20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (Special Edition)

20,000 Leagues Under The Sea(released Dec/54)stars Kirk Douglas,Peter Lorre,James Mason and Paul Lukas,in Walt Disney's take on the Jules Verne novel of the same name.This was the first of the Buena Vista releases and the first Sci-Fi directed by Walt himself.However,like many other Disney productions,this movie is slightly over done and stretched in length.It comes in around the 127 minute mark and by the end you have looked at the time more than once wondering when the end is coming.
Disney's take in this movie shows us a Captain Neemo(Mason)as a disturbed and conflicted individual;thinking he has found perfection under the sea,coupled with his on going battle and hatred of those from the land.There are consistent philosophic arguments between Neemo and Prof.Arounax(Lukas),but in the end which side,if any,we the audience fall on is left up to us.
Neemo's presence is strongly felt in the South seas as ship after ship succumb to his attacks.Thinking they are sea monsters an expedition is sent out to get to the bottom of things.The Prof.,his assistant Conseil(Lorre)and ship hand Ned(Douglas)have their ship sunk under their feet and are taken aboard Neemo's ship/submarine the Nautilus.Between the Professor and Neemo's philosophical ramblings,we get to see Neemo's world and how he has lived undersea for years and the reason he has such a loyal crew.Also we get some singing from Kirk himself and some comical moments between him and a seal and Conseil.Neemo has set up a base of operations in the middle of a volcanic island.Land,with the support of Conseil,has sent many a floating bottle off asking for rescue and the location of Neemo's base.When the sub Nautilus arrives at the base it has been surrounded by various war ships,bent on its destruction.Neemo sneaks in,plants an explosive device to blow up the island,but in his escape gets fatally wounded.When the explosion occurs,a long shot shows a mushroom shaped cloud(can you say A-bomb?).The Professor,Conseil and Land have escaped the sub in a skiff and the resultant tsunami from the explosion sinks the sub and all aboard.
Technically speaking the film is clear and crisp in its' original a/r of 2:55:1.Extras abound in this two disc edition.The first disc has the movie,commentary and a Donald Duck cartoon in Cinemascope.The 2nd disc contains audio radio spots,Lorre's ADR tracks,featurettes on the making of the film,Disney and Verne and the real life squid,rare footage of the squid sequence,storboarding of the film,the trailer and much more.
All in all a recommended Disney release of this /54 film favourite.Disney does the film up right with the myriad of extras included here.The film itself I found to be a bit on the long side,typical of Disney for many,many years,but the strong cast is A-1.However it is a flick film goers of all ages can enjoy.

Like many of the other reviewers of this movie, I'm a pre-boomer who was dazzled by the film as a child. Somewhere in my aging mom's attic, I have a few bolts (painted wood) from the movie set of the Nautilus, which I "borrowed" from one of the Disney properties as a kid nearly a half century ago. I remember taking a bus from LA to Burbank to stare through the slats of the fence in the back lot of the Disney Studios and seeing a partial model of the Nautilus, perhaps 1/3 scale, tossed in a corner like so much debris. What I would have given to be able to drag that model home.

When I viewed the VHS version of this film a couple of years ago, I was bitterly disappointed by the poor quality which made the watching experience actually painful to a fan like me. But, let me tell you, this DVD is as thrilling as the VHS was painful. This fully-restored version of the film comes roaring back to life in all of its glory and then some. It's the best film restoration these old eyes have ever beheld. Watched on a state-of-the-art widescreen TV, this is every bit the experience it was in the '50's and I think it's wonderful that this great film is now preserved for the ages, just as it was when it was first released.

Is this a perfect movie? No. Even as a kid, I noticed that the background music was too cheesy, that Kirk Douglas's songs seemed gratuitous, that the fish swimming outside the large porthole were cartoonish, and that the electrically-illuminated eye of the Giant Squid made an otherwise perfect special effect look a bit fake. I'm just as puzzled by those weaknesses today as I was then, especially since all other aspects of the film, including the numerous, Oscar-winning special effects involving the Nautilus, are masterful. But no movie is perfect and this movie, minor warts and all, is nothing less than a memorial to the genius of Disney, the acting of James Mason, the passion of the Disney staff, and the vision of Jules Verne.

Finally! The definitive edition of a Jules Verne classic brought back in all its pomp and glory. The price, for once, is right.

I remember it when it first was released in Europe, and I can safely say that this version beats even that showing back then.

Extremely clear image, stupendous surround sound, make this a must have in the most absolute way.

Forget all the other versions ever made. This remains THE classic of them all!

Forget the dated special effects which, by the way, you may not even notice, since the story is so gripping and fast paced, that you may not even realize they are.

James Mason gives a wonderful portrayal of Captain Nemo. One of his best roles, together with