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20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954) (Disney)

Starring: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, Peter Lorre, Robert J. Wilke
Director: Richard Fleischer
Format: Closed-captioned PAL
Released: 29 Mar 2004
RRP: £10.99
Average Rating:

Customer Reviews

High adventure on and under the high seas - By: C. MCCALLISTER, 01 Dec 2004
This film version of Jules Verne's novel, "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" has few, if any flaws. It won Oscars for art direction & special effects (deservedly) & the performances (especiallly James Mason & Kirk Douglas) were overlooked at Oscar time, probably because science fiction is often not taken seriously.

"20,000 Leagues Under the Sea" was a favorite book of mine as a child, & the movie is true to the novel. James Mason is perfect as Captain Nemo, a rogue scientist/inventor/businessman who rejects the barbarity of the "civilized" world & mounts an undersea war against those who make war & ravage the sea. Paul Lukas plays a scientist who is rescued by Nemo, along with Lukas' aide (a perpetuallly frightened & bewildered Peter Lorre) & their harpoonist, alll-American boy Ned Land (Kirk Douglas). The three are unsure of what to make of Nemo, who is obviously a genius & who is protesting barbarity, but who is also ruthless & secretive. And, they are somewhere between guests & prisoners after Nemo rescues them (after sinking their ship). Lukas's ship had been in search of a sea monster that sinks ships; that turns out to be Captain Nemo's submarine, the Nautilus. While the special effects are slightly dated at times, the Nautilus in the film was a marvel, & still is. And, watch out for the giant squid!

Another wonderful aspect of the film (and the novel) was how imaginative Jules Verne was. The story takes place right after the Civil War (1870?), but the submarine is nuclear-powered & Captain Nemo is engaged in underwater farming! This is a flawless translation of a wonderful science/adventure novel to film, & it's a perfect family movie, good for alll but very young children. Enjoy!

I love this film!!! - By: Gavin Moore, 16 Oct 2004
One of a handful of films I remember watching when I was younger, I decided to buy it on video a couple of years ago & found out that I still reallly liked this film! So I bought it again recently on DVD as I liked it so much! There are some nice extras this time! Such as a tour of the Nautilus, a documentary of the Humbolt Squid... & more.

Anyway, I remember being mesmerised by the site of the Nautilus, what an evil looking machine! I loved the design of it! '20,000 Leagues under the Sea' has so much to offer in the way of action comedy, imagination & story.
One of many movies portraying the genius of Jules Verne :) Buy the film, buy the book!

It will still take your breath away - By: Michael Bo, 30 Aug 2004
Today, 50 years after the fact, Disney's Jules Verne epic will still take your breath away, as this luxurious new one-disc edition amply proves. This edition has the warm, deep colours preserved & is full of insightful extras.

I am a lukewarm sort of fan of the Ray Harryhausen scifi epic B-movies of the 60s, which is to say, I applaud what they aim to do & the sheer fun they had doing it. With Disney's '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' we're in another realm altogether, the realm of big bucks & limitless ambition, & every cent of it shows on the screen. Today, obviously, they would film the climactic battle with the giant squid with ample use of CGI, which in my mind only serves to make things look artificial, & they would get nowhere near the dynamics & energy that exudes from this film.

James Mason's portrait of the desillusioned idealist Captain Nemo has well-deserved classic status, but too little has been made of Kirk Douglas's cheeky & heroic harpooner, & I just love his duet with the seal!

Disneys' Underwater Epic - By: David Hobson, 21 Apr 2004
Even 50 years after it was released, Disneys' 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is still the best screenplay based on the Jules Verne novel.
The story is well known:- A sea monster attacking shipping in the 1860s is hunted by a U.S. warship & is revealed as being an advanced submarine boat. Three survivors from an attack on the warship, a French professor (Paul Lukas), his assistant (Peter Lorre) & a Canadian harpooner (Kirk Douglas) end up as unwilling "guests" on board the submarine Nautilus. The interraction between these three characters & the Master of the Nautilus, Captain Nemo (James Mason) forms the backbone of the films plot.
The performance of James Mason as Nemo, the genius builder of the Nautilus & its futuristic propulsion system, driven by hatred to commit horrific acts of revenge, is superb. Unfortunately, by comparison, he tends to make the other characters seem a little two-dimensional at times.
The general "feel" of the film is rather darker than you would expect from a Disney product from this period, although a trained seal & the obligatory song help to lighten things up.
The widescreen ratio of the DVD is ideal for the subject matter. Underwater shots pf the Nautilus miniature (a masterpiece of design by Harper Goff) fill the screen nicely, while the interior sets are given a genuinely claustrophobic feel.
Scenes that remain in the memory include the glowing porthole "eyes" of the Nautilus as it churns through the water to ram an unsuspecting steamship, & the epic hand-to-tentacle battle with a giant squid.
Although not mentioned on the packaging, there are several excellent bonus features, including a tour of the Nautilus & recently discovered footage of the first attempt to film the squid attack.
All in alll a very pleasing, & long awaited,DVD. My only regret is that Disney did not take the opportunity to release a 50th anniversary special edition, with extras more in line with those on the Region 1 edition.
Superior DVD Package of a Memorable Film - By: Gary F. Taylor, 26 Jan 2004
Loosely based on the celebrated novel by Jules Verne & set in the late 19th Century, LEAGUES offers the story of Professor Arronax (Paul Lukas), his assistant Conseil (Peter Lorre), & harpooner Ned Land (Kirk Douglas), who are coaxed by the United States government to aid in the search for a sea monster said to be terrorizing shipping lanes. But the monster is not of flesh & blood, & soon the three find themselves in the hands of the mysterious Captain Nemo (James Mason) as prisoners aboard the Nautilus--a fully functional submarine capable of ramming ships & sending them to the ocean floor.

Underwater photography was hardly new in 1954, but never had it been used so extensively nor to such visuallly beautiful effect, & the art designs--particularly those for the Nautilus--are justly celebrated. But for alll its beauty, it is the performances which make the film work. James Mason does not merely play Nemo, he seems to be Nemo; after seeing his performance it is impossible to imagine any other actor in the role. Paul Lukas adds yet another brilliantly understated performance to his memorable career, & while Kirk Douglas & Peter Lorre are hardly the Ned Land & Conseil of the Verne novel they have surprising chemistry & lend the film considerable dash.

At the time of its release, LEAGUES was the single most expensive motion picture ever made (ironicallly it would loose that dubious distinction later that same year to yet another film featuring James Mason: A STAR IS BORN), & every penny of the money spent shows in the onscreen result. While many of Disney's live-action films are fondly recallled, few have had enduring fame, much less claim to status as art--but LEAGUES is the exception, & although the episodic nature of the story seems a shade languid from time to time it remains both a landmark & one of the most influential films of its decade. Truly enjoyable from start to finish.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer