User Reviews

Magnificent adaptation based on Jules Verne's fantasy-adventure novel with good cast and extraordinary scenarios . New take on for cinema , filmed in Cinemascope widescreen with agreeable casting and an awesome James Mason as Nemo. The film talks about the known story from Jules Verne novel and previously rendered in a silent film . 1868 ,the oceans are no longer safe , many ships have been lost, the sailors have returned to New England's fishing port with tales of vicious giant whale with long horn . The naturist and biologist expert named professor Pierre Aronnax ( Paul Lukas) and assistant Conseil (Peter Lorre) undertake a dangerous mission . Aronnax and his helper , along with a professional whaler named Ned Land( Kirk Douglas) join forces in an expedition commanded by captain Farragut (Ted De Corsia) that attempts to unravel the mysterious sinking ships by an unknown creature . Aboard the ship called USS Abrahan Lincoln , they go out to investigate . At sea, Professor Aronnax was aboard the ship when Nautilus rammed it and threw the Professor, his helper and Ned Land into the water .Their ship is sunk and are captured and get thoroughly involved with power-hungry captain Nemo ( James Mason) and take an extraordinary adventure underseas in an advanced submarine called Nautilus. Prisoners at first, they are now treated as guests to view the underwater world and to hunt under the waves. Nemo will also tells them about the riveting submarine of the future and the revenge that has driven him for all these years .

This fantastic movie displays sensational adventures, drama, intrigue, marvelous scenarios and is pretty enjoyable. Fascinating submarine movie blends action, , disaster spectacle, hokey fun ,suspense and emotional happenings . Our heroes incarnated by a throughly believable casting of the first-rate character players get stuck in the ship before the island explodes , undergoing numerous adventures and suffering innumerable perils . Surprise-filled entertainment and with plenty of action on grand scale with breathtaking special effects and some ships and submarine by maquette or scale model . The underwater scenes , explosions , pyrotechnics, flood , flamboyant FX to make large-size Octopus seem like horrible monster , all of them are spectacular and the film is another exceptional Hollywood product . However, overlong runtime is not boring but is entertaining and amusing . Memorable and great cast as James Mason plays a serious revenger captain Nemo ; Paul Lukas plays perfectly Annorax as intelligent scientific ; and Ned Land played by Kirk Douglas as an obstinate , stubborn sailor who spends most of their time devising intelligent ways for escape , in addition singing a catching song titled ¨A whale for a tale ¨ . Atmospheric and vivid score by Paul Smith . Colorful cinematography by Franz Planer in Cinemascope and Technicolor reflecting wonderfully underwater scenes . Filmed on location in Jamaica and Caribbe and interior scenes in Burbank studios. This splendid picture is lavishly produced by Walt Disney Productions. Won deservedly Academy Award for Special Effects by Hench and Meador and extraordinary participation from Peter Ellenshaw and Ub Iwerks ; besides achieved Oscar for Art Direction by Meehan and Goff.

This classic movie is marvelously directed by Richard Fleischer. Other versions from the vintage story are an old mute (1916) by Stuart Paton , and for TV directed by Rod Hardy with Michael Caine , Mia Sara and Patrick Dempsey ; and directed by Michael Anderson with Ben Cross and Richard Crenna ; furthermore a cartoon movie directed by Arthur Rankin. The motion picture will appeal to fantasy-adventure buffs and it's a wonderful popcorn story . Rating : Above average , the mightiest motion picture of them all, it's a real winner .

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea holds up surprisingly well after almost 60 years. James Mason's portrayal of the eccentric Captain Nemo is both endearing and terrifying. Jules Verne's classic science fiction story is ahead of its time and I feel that this movie does it justice.

This is not my absolute favourite of the live action Disney movies but I am still very fond of it. The pacing can be sluggish on occasions, but compensates hugely are the acting, special effects and the way the story is told. The special effects even after all these years are still highly impressive, and the locations are beautiful. The score is rousing too, and the story is superbly told complete with some clever dialogue. The direction is adept, and the acting is excellent. James Mason plays the cantankerous captain with a certain grit and presence that makes him so compelling to watch, while Kirk Douglas is his usual likable self. All in all, not a favourite but a very impressive film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Below is a transcript of a hand written letter from Harper Goff in 1974 of which I have a copy which I think might be of interest. This is an unusual comment entry, but I hope you will find this letter a fasinating rare glimpse into the process of creation, and will give a better appreciation of the artistry of the design of the Disney 'Nautilus'. Harper Goff was responsible for the 'look' of the submarine in the Disney Production, along with much of the film's set designs. Enjoy!

