to get me excited.
2000s was easily the best decade for superhero movies - Iron Man (best Marvel movie), X2 (best Fox X-men movie), Batman Begins (best Batman movie), Unbreakable (best superhero movie), Incredible Hulk (best Hulk movie), Daredevil, Spiderman 2 (best Spiderman movie), League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Hellboy: The Golden Army (best Hellboy movie), Rise of the Silver Surfer (best FF movie) and The Punisher.
I think the director put it best, they said that the idea of a superhero team being brought together just so a villain could steal their powers is an interesting one and one I don't think anyone else has done. Sure you get the occasional trap to steal powers but never orchestrating the entire forming of the team.
I remember seeing this on TV countless times with my dad and loving. Even today, it's a guilty pleasure.
You gotta admit, despite its many flaws, it IS a fun romp of a film.
And oops, I wrote that before seeing the bit where you declared the same thing ;)
I enjoyed it. The concept is fantastic, the execution doesn't live up to it, but it is fun and the production design is A1. I'm a sucker for Indiana Jones alike and Spy films so it's an easy sell.
What really gets to me, especially in light of Connery's death, are Quatermains last words - of course also the last words of Connery's long career.
_"May this new century be yours, son, as the old one was mine."_
Quatermain wasnt just speaking to Sawyer there, I like to think that Connery was also referring to all of us.
Alan moore said that the M in this film is James Moriarty (From Sherlock Holmes).
After his death, Mycroft Holmes took his place as the next M.
And the M after that Is the M we see from Dr No. To Moonraker.
That’s the thing about Connery and acting. When you get to be a big enough name, they will often come to YOU about being in their movie, not the other way around.
man, that was one of greatest fims of my childhood. It formed my view and style preferences! Loved it really much, and thank you for positive review of it!
A shame I didn't know you or your family back in 2093 in a time whimey way - you could have had my tickets to attend that Premiere of LXG and see Sean Connery (I couldn't afford travel / accommodation).
I had this film on UMD so I saw it alot on vacation when it was a rainy day.
I agree with you completely on this movie. Vastly underrated. I also agree Sean still acted more interested in the role on-screen than his bored YOLT performance. I can't disagree with his summation that there was a growing gap between people who know how to make movies and those who greenlight them. Finding Forrester was also a good send-off for Sean.
A film I'd like to see you respond to is THE QUILLER MEMORANDUM, another take on spy-filming from the 60s, with George Segal in the lead but also stars two all-time greats, Alec Guinness and Max von Sydow. It's an odd film, and definitely a response (in part) to the Bond movies, but a largely forgotten one. (According to Segal, though, Quentin Tarantino was obsessed with it.) You can find it on UA-cam, if you like. Would be curious to hear your thoughts on it.
I could listen to Tony Curran and Jason Flemyng talk about this film forever.
It’s so refreshing to hear a positive review for this! I actually really enjoyed this and as you said Connery is great in it. Such a shame it was his last movie!
READ THE COMIC CALVIN. It’s really good, it’s amazing really. Especially if you love steampunk, as you say in the video. I think most of the disappointment about the film comes from just how amazing the comic is. It’s insanely dark, Tom Sawyer isn’t in it, and it’s just a really interesting dissection of Victorian gothic horror. The second book too is fantastic.
Funnily enough, James Bond actually shows up in the comic in a volume set in the 50s. Of course, they can't actually say his name is "James Bond", so they call him "Jimmy". He's also a villain, probably because Moore and O'Neil didn't like Connery as Quatermain.
I actually saw this in the theater first run. I had no idea it'd be Sir Sean's finale.
His final live-action film...he voiced the lead in Scotland's first homegrown feature-length animated film. That apparently was a giant stinker, or least derided for looking like something that would have been made 20 years earlier.
@@generalilbis
Yeah the animated Film he did was just a cash grab to get money out of connerys name
Great review as always! Your Connery impression has become so accurate!
Thanks! I can confirm, I have been working on it!
Pierce Brosnan did a Sean Connery impression in TWINE when he says maybe you haven’t taken into account my hidden ASSETS
@@calvindyson Also, just one thing. My name is there twice on the shoutouts at the end of the video. Both the Toms are me! ;-)
@@tomgallagher655 You Only Shout-out Twice
Yay, thanks for the shoutout!
