League movie review
Jul. 12th, 2003 11:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gementI went to League with ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
cristoforio Friday night. I was pleasantly surprised. (Of course, I went in just praying it wouldn't completely SUCK.) They rewrote several characters, but they ended up with characters that still worked and fit the theme. I didn't want to strangle Tom Sawyer.
Mina was more sensual than before, but not unduly so, and still radiated strength... and it's a movie, people, they HAD to give her vamp-fu. And yes, she's not the leader anymore. Guess what, they got Sean Connery. You gonna tell him he can't be the big hero guy? He really was a very fun Quatermain.
Nemo's fighting style... gorgeous.
Nautilus navigating the Venice canals... no.
Dorian's inclusion in the League... brilliant.
Continuity issues with Invisible Man's makeup... not so cool.
The big pretty steampunk car... sweet.
Lack of steampunk except for Nemo's toys... sadly missed.
But for the most part, it all WORKED.
Summary: If you know a lot about the characters or the backing literature, it will be overexplained. If you know nothing about them, it will be underexplained. If you have a reasonable classical cultural grounding, it should give you enough of a refresher that you won't get lost. If you read the comics, the explanations will make you grind your teeth but the fancandy visuals they throw in will make you dance for joy.
Because we do not have a particularly literate society, they couldn't make this a *great* movie... no matter what level they put it at, they'll lose some people and bore some others. But given the intellectual balancing act they had to work with, it was incredibly well done.
I'm going to see it again.
cristoforio Friday night. I was pleasantly surprised. (Of course, I went in just praying it wouldn't completely SUCK.) They rewrote several characters, but they ended up with characters that still worked and fit the theme. I didn't want to strangle Tom Sawyer.Mina was more sensual than before, but not unduly so, and still radiated strength... and it's a movie, people, they HAD to give her vamp-fu. And yes, she's not the leader anymore. Guess what, they got Sean Connery. You gonna tell him he can't be the big hero guy? He really was a very fun Quatermain.
Nemo's fighting style... gorgeous.
Nautilus navigating the Venice canals... no.
Dorian's inclusion in the League... brilliant.
Continuity issues with Invisible Man's makeup... not so cool.
The big pretty steampunk car... sweet.
Lack of steampunk except for Nemo's toys... sadly missed.
But for the most part, it all WORKED.
Summary: If you know a lot about the characters or the backing literature, it will be overexplained. If you know nothing about them, it will be underexplained. If you have a reasonable classical cultural grounding, it should give you enough of a refresher that you won't get lost. If you read the comics, the explanations will make you grind your teeth but the fancandy visuals they throw in will make you dance for joy.
Because we do not have a particularly literate society, they couldn't make this a *great* movie... no matter what level they put it at, they'll lose some people and bore some others. But given the intellectual balancing act they had to work with, it was incredibly well done.
I'm going to see it again.