Harper Goff writes....

I was assigned the task of getting together a 'true-life' adventure film using some exceptional underwater footage shot in a laboratory aquarium, by Dr. McGinnity of Cal-Tech's Marine Biology lab in Carona Del Mar. Walt (Disney) thought inasmuch as "20,000 L.U.T.S." was in public domain we might do worse than use the title for a current True-Life adventure short subject. Walt went to England and I stayed in Burbank and made a story-board of a live action version of the classic using McGinnity's footage as a sort of ballet episode where Nemo shows Aronax the wonders of the deep. Walt liked the story-board well enough to have me give an 'A.R.I.' (Audience Reaction Inquiry) to a group of exhibitors who were in town. They were enthusiastic and the rest is history.

In motion pictures, the text of a classic like this subject is sacrosanct like the Bible! The 'word' of Jules Verne is not to be made light of, so the duty of the production designer like myself is to take the sometimes arbitary discriptions of the Nautilus as recorded by 'J.V.' and "make it work".

a. Jules Verne while foreseeing brilliantly the atomic submarine of today, did not at that time invent the periscope, the torpedo tube, or sonar. He did not prophesy closed curcut television. According to Verne, if Nemo wanted to see what was going on the surface, he simply poked the glass ports of the conning tower out of the depths and took a direct look. He risked his vessel, himself, and his crew by ramming the enemy at frightening speed. If he wanted to study the marvels of life under the surface, he reclined in his elegent bay window lounge, and passed the hours studying the marine life outside the amazing pressure proof window of his luxurious salon. These items dictated much of the direction of my production designs.

b. Nemo is quoted by Verne as telling Aronax that "I need no coal for my bunkers. I have instead harnessed the very building blocks of the material universe to heat my boilers and drive this craft". No one can doubt Verne meant Atomic Power.

c. It is not sound economics to study and design obviously unnesscessary parts of the Nautilus if it will not appear on screen. The crews quarters were thus unaccounted for. In Verne's original text Nemo from time to time leaves the chart room and steps directly into other diversified areas of the submarine. Directors do not like to slow down the action and clutter up a dramatic moment by showing actors leave a room, lift a hatch, enter another room.

d. At the time Captain Nemo constructed Nautilus on Mysterious Island, the iron riveted ship was the last word in marine construction. I have always thought rivet patterns were beautiful. I wanted no slick shelled moonship to transport Nemo thru the emerald deep and so fought and somehow got my way. On Mysterious Island Nemo had the white hot heat of a volcano to help him build his dreamship, but I am sure that flat iron plates profusely riveted would have been his way. His stock pile of material was always the countless sunken ships uniquely available to him alone. Even the Greek amphora and the works of art that graced his great salon was salvaged from wrecks.

e. The free diving suits - (self-contained) were developed by myself with the assistance of Fred Zender, and exceptionally able underwater man. The helmets were souped-up Japanese pearl diving helmets. We masked the scuba gear, let water into the the helmet, put a breathing tube in our mouth, the clamps on our nose and one night in 1952 Freddie and I walked slowly from the shallow end to the deep end of the Santa Monica pool. Lead around our middle and 16 lbs. shoes...it worked! Many had predicted failure. This formed the basis of the suits that appeared in the film. We spent 9 hrs. a day, 7 days a week for 8 weeks at Lyford Key in the Bahamas, underwater! Never lost a man, Fred was in charge of safety.

f. 20,000 Leagues was the second cinemascope picture to go into production. Fox had the worldrights to the anamorphic lenses developed by a French inventor named Cretien. This lense "squeezes" the horizontal dimensions of a scene into half the normal area on a cinema frame. If projected thru an anamorphic projection lense it "unsqueezes" this image and the resulting image is widescreen. Fox had only one lense to lease and this meant that Disney could not shoot miniture set ups while the main action sequences were before the cameras. I hit upon the idea of having the prop miniature shop build a "squeezed" Nautilus miniature. The model was built half as wide and half as long, but just as high. Even the rivets were "squeezed". This one miniature was shot with a normal lense. If care was taken to insure the Nautilus remained on an even keel, the resulting footage was more than adequate. When "unsqueezed" by anamorphic projection, the image of the Nautilus was stretched to normal proportions. Of course the bubbles looked strange, but no one seemed to mind. The success of this experiment made it possible for the special effects department to make its necessary footage of many of the underwater miniatures simultaniously with principal photography of the actors.