And that Simpsons clip, très bien! I assumed you were going to do a “Hello Darkness, my old friend” bit which made it all the sweeter. Connery’s face does look like he’s in actual pain.
As for the film, I don’t have much to say as I’ve never seen it, but I have met a few people who love it. I think it’s become a bit of a cult film in recent days: it’s developed a small but devoted fanbase keeping the flame alive.
Everytime a Simpsons reference pops in my head making these videos I swear it's entirely down to you and that avatar of Skinner haha! Yeah it popped up on the Disney+ Star add on recently under a 'cult movies' banner and I was like, huh, I didn't realise it'd gotten such a devoted bunch of fans after all this time!
Skinneeeeer
Can anyone explain what Sean's wife is doing that distracts him?
It's simply hilarious to me that Sean Connery turned down "Lord of the Rings" because he didn't quite understand the script and yet he said yes to "Zardoz". No problem problem in making sense of that script presumably.
Like V for Vendetta or Batman v Superman this film was IMO pretty good and enjoyable on release, but on last viewing came across as a missed opportunity as the source material is excellent.
"This movie is so fun!... Where is sir billy?"
I had to rewind and watch the Tony Curran and Jason Flemyng bit again. Hilarious.
"This lady" lol. Peta Wilson was a well known TV actress at the time. I remember La Femme Nikita being a popular, well-received show 😃 (and Shane West was later cast in its reboot!)
I remember convincing a few of my friends that we NEEDED to go see this in theaters when it came out because I was so sure it was going to be awesome. I also remember how pissed they were at me afterwards. But it’s been like 18 years. Maybe it’s time to give it a 2nd try!
Go ahead and see it, with the knowledge that it's his last performance on the big screen. He's a legend....and is in a "league" of his own.
I appreciated this video. I saw the movie first run at the cinema and thought it was fun. Tbh, I would see anything with Connery, and was it top notch entertainment? Not really, but I was entertained! And thank you Calvin for your humor.
Thanks very much, Will! Glad you enjoyed the video and sounds like we're on a very similar page when it comes to the film itself!
This was my first Sean Connery film I saw in the theater. I was like 4 or 5. Me and my parents saw it at the drive in theater and I was immediately hooked. Seeing all these cool fictional characters from different stories come together to fight an unknown evil while all speaking casually as if this was just another Saturday night. It's one of my favorite guilty pleasure films and first introduction to bond himself. My dad hated it but I love it and gave me a love for steampunk.
That quote about Connery being sick and tired of the widening gap between those who make movies and those who greenlight them is pretty ironic when you consider that he actually saved Michael Bay's career.
No, that's actually a true story. The powers that be on the production of The Rock wanted to remove Bay as director when some production issues arose, and Bay had to go to a meeting to argue to keep his job. On his way, he ran into Sean Connery and told him about the meeting; Connery insisted on accompanying him. At the meeting, the powers that be were dumbstruck when Connery (who had a producer's credit on The Rock) cussed them out and told them that Bay was doing a great job and deserved to keep working.
Just to think, had Connery said otherwise, we may have been spared some crappy Transformers sequels (and I actually enjoy them as guilty pleasures.)
The reason for Hyde’s appearance is that’s how he’s portrayed in the graphic novel of the same name
I liked this film so much that I came up with a premise for the sequel that would feature a new league and a young quartermaine because apparently it was a side effect of the witch doctor bringing him back. When I made up this idea I had only heard that Sean had retired from acting though never knowing why. I had it set during WWII and they have to stop a big plan with the spear of destiny and norse gods that would threaten to destroy the very earth! Then I heard how horrible the movie was and everyone bashing it and felt sad something I liked got so much hate. It kind of mad me lose interest in really creating the sequel fully. This review though has inspired me to work on it again!
