The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
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A group of literary heroes must unite to stop a terrorist mastermind from sparking a global war.
The story
In 1899, a terrorist group led by the "Fantom" commits a series of high-profile crimes, including robbing the Bank of England and destroying a factory in Berlin. With the British and German Empires on the brink of war, a British emissary named Sanderson Reed travels to Kenya to recruit the retired adventurer Allan Quatermain. After Quatermain joins the cause, he is introduced to "M," who reveals the Fantom's plan to attack world leaders in Venice. To counter this threat, M assembles the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, recruiting a diverse group of extraordinary individuals, including a submarine captain, a vampire chemist, and an invisible thief, to stop the conspiracy.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1899, the 'Fantom' robs the Bank of England and causes international tension. Sanderson Reed recruits Allan Quatermain, who joins 'M' to form the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, including Captain Nemo, Mina Harker, and Rodney Skinner. They recruit Dorian Gray and later Dr. Henry Jekyll (Edward Hyde). While traveling to Venice in the Nautilus, they suspect a mole. Upon reaching Venice, the city is partially destroyed by bombs. It is revealed that M is actually Professor James Moriarty. The League travels to Mongolia to confront M's fortress. During the final confrontation, the team splits up to handle various threats. Quatermain faces Moriarty, while the others deal with the henchman Dante and the traitorous Dorian Gray. In the final clash, Quatermain is mortally wounded by Moriarty and dies. The survivors remain on the Nautilus to continue fighting threats to peace. A final scene shows a supernatural storm over Quatermain's grave.
- First release year
- 2003
- Runtime (minutes)
- 110
- Production countries
- United States; Czech Republic; United Kingdom
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Stephen Norrington
- Writers
- James Dale Robinson · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Sean Connery · Allan Quatermain; Shane West · Tom Sawyer; Stuart Townsend · Dorian Gray; Richard Roxburgh · The Fantom / "M" / Prof. James Moriarty; Peta Wilson · Dr. Mina Harker; Tony Curran · Rodney Skinner; Jason Flemyng · Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde; Naseeruddin Shah · Nemo
- Genres
- steampunk; dieselpunk; superhero; action; fantasy; adventure
- Themes
- pastiche; crossover
- Tone and mood
- adventure
- Premise and plot tags
- multiverse; alternate history; superhero
- Source material / true-story basis
- comic book series by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill
- Content notes
- violence
- Reception
- The film received generally unfavorable reviews but was financially successful.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 16% · scale: percentage · review count: 182; Metacritic · score: 30% · scale: percentage · review count: 36
- Awards and nominations
- Saturn Award · Best Fantasy Film · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Supporting Actress · nomination; Saturn Award · Best Costume Design · nomination
- Production trivia
- Sean Connery's final role in a theatrically released live-action film before his retirement.; The film was sued for plagiarism and settled out of court.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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