g. My idea has always been that the shark and the aligator were the most terrifying monsters living in the water. I there for combined the scary eyes of the aligator that can watch you even when it is nearly submerged....with the dangerous pointed nose and menacing dorsal fin - its sleek streamlining and its distinctive tail. The discusting rough skin of the aligator is well simulated by the rivets. As Verne insists that the Nautilus drove its way clean threw it's victim, I designed a protective sawtooth spline that started forward at the bulb of the ram and slid around all outjutting structures of the hull. These included the conning tower, the diving planes, and the great helical propellor at the stern.

Sincerely,

Harper Goff

Artist and Production Designer Harper Goff's film credits include 'Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, 'Fantastic Voyage', 'The Vikings', 'The Great Locomotive Chase', and Disney's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'. Mr Goff died March 3, 1993 at his home in Palm Springs at the age of 81.

Corfman

In 1868, shipping becomes a nightmare, since vessels are vanishing the in the South Seas. The tabloids attribute the disappearances of the ships to an existence of a sea monster. The US government invites Prof. Pierre Arronax (Paul Lukas) and his assistant Conseil (Peter Lorre) to investigate what is really happening and they embark in a ship navigating to the Orient. In the crew, Ned Land (Kirk Douglas) is a happy member. After a long period on the open sea, a submarine, the Nautilaus, commanded by Captain Nemo (James Mason), attacks the steamship. Prof. Arronax, Conseil and Ned are rescued by the submarine, and share the dreams and madness of Captain Nemo. Although being a 1954 film, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" is a great and funny adventure, which has not aged. The adaptation of Julio Verne's novel "on the screen" is a great entertainment recommended for all families. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "20.000 Léguas Submarinas" ("20,000 Leagues Submarines")

There's something out there roaming the Pacific Ocean destroying a whole lot of shipping and killing a lot of people. The more maritime the nation, the more losses it's suffering. Jules Verne's story has the United States of America taking the first crack at finding what's going on in the Pacific.

On a ship commanded by Ted DeCorsia are two Frenchmen, renowned scientist Paul Lukas and his assistant Peter Lorre. Also along is Kirk Douglas who is crack whaling harpooner.

Of course they meet up with the beast and it's no living thing, but a submarine. This was all new back then, although prototype submarines were used in the Civil War they had limited effectiveness. In fact this particular kind of submarine was something unheard of until the middle of the last century. It's captain is a misanthropic fellow named Nemo, played by James Mason. He's taking it out on the nation's of the world for some personal losses sustained.

His brilliance as a scientist, his refinement also attracts Paul Lukas. But Kirk Douglas just wants to escape because for all of Douglas's carefree philistinism, he sees Nemo as a murderer and a menace. The conflict between both is what drives the story.

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea won Oscars for both Special Effects and Art direction. It is probably Walt Disney's most successful live action film ever done, even beating out Mary Poppins dare I say. Even in this day of computer generated effects, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea still holds its own with more modern films.

Kirk Douglas enjoyed the part of Ned Land the harpooner and it's a favorite of his today. He might have made a few more films for Walt Disney but for an incident that took place after the film.

Disney was also at the same time creating his first theme park, Disneyland in Anahem, California. When it was opening he invited Kirk and his family to spend the day there on him and he even agreed to furnish a camera crew to follow the Douglas family around as they enjoyed the park attractions.

So Kirk took his wife and his sons and they had a grand old time and got some free home movies as a souvenir. But Walt Disney kept the negative and the films showed up on his Walt Disney Presents television show. Of course Kirk never got paid for this appearance and neither did any of the rest of his family including young Michael Douglas.

Even though this left a sour taste in Kirk Douglas's mouth as he related in his memoirs, The Ragman's Son, he liked his work in this film very much and the part certainly has the same kind of exuberance we expect from a Kirk Douglas movie. Kirk even gets to sing in the film, a nice little sea chantey called A Whale of a Tale. He even made a record of it and I'm sure if you can find it, the item might be worth a few dollars as a collectible.