I really enjoy this movie. Look, when you go into a movie called The League Of Extraordinary Gentleman, ideas of some perfect Oscar-worthy films should just go out the window. It's meant to just be a fun romp featuring Universal and literary's most iconic characters teaming up to fight a bad guy. Going in expecting some tour de force that's going to change the way we look at film is just silly. Sometimes we need stupid fun movies for those days we feel down and just want to see something to lift the spirits. That's what LXG is for me. Is it flawless? No but it certainly is not this Battlefield Earth/Batman & Robin level bad movie so many make it out to be
Great review! I saw this film at the cinema for my 13th birthday and also got the DVD when it was released. I’ve always defended this film as I think the general popular opinion of it has been overly critical and exaggerated by film fans over the years. Quoting Jonathan Ross on the back of the two disc special edition DVD “Great fun... A splendid Romp!” Kind of sums it up perfectly!
Moore's original comic is... Well, it's certainly something. The first thing that comes to mind is Invisible Man s**ually assaulting Mina and then Mr Hyde literally r*ping him to death out of revenge... Yeah.
I think that's fair enough in terms of those characters; Griffin is monstrous enough to sell out the human race entirely and was assaulting girls at a school before he was caught, and Hyde is literally meant to be every negative impulse or thought Jekyll has ever had, so much so that he notes that he's grown considerably since he first came to being. Both are monsters.
There's also a lot more going on then just those two moments.
I too liked it! Notice how the scene where Doctor Jekyll goes crazy on the ship is similar to the scene with the hulk in the Avengers
Peta Wilson even looks a bit like Scarlet Johnasson as Black Widow.
I love LXG. It was one of the first movie bonding experiences with my then ten year-old son. It introduced a lot of great characters that my son took an interest in.
bruh I take this kind of movie anyday vs another super hero movie.
There was a great Empire magazine article in 2007 [which unfortunately I can't find online] about the making of this film and...yeah it was a train wreck from start to finish. There was a suggestion to get Julia Roberts/Catherine Zita Jones to play Mina Harker but Connery's salary sucked up a lot of the budget which is why Connery's co-stars are mostly TV actors and unknowns.
I saw this film in theaters twice as well. So as a teenager it was apparently giving me something I was looking for. I particularly remember enjoying the way they did the Hyde practical effects, and it just had so much stuff going on that it kinda couldn't be boring...despite being very silly and lacking any emotional engagement.
Fantom spelled with an "f"? That's because there's a long-standing comic strip called The Phantom. Copyright, trademark and all that.
I think it's because the Fantom is a French character originally called Fantomas
Because 20th Century Fox was unable to secure the rights to the eponymous character of H. G. Wells' 1897 novel, the script referred to "The Invisible Man" as "An Invisible Man", and his name was changed from Hawley Griffin to Rodney Skinner.
@@jamesatkinsonja the Fantom is the bad guy in the film. The invisible guy is a different character.
@@Leo-sd3jt Sorry, was just using it as further example of copyright issues.
@@jamesatkinsonja Ah, sorry, I misunderstood. Thanks for the info!
I'd say the film is fine, but I'd argue that the main issue is just how the end product does not really match the sum of its parts and the definitive "dumbing down" compared to the source materials. The comic, like so many others of Moore is (beyond being INCREDIBLY DARK) quite political. The comic contains a lot of criticism of British imperialism and all of the characters are quite faithful to the way they are presented in their original stories, with some truly horrible people (especially The Invisible Man), while also loosing the depth of the characters in the film, like Nemo's hatred of British imperialism or ANYTHING in regards to Mina, who's the leader in the comic, while here sort of shuffled off to the side.
But here, they essentially kept a few plot points and basically made an Avengers movie with steampunk aesthetic, with shameless pandering to the American market with the addition of Tom Sawyer. It's not so much a bad film, as just a very squandered opportunity.
That isn't to say it's awful. It is quite fun and has a bit of that same matinée pulp adventure feel of The Mummy. I LOVED this movie when I was 14, where it was my introduction to steampunk.
9:07 Appropriately, James Bond was eventually included as a character in the comics.
