★ 5 / 10
After what seems like an age of prologue
CinemaSerf
After what seems like an age of prologue material, "Prof. Aronnax" (Richard Crenna) and his daughter "Sophie" (Julie Cox) finally set sail on the USS "Abraham…
After what seems like an age of prologue material, "Prof. Aronnax" (Richard Crenna) and his daughter "Sophie" (Julie Cox) finally set sail on the USS "Abraham Lincoln" under the command of "Capt. Farragut" (Jeff Harding) in search of a sea monster that has been marauding the South Seas terrorising the shipping. Luckily they have harpoon man "Ned Land" (Paul Gross) on board, so catching and killing this beast ought to be a synch. Well, the animal duly arrives and next thing, the threesome find themselves guests of the enigmatic "Capt. Nemo" (Ben Cross) who has a serious axe to grind with those on the surface. This smacks of a pilot episode to a television series. It takes far too long with character establishment then relies almost entirely on the underwater visual effects to tell a story that is really bereft of decent acting and writing skills. Jules Verne wrote a great story that offers loads to a film-maker, but Michael Anderson seems content to leave us with this lacklustre sequence of pretty predictable, lame even, adventures and there is even room for a little love triangle between the captain, the harpoonist and the daughter (who reminded me of Sheena Easton) who is fed up having to compromise as a woman in a man's world. Nothing at all memorable here, Cross is shockingly wooden and if this is the story for you, then the 1954 Disney version and the 1916 silent ones are far, far better.
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★ 5 / 10
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
CinemaSerf
After what seems like an age of prologue material, "Prof. Aronnax" (Richard Crenna) and his daughter "Sophie" (Julie Cox) finally set sail on the USS "Abraham…
After what seems like an age of prologue material, "Prof. Aronnax" (Richard Crenna) and his daughter "Sophie" (Julie Cox) finally set sail on the USS "Abraham Lincoln" under the command of "Capt. Farragut" (Jeff Harding) in search of a sea monster that has been marauding the South Seas terrorising the shipping. Luckily they have harpoon man "Ned Land" (Paul Gross) on board, so catching and killing this beast ought to be a synch. Well, the animal duly arrives and next thing, the threesome find themselves guests of the enigmatic "Capt. Nemo" (Ben Cross) who has a serious axe to grind with those on the surface. This smacks of a pilot episode to a television series. It takes far too long with character establishment then relies almost entirely on the underwater visual effects to tell a story that is really bereft of decent acting and writing skills. Jules Verne wrote a great story that offers loads to a film-maker, but Michael Anderson seems content to leave us with this lacklustre sequence of pretty predictable, lame even, adventures and there is even room for a little love triangle between the captain, the harpoonist and the daughter (who reminded me of Sheena Easton) who is fed up having to compromise as a woman in a man's world. Nothing at all memorable here, Cross is shockingly wooden and if this is the story for you, then the 1954 Disney version and the 1916 silent ones are far, far better.
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★ 6 / 10
Passable adaptation based on Jules Verne's classic novel with good cast
ma-cortes
New take on for TV with agreeable casting and an acceptable Ben Cross as Nemo. The film talks about the known story from Jules Verne novel and previously…
New take on for TV with agreeable casting and an acceptable Ben Cross as Nemo. The film talks about the known story from Jules Verne novel and previously rendered in the classic by Richard Fleischer . 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 . Admiral Selling (Michael Jayston) assigns to naturist, biologist expert named professor Pierre Aronnax ( Richard Crenna in the role of Paul Lukas) a dangerous mission . Aronnax , her daughter as helper , along with a professional whaler named Ned Land( Paul Gross in the character of Kirk Douglas) join forces in an expedition 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 'Abraham Lincoln' when Nautilus rammed it and threw the Professor, his daughter and Ned Land into the water .Their ship is sunk and are captured and get thoroughly involved with captain Nemo ( Ben Cross in the role of 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 Nautilus and the revenge that has driven him for all these years .This fantastic TV movie displays sensational adventures, drama, intrigue, marvelous scenarios and is pretty enjoyable. Surprise-filled entertainment and with plenty of action on grand scale with good special effects made by a computer generator and some ship and submarine by maquette or scale model . However, overlong runtime is not boring but is entertaining and amusing . Memorable and likable cast as Ben Cross plays a captain Nemo who falls in love with the Annorax's daughter ; Richard Crenna plays perfectly to Annorax while in Disney version was an old Paul Lukas ; attractive Julie Cox in a new role, she has a loving triangle with Nemo and Ned Land played by Paul Gross who is an obstinate, stubborn young , just like Kirk Douglas . Atmospheric and vivid score by John Scott. Colorful cinematography by Alan Hume reflecting wonderfully underwater scenes . This TV picture is well produced by Robert Halmi Sr from ¨Hallmark , Hall of fame¨ TV , which has produced several films and series about historical happenings and known personages , as : Cleopatra, Odyssea(Ulises), Hercules , Jason and the Argonauts, Joan of Arc, Lion in Winter( Henry II and Leonor Aquitania), Prince and pauper( Henry VIII and Edward VI ), and numerous retelling based on famous novels . The television movie is correctly directed by Michael Anderson. Other versions from the classic story are an old mute (1916) by Stuart Paton , the best adaptation by Richard Flescher and for TV directed by Rod Hardy with Michael Caine and Richard Crenna , furthermore a cartoon movie directed by Arthur Rankin.The motion picture will appeal to fantasy-adventure buffs.
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38%
AUDIENCE
· 250 ratings
5.1/10
1.2K
•••
Wrong movie advertised. This is the one with Michael Caine not Richard Crenna!!