Right around the time 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was released the United States Navy launched it's first atomic submarine. In tribute to that most popular of French authors with American audiences, the Navy named the ship the Nautilus. A great tribute to a great writer of fabulous tales of imagination. And Walt Disney couldn't have gotten better publicity had he paid for it.

Don't believe me, I swear by my tattoo.

Elaborate Production of the Jules Verne Story.

Featuring Detailed Designs in the Nautilus that are Imaginative Displays of Technology from the Mind of Perhaps the First Science-Fiction Author.

The Disney Story and Screen-Play Stumbles and Stutters its Way through the Terrorist Attacks from Nemo.

Along the Way there are High-Lights.

Like the Giant-Squid Attack, Undersea Gardening.

The Climax at Volcania, Nemo's "Mysterious Island" is Corny but Visually Impressive as the Captain Destroys His Inventions that Humanity does Not Deserve.

You will Probably Never See a More Over-the-Top Acting Performance from a Major Star in a Big-Budget Production than that of Kirk Douglas.

It is an Acting Gig that has to be Seen to Believe it was Considered Acceptable in 1954.

The Dark Tone of the Movie with all of its Sombre Dialog Exchanges and Musical Tones is Consistently Interrupted by Douglas and His Brand of a Salty Hero.

The Disney Production Team Encountered Many Technical Obstacles but Managed to Complete a Film that Pleased Mid-Fifties Audiences. Adults and Kids Alike.

The Kirk Douglas On-Screen Embarrassment Aside, the Movie is a Good Entertainment if Not a Great One.

Disney`s version of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is rightly remembered for the classic scene featuring the giant squid , but it should be remembered for more than that . Captain Nemo is a wonderfully written anti-hero who`s what would be described nowadays as an environmentalist , but don`t dare confuse him with being some sort of yogurt knitting tree hugger because this is a man waging a violent crusade against warmongers and anyone else he sees fit to exterminate . It`s a really intriguing character study and Nemo is played superbly by James Mason . Compare Mason`s performance as Nemo to that of Steven Seagal`s role as ecowarrior Forrest Taft in ON DEADLY GROUND . Done so ? A laughable contrast isn`t it . Kirk Douglas may disappoint as Ned Land but his real function is to act as a physical square jawed hero alongside the academic and somewhat ambigious Professor Arronnax.

I also appreciated the fact that Disney resisted the temptation to invent a child character in order to make the film appeal to children more by way of audience identification , nor is there any sort of mawkish sentiment or frivolity that`s spoiled many a Disney film . In fact this is such an exciting thoughtful adventure if it wasn`t for the presence of a seal I wouldn`t have believed it was a Disney film .

Did I mention there`s a great battle with a giant squid ?

This is by far the most literate, the most moving, and the most cinematically sophisticated film Disney has ever made. Those of the reviewers at this (IMDb) site who dismiss it as a kiddie movie, or who sneer at the special effects ("time has not been kind" to this film, one of them says; according to another, "the thrill is gone") seem simply prejudiced, rather like those who automatically deride any film that features Charlton Heston or deals with a biblical theme. It is indeed quite amazing that any special effects filmed in 1954 would continue to stack up so well. (I suppose Lucas or Spielberg could improve on the giant squid today, but so what?)

The acting is almost uniformily superb, although I seem to be in the minority in my opinion that Kirk Douglas' yo-ho-ho cliché sailor is rather wooden. (v. following paragraph) James Mason portrays Captain Nemo as a tragic hero in the classic sense, neither "byronic" nor a "mad scientist": a man so far ahead of his time that the world can only see his invention as a monster to be hunted with harpoons---and yet he is so tragically wounded by the whose malice and envy of lesser men that he has indeed become, in some ways, a monster. Paul Lucas is equally heartrending as Professor Arronax, the good-hearted bourgeois academician who truly believes that anyone can be made to "see reason" and become, in effect, a nice guy. Between these huge opposites are the robust common man of action, Ned Land ("Nemo's cracked", "I want to escape!"), the Professor's worry-wart servant, Conseil (Peter Lorre), and Nemo's equally devoted, spookily laconic First Mate (Robert J. Wilkes).