Funny as ever (the job interview - pretitle sequence...I'm just waiting for a Maurice Binder-style Intro to your reviews now). I do not like the plot, but as you said, the visual style is appealing, also the music. The love - how did you say - hexagon with the Vampyre lady is quite confusing (maybe it was a kind of inspiration for Sense8), the antagonist is to hidden to create real fear, so it is a movie for some leisure time, but no comparison to real Bond films. The relation of Quatermain and Sawyer reminded me much of Indiana Jones - son and father, but the chemistry of Ford /Connery was a lot more exciting (despite the lack of age gap between them), here it is mor grandfather/grandson-style.
Great comparison to Last Crusade! That's totally what they're going for isn't it? Very much agree with you that in this instance, there's a lack of chemistry. Tom Sawyer in this film is very much a cut and paste generic action hero character and I wish they'd given him some more personality beyond the quips and the dad backstory.
Allan Quartermain as a literary character was very much an inspiration on George Lucas for Indiana Jones.
Sawyer wasn’t even in the graphic novel... Because Americans wouldn’t watch a story without Americans, right?
Yeah he was added for that reason. No young American in the cast.
Always great to see a new video by Calvin! Though I do want to add that Connery’s job is to act, which he knows pretty well no matter how confusing the script is!
I remember seeing this in theaters as a kid solely because of Sean Connery. I didn't hate it as much as most but not a great film for Connery's last film. Tom Sawyer inclusion was forced. I didn't even really like his character watching it bac then.
I'm not sure if anyone else said this. But the actor Richard Roxburgh who played M/The Fantom and Moriarty. He also played Sherlock Holmes in the TV movie, The Hound of the Baskervilles. So you can say he played both the detective and his arch nemesis.
You HAVE to do The Man Who Would Be King!
Fantastic film
Your joke dvd commentary parody was so on point
I never hated this either. Speaking of early 2000's blockbusters, it's way better than Van Helsing, XXX, Superman Returns or any of the Mummy sequels. I'd rather watch it Matrix Revolutions.
that van helsing movie was sh!te
Those movies mentioned are enjoyable
I like the mummy sequels yes even number 3.
Ah, but, my good sir, you are forgetting about sir billi
Oh wait no you didn’t
Please review sir billi
For me Outland is Sean's best with The Rock second and Untouchables third. I would love to see you review Entrapment! I'm enjoying these Connery reviews.
As someone who enjoys reading classic novels I remember watching this film and I enjoyed back then. Calvin I do agree this the movie is the most criminally underrated Sean Connery film he was in.
This was a pivotal and very influential film for me in my teenage years. Loved it.
Always had a sneaking liking for this one.
I haven't seen this since it was released at the cinema.Time for a rewatch and a listen to commentary as soon as I buy the DVD.
The opening scene with Quartermain/Connery at his British Club in Africa is excellent on a few levels. 1.) It might have served as an apt depiction of Bond in retirement. 2.) Combines very good action piece with humor. 3.) Allows Connery the chance to say the line "God save the Queen.". ... The 'Quartermain at Club in African' scene should be a popular video clip on UA-cam all by itself.
Alan Moore, one of the co-creators of the comic book series, withheld his name from the movie.
Well, he doesn't like ANY of the movies based on his work, to be fair.
I used to watch it on DVD with my family and enjoying never knowing it was supposed to be bad so I agree with your kind review
I absolutely love your channel, but if Sean Connery turned down Lord of the Rings, and The Matrix, I just have no words 😅🤦🏻♂️ that’s definitely beyond stupid, that’s so unfortunate 😢 Sean Connery really made some piss, poor decisions in his later career 💔
Love your reviews, Calvin!
Here are a couple suggestions:
North Sea Hijack (American title: ffolkes) with Roger Moore
The November Man with Pierce Brosnan
The movie makes a point to show that when the invisible man drinks something, you can see it going down his throat, proving that only his body is invisible and anything inside him would still be seen. Alright, makes sense. Think about this: it takes hours for food to be digested, and even longer to be passed through...
Kinda wishing they hadn't shown the liquid in his throat...
good thing he did not go the the local curry house for a vindaloo
Sean Connery's last in the flim is so good though. May this new century be yours, son, as the old one was mine.
Like you I do have a double DVD. And the fx are a bit poor but it a fun Saturday afternoon film. Is very reminiscent of The Assassination Bureau with Dame Diana Rigg in it
I only saw it once as a kid, before I really knew any of the characters, but I remember finding it quite entertaining. I loved all the weird quirks the heroes had.
Great review! I remember seeing this on Netflix shortly after I subscribed and finding it entertaining enough. It's on Disney+, so maybe I should check it out once again. James Bond is actually in the League comics, but from what I've heard of Bond in those, Alan Moore doesn't seem to be the biggest fan of the character - I remember it as if he's an angry, corrupt, syphilis-ridden agent of an authoritarian government. I could be wrong, but I also believe that there are several James Bonds in those comics, each bearing the resemblance of an actor who played him - guess Alan Moore subscribes to the codename theory. Maybe you could try tracking down those comments?
i do like that there's less CGI than modern movies. it's nostalgia overload for me.
I loved this film. Connery was at his best. Even hopeful for a sequel back then, it seems Sean would not have shared my enthusiasm.
although its now remembered as a bad film i remember when i was young me and my mum would watch it all the time my mum is a massive connery fan thats how i got into bond but i remember watching this film way before bond and i will still watch it from time and it always has a place in my heart
So it crossed the Avengers and the plot of Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows
Well, it was made years before either.
It's fun to think that "Game of Shadows" is somehow a prequel of "LoEG" and Moriarty is trying to carry out the same evil scheme after failing the first time.
I loved the original comic series and I really enjoyed this, especially Sean Connery. It is not a good adaptation but is still a very entertaining movie.
For this movie to Sean's swan song was deplorable. A convoluted mess. I quote Mr Connery in an interview he gave after the films release
"They gave the director too much fu**ing money"
7:16 The reason Phantom is spelled with an 'F' is because, in the original comic, the character was the French superhero Fantomas. But when it came time to make the film, I guess the producers decided he was too obscure a character, so they changed him to a Phantom of the Opera pastiche, but for some reason kept the original spelling.
Hello Sir Calvin great vid like always!😃
Thank you very much Lord Beckett 😁😁
You're welcome, "It's just good business!"
I have gotten comments that information *from a press release* is a spoiler. I attempted to reason with this person. I pointed out this is information sent out for *general distribution*. This person replied: "Well, they didn't send it to me!" At that point, I had to give up. If you're that hard core, trash your laptop, turn off your TV, etc, etc.
Great video as always, thanks!
Haven't watched this film since I was a kid, but also loved it at the time (and could probably challenge you for being it's number one fan.) Part of the reason I haven't rewatched it since 2005 or so is reading everyone talk about terrible it was made me worry about how it would hold up watching it as an adult. But this video had made me think that a rewatch might be in order!)
Sounds like we were very much on the same page then, Richard! I feel like I also put it off myself because of all the negativity surrounding it but coming back to it after all this time, super pleasantly surprised!
Great review. I totally agree with everything you said. I remember being really excited when this was announced. I wasn't familiar with the source material but the concept and characters sounded great. Like yourself I love the Steampunk feel to it.Upon rewatching I was very aware how the special effects had dated for the most part but production design was excellent. Sean Connery absolutely still convinces as a leading action man.... something very few actors could pull off in their seventies. Harrison Ford maybe? I look forward to any future non Bond reviews. Rod Taylor's The Liquidator maybe ( apologies if you've covered it)
Just for the record the film has zero to do with the source material. The books are a genuine love letter to Victorian literature and culture.
The film basically just lifts some names from the book, not plot or characterisations. If you need convincing just look up the fate of Griffin (not Skinner) in the books
Yeah, and yet I liked the movie versions of the comic, while the comics were... meh.
LXG is a fun flick, never understood the hate for it at the time. It’s certainly not a great flick but for a silly action flick it hits more than it misses and compared to other action/genre releases at the time holds up fairly well.
Hey Calvin. You may want to read the graphic novel as there is a character that’s supposed to be an ancestor of James Bond.
And in "century" - I think the 2009-comic - we have Bond-cameos. Moore, Brosnan - then there are Doctor Who cameos and even Harry Potter cameos.