(I may as well say at the outset that to my mind the characterization of Ned Land, along with Kirk Douglas' stiff and utterly unnuanced portrayal, remains the major fault of the film. I would have liked to have seen an attempt at capturing Verne's taciturn Ned, half-mad from the tension between his enforced submarine claustrophobia and his romantic longing to once again swab a deck, reef a sail, or entrust himself to winds and currents; indeed, according to the novel's Aronnax, Ned's recitals of his adventures are worthy of a "Homer of the North". Most unfortunately, the wisecracking, womanizing Ned of the film seems to reflect Douglas' momentary screen persona more than Verne's character, since it bears so little resemblance to the latter. Also, the fact that Douglas out-bills Mason in credits and advertisements is as weird as the ubiquitous poster art in which Douglas' head is two sizes larger than Mason's.)

Leaving aside my pet peeve (i.e., Douglas), there are many Shakespearean qualities here in addition to the tragedy of Nemo. For one thing, much of the action takes place inside the characters' heads: First Arronax, Conseil and Land analyze Nemo, assaying a most dangerous attempt to ferret out his motivations. Then Nemo analyzes Aronnax who, almost in retaliation, develops his own analysis of Nemo. Then Conseil and Land analyze Aronnax analyzing Nemo. Meanwhile, the claustrophobia of the submarine boat acts on their minds like an amphetamine drug, causing the latter to function more and more frantically for good or ill.

Also like Shakespeare, the dialog (and it is wonderful dialog, grave but also lively with repartee and wordplay--just see the digest of quotes preceding these reviews!) alternates with comic relief and action scenes. As to the former, worry-wart Conseil is extremely funny, one of my favorite lines being his dismissal of Ned's message-in-a-bottle idea: "That went out with Robinson Crusoe! This is the nineteenth century!" And action scenes, as the famous fight with the giant squid, serve the same purpose as the ghosts, sword fights, etc. that the Bard provided for the groundlings---so that it is indeed "family entertainment"; people of all ages can watch this film with pleasure.

Masterfully, the film contains almost precisely the necessary updating to make the story meaningful to modern audiences. The common notion that Verne foresaw atomic power is certainly apocryphal; the Vulcania scenes are adapted from Verne's novel Facing the Flag, even if his super-nitroglycerine "Fulminator" is replaced here by nuclear fission. Nonetheless, Verne's speculations on power do make a good symbolic match with the notion of atomic energy, birthing a very credible meditation on the nineteenth century in the light of its successor. The somber and frighteningly beautiful finale causes us to wonder just at what point before 1900 this or that fateful corner was turned.

The "Nautilus" is the star of the film.Manned by Captain Nemo (James Mason),this submarine/machine voyages the ocean.

The cast of Actors truly are amazing as they brilliantly help adapt Jules Verne's gripping under-ocean tale. It won an Academy award and so it should have done,as this was a masterpiece to watch.

It was certainly written in the late 19th century to educate victorians of places they could only wish to be.If cinema was around at that time accompanied with the book,this film would go down well.

It has recently also had a DVD release which has features galore.The special effects are also superb for its time.(1953)

The team have certainly done a great job,and with Richard Fleischer at the helm,Walt made himself proud.This was Disney's real hay-day,and i feel this is one of Disney's greatest films. (9.0/10)

Watched this one recently and was delighted to find it stands the test of time as one of the better Disney live action films on the market. A quality take on Jules Verne's advanced story of subs and the atomic threat that was soon to become ever so prominent in the public conscious. This adaptation is a corking sci-fi adventure that benefits from great work from all involved.

The cast are just smashing, James Mason is the stand out as the barmy but intelligent protagonist Capt. Nemo, gruff and menacing with a dandy slice of camp into the proceedings. Then we have Kirk Douglas who out Popeye's Popeye, tough and rugged with a song and dance to help moral moving along, and even taking time out to befriend a seal to help jolly the film in heart. Peter Lorre is solid as ever, and Paul Lukas almost steals the show as the conflicted Professor Pierre Aronnax.

The sets are wonderful, the direction seamless, and the special effects make it hard to believe this was made back in the early 1950s, but ultimately its a story for adults and an adventure for the kids. Containing a giant squid sequence that sees Mason & Douglas fighting it to the death serves as proof positive that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an unadulterated joy. 9/10