While this film obviously isn't a cinematic masterpiece, and not everything has to be, it's just so much fun. I love all the set and costume designs, the Nautilus and Nemo's car look absolutely gorgeous with their gleaming white and shiny silver frames, the action is entertaining and I enjoy the banter between the characters.
A film I'm always happy to rewatch :)
I must be a slag for steampunk as well, having watched this movie so many times back in the day! Loved that aesthetic, admired the ambition, was intrigued enough to buy the comic book. It's Fu Manchu they face there but ugh, these characters are not likeable in the hands of Moore. One scene involving the Invisible Man in particular... will always hope for that sequel though, animated maybe, straight to streaming definitely! Based as it was, in the follow up comic book, on a minor work by some forgotten author or other ;)
But no, even lockdown hasn't exhausted my watch-list enough to retry this one... but this review has kind of piqued my interest tbh. Never say never again, I guess ;)
Fox have been talking about having another go for years. I also heard talk of a live action series. Now Disney own Fox you never know. LXG in the MCU?
Well, the original Invisible Man (written by you, "Mr Wells"), WAS basically an evil and deranged character, so Moore didn't get him wrong there. Besides, The Invisible Man in the movie is explicitly a different character, a thief (Skinner) who stole the formula from the REAL Invisible Man (Griffin), who was an increasingly deranged mad scientist.
Wow! I thought I was alone in liking this film until I watched your review. I saw this film in the cinema and had fun doing so. I also owned the special edition two-disk DVD when it came out and now own the Blu-ray, although I bought the latter under an assumed name! lol
I never understood the total hatred for this film, as it's a fun romp and Connery is, well, Connery and even if he hated the experience of making the film, it doesn't show. It's a blast, plus, the commentary is great fun too and boy is it honest! It might even be time to revisit this film again! Thank you.
Absolutely terrific video Calvin- easily the best review ever done on this movie!
Obviously it’s not a great film - but it’s really not too bad either.
Had some good action - and lots of fun moments.
And,of course as you mentioned - at 73, Sean is still pretty great here in this grand finale of his acting career!
So Funny to read those early comments about him not understanding the film!
Think the role he was offered in Lord Of The Rings was Gandalf - and he would have been fantastic as that character for sure.
Curious which role he was offered in Matrix though - Morpheus maybe?
Not quite sure that would have worked for him - can’t see him as a master martial artist at 70!!
But he’s still Sean Connery - and probably would have somehow made that work too.
Still we will always have this film as his last great action hero, and the idea that he took orders from a character called M in it is just about as perfect as it could be to ride off into the sunset with for all of us Bond fans...
I had such hopes for this movie due to my love for watching Sean Connery. Saw it in the theatre and wished I had walked out halfway through
Alan Moore may have hated this adaption, but he seems to hate every adaption of his comics (he famously hated the adaptions of "Watchmen" and "V for Vendetta" too), so that may not be saying much. IMO, it's not a very compelling or memorable film, but I've seen several worse.
Being fair, Moore never actually saw V; Joel Silver basically lied about him liking it to the press and had to 'fess up later.
I've never seen the film. Somehow or other I just let it slip by. But I have read the books it was based on. To be blunt, by the time they got to the last book I thought the books had gone way more off track than what people claimed this one had. Now you have revived my interest in seeing the film..
I like this movie. I have the DVD too. Sean saving England and the world one last time, with the ending scene suggesting the possibility of his immortality, which he has now become through his films.
I adore Steampunk style movies, and Sean Connery in one is a big bonus point. This movie entertained me perfectly. I especialy adore the scenes between Quartermain and Sawyers.
Saw this for a second time on tv recently and it really is enjoyable in places. Great sets and costumes, so at least that was done well. I now want to buy the dvd for the commentary and extras!
I have a feeling Sean was presenting those restaurant bills to the studio haha.
By the way, do read The Invisible Man, it's very good. Jekyll and Hyde too. And the graphic novels of course- brilliantly detailed and atmospheric artwork.
M and (19th century) James Bond are both part of the LoEG comic book universe, as are many other non-public domain characters such as Patrick Troughton's Doctor Who, International Rescue, Jerry Cornelius (who should have had more than a one and a bit page cameo) and, erm, Rupert Bear.