Robust adventure, albeit one filled with murder, suicide and a bloodthirsty squid, involving nefarious Captain Nemo (played by a bearded, monotone James Mason), arguably the darkest villain in the pre-1979 Disney canon. He is nothing short of a mass murderer, ramming his futuristic submarine into ships on the ocean circa 1868. He explains these are war ships and he is preventing world destruction, but after the unblinking, humorless Captain downs a ship full of sailors, it's clear he's a cutthroat. This makes the future of three shipwreck survivors he has taken aboard all the more desperate, although Kirk Douglas' Ned Land, scalawag and guitar picker, takes all the abuse in stride (indeed, he's flexible in any circumstance). This Disney production has a few lags in the special effects arena, but does have awesome moments. The confined space of the main set can't help but to work against the action, but what a beautifully designed set it is! The actors are colorful, the direction is tight, but there's not a big sense of danger however, as the three survivors don't even seem to fear their fates. *** from ****

For me---having read the book in the new edition from the Naval Press, edited by Frederick Walter and Walter Miller---I can only state that this movie is almost a travesty of Jules Verne's visionary novel. It has never ceased to amaze me and puzzle me that Hollywood never seems to be able to leave well enough alone with important books and stories made into movies, but they have to change virtually everything the author has so carefully written. Do the producers and writers presume to improve upon the great authors? Do they feel that the original is too boring or too out of date for modern audiences? There are precious few books that have emerged from Hollywood unscathed, and this is certainly not one of them.

Very simply, Richard Fleischer made a gorgeous adaptation of Jules Verne's famous novel. This is an excellent adventure movie told with quite a lot of humor. Fleischer introduced humor in a few sequences and especially in dialogs. But the movie also includes a sadistic side. This sadistic side is epitomized by the captain Nemo himself. You can describe him as a despotic man who's got a grudge against the earth that made him suffer. Moreover, he regards himself as a sort of governor of the ocean. In this way, Jules Verne's novel introduces a reflection about man and the extension of his power thanks to the machine (the Nautilus).

Of course, the movie is supported by a dazzling performance. James Mason is an unforgettable captain Nemo. As for Kirk Douglas, well he said once: "I've made a career of playing sons of bitches". It's probably true if you study his character of Ned Land. But in parallel, Douglas makes his character funny and likeable. Then, Paul Lukas and especially Peter Lorre are outstanding.

No matter that the movie was launched in 1954, the special effects aren't antiquated. Thanks to them, the movie could keep a certain charm and nowadays, it lets itself watch with pleasure.

Olden adventurer still retains some classic appeal through it's underwater exploratory allure, but does appear to be in need of the obligatory big budget remake. Too many aspects of author Jules Verne's timeless novel have become bogged down in the 1950's Disney direction, thereby making this version ideal only for sentimental buffs wishing to revisit the once mighty production. Others seeing 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for the first time may have a difficult time adjusting to some of the more dated aspects.

Punctured by the over-expressive score and some cheese-ball delivery, eventual steam this probing tale escalates into is usually offset by technical limitations. The action scenes feel hopelessly inept, though the philosophical crux of the film remains as vibrant as ever.

While Kirk Douglas's goofy performance has not stood the test of time, thankfully one of science fiction's most enduring and romantic characters has been translated with some decency. James Mason's enduring take as the eccentric genius Captain Nemo continues to keep the film credible. Although much feels pretty rote by now, Nemo's brief but important conversations with the professor will continue to resonate, exemplified by the repeated, profoundly relevant final words of the film.

Disney's 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, from the Jules Verne classic, is highly enjoyable underseas entertainment and a parable about power in the hands of the wrong man--in this case, Captain Nemo (JAMES MASON) and his command of The Nautilaus.

When three hearty souls (KIRK DOUGLAS, PAUL LUKAS, PETER LORRE) confront his evil destruction of other ships, the tale sails into high adventure, the kind kids might love (unless jaded by too many recent computerized kid films) and adults are sure to embrace.

JAMES MASON proves to be a perfect choice as the professorial Capt. Nemo and PAUL LUKAS and PETER LORRE are satisfying in their well played co-starring roles but it's KIRK DOUGLAS who becomes the focal point of interest as the one most likely to destroy Nemo's power mad schemes. He also has a sterling song to sing ("A Whale of a Tale") early in the film, and it's one of the highlights of the entertaining story.

Best seen in widescreen version or on the big screen, it may not have the computerized finesse of some of today's big blockbusters, but it's a nostalgic treat and still amazing to watch the squid sequence done with such conviction before CGI was even invented. Great fun.

For a long time, Disney made top-notch live-action films, and "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" stands as one of the best.

I loved this film as a kid, and can remember even at the time being impressed that it didn't feel like it was necessarily dumbed down for a children's audience. Look at the stars here: Kirk Douglas and James Mason. Look at the production values and sterling (for the time) special effects. In the present day, Disney puts all of its oomph into its animated films, and its live action offerings many times emerge as barely competent -- and certainly not anything anyone with half a brain (kid or adult) would want to see.

This is a terrific fantasy adventure film -- people who want to find quality family entertainment should stop complaining about the lack of family-friendly movies being produced now and pick up something like this instead.

Grade: B+

One of the first movies, along with "Shane," that I ever saw as a young kid that I still watch and enjoy today is this one. One of the reasons I still enjoy it is the wonderful restoration job someone did in the latest DVD that was released in 2004.

Of course, it's not as exciting as seeing this on the big screen as a youngster, but it's still entertaining thanks to the intelligent dialog of James Mason, the humor (believe it or not) of Peter Lorre and the good special effects. The submarine is still neat to watch, particularly at night with the green glow to it. I haven't seen anything like it since. I haven't seen a giant squid attacking a boat, either, come to think of it. That still is pretty cool.

I don't find this movie "spectacular" as its reputation but it's still a very worthy addition to any movie buff's collection. It's one of the classics of the '50s that has been revived with this great-looking DVD which also has some interesting extra features.

For me---having read the book in the new edition from the Naval Press, edited by Frederick Walter and Walter Miller---I can only state that this movie is almost a travesty of Jules Verne's visionary novel. It has never ceased to amaze me and puzzle me that Hollywood never seems to be able to leave well enough alone with important books and stories made into movies, but they have to change virtually everything the author has so carefully written. Do the producers and writers presume to improve upon the great authors? Do they feel that the original is too boring or too out of date for modern audiences? There are precious few books that have emerged from Hollywood unscathed, and this is certainly not one of them.

The film does have a few good qualities. But I was expecting a faithful adaption. Damn you Disney! I mean Nemo dies in the end! What the fu*k is up with that? And the professors journal is lost. It's not lost in the book. In the movie there really isn't any purpose for Nemo to be under sea other than escaping humanity. What the hell is he supposed to be doing under there? Go fishing? In the book Nemo wanted to escape but he also wanted to explore. My favorite part in the book is when they are trapped under the ice in the north pole. But that wasn't in the film was it? No! In stead we get a bullsh!t sub plot about slave camps and Nemo being a former slave. (or a former slave merchant? I forget) Anyway that is kinda his motive here. WE'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO KNOW HIS MOTIVE!!! And they even go to an island where they built Nautilus. That was it for me. The movie was officially ruined.

Now this being a Disney movie it has to be child friendly. This is not a good thing if you've read the novel. This movie should have been done by Paramount or 20th Century Fox. They would have made it darker and more true to the book. In stead they made this travesty, juvenile, child friendly family film.

Don't watch if you're expecting a good adaption. But if you like adventure films then this is right up your alley.

6/10

All of us young people in the fifties flocked to this film. Ned land, the harpooner versus Captain Nemo, the narcissistic hater of civilization and ocean traffic. This was film of wonder. Imagine being in that amazing submarine. Cruising the ocean depths, exploring and battling giant squid. And being self sufficient. The food they ate was culled from the bottoms of the ocean. In addition to fish and sea creatures, the plants were processed to create delicious repasts. The only problem was that the good Captain was a megalomaniac. Of course, being the common man, Land has only one thing in mind-- escape. His friends, particularly the professor, have the human need to know. All that aside, to a young person, Disney gave us one of the greatest adventures we had ever seen.

Jules Verne's classic novel is brought to the big screen here in probably the most well-known and best adaption of the novel. The film notably comes from Disney, which is surprising when you think about it because of how dialogue driven and character driven the film really is. It is impressive how well the film still holds up to this day and that it manages to remain constantly interesting despite little action. The film is still somewhat under-appreciated, whether that is because of Disney's title is unsure because the film still grips and entertains with ease.

The story sees the oceans assumed unsafe during the late 1800s as a number of ships have been destroyed by what people are calling a monster. A naturalist professor, his assistant and a whaler join an expedition to unravel the mystery. But when they're vessel is destroyed and they are the only three who survive, the come aboard the 'monster' and realise it is a high-tech submarine run by the highly intelligent Captain Nemo. Nemo is distant to them at first, but slowly allows them to into his ideology. The story is very interesting, the mystery of Nemo's views on life are presented and left for the audience to make judgement on. I really like how the film portrays the four ideologies of these men and lets their views on warfare bounce around, as this is what forms the plots backbone. The film is very story driven so that fact that the plot is this good really helps make the film standout.

The four lead actors are what really make the film memorable. All four create engaging people and get their personality traits down perfectly. James Mason is simply superb as the complex and tragic Nemo. He displays Nemo as a man that was far ahead of his time and wounded by how harmful man's actions can be. The fact that he has retired to the sea shows how much he wants to get away from the actions of his fellow humans. Paul Lukas is equally as brilliant in his very calming and touching portrayal of Professor Aronnax. He is one of a few who believes that he can convince Nemo to change his views on humanity and see that there is some good left. Both Mason and Lukas give wonderfully intelligent performances.

Kirk Douglas puts his gruff persona and chiselled looks to good use as the vigorous everyday sailor Ned Land. Land's more bombastic attitude and hands on approach brilliantly corresponds those of Nemo and the professor. Peter Lorre is also excellent support as the professor's easily panicked assistant Conseil. Lorre's agitated expressions and nervous delivery are just perfect for the character, as Lorre makes what could have been a forgotten role extremely notable.

It is striking at just how well the film holds up and how the visual aspects have hardly dated thanks to expert techniques used. The claustrophobic nature of the Nautilus is the perfect metaphor for how trapped the three men feel at first, whilst the submarine itself is a stunning creation thanks to its Gothic design and colourful scenery. The scenes filmed out at sea and under the oceans waves look very authentic, even the use of blue screen is difficult to notice at times. When the action set pieces do turn up they are very well shot and full of tension. The famous giant squid attack looks very good, thanks to shooting the scene in a storm, and has a lot of excitement. The scene were Ned enters the natives land is also very good thanks to the excellently crafted suspense, you can even forgive the dodgy electricity effects.

The dialogue and interactions are another highlight. This is an extremely character driven film after all, the main thing that the film does is to try and have the views of the four leads bounce of each other in order to place them in an interesting dilemma. The three men have difficulty accepting Nemo's views and have trouble working out reasons for his motives. While Ned and Conseil dismiss him as a madman, the professor notes that Nemo does have his reasons as him becomes a confident for the captain. Nemo turns into more of a tragic character as we learn his true motives and this creates a great anti-hero for the audience to decide to agree with or turn away. The more that the professor gets sucked into Nemo's ideology creates the perfect conflict as Ned and Conseil cannot decide what action to take.

As said the dialogue is brilliant. I really like how smart it is and how the conversations of the men are always interesting. It also allows us to see through the characters eyes and find out what they are feeling, like with the professor's journal. There are some funny quips such as Lorre claiming that messages in bottles when out with Robinson Crusoe that are well placed throughout. The score from Paul Smith fits in soundly as well. It does sound rather grand and manages to convey the elements of suspense very well. Even Kirk Douglas tune 'Whale of a Tale' is a very enjoyable number.

20,000 Leagues might very well be one of the best adventure movies ever made, it is certainly one of Disney's best live action pieces. For such a reserved and dialogue driven film it is amazing how interesting and entertaining it manages to be. That in part is down to the four lead actors who, as said, are all absolutely fantastic jobs. It is also in part to an excellent script and some truly outstanding production design that also help to make the film a masterpiece. 20,000 Leagues is always entertaining, filled with interesting ideas, superb acting and wonderful visuals it is impossible not to find something to enjoy.

Right, I confess, I have a fascination with this film, but I don't understand why. True, James Mason was the man fate intended for the role of Nemo, and the Nautilus was design perfection.

However, I would like to point out one thing. Once again, Hollywood pisses on literature by tearing away the subtlety of the book and changing all the things that fascinate about the story. Jules Verne's Nemo was a mystery - nothing is ever found out by Aronnax or his associates about this enigmatic figure. Yet Disney goes further than to even suggest his past, it becomes integral to the plot.

The beauty of Verne's work is that it is scientific intrigue set against human struggle, yet this version does not do the novel the justice of presenting this as an important side. Not to mention that the emphasis is shifted from Aronnax to the questionable comic duo of Conseil (about as different from Verne's character as it is possible to be) and Land.

As an avid reader of Verne, it is not possible to show how disappointing the "best film version" of this book is. Oh, and where the hell did the music come from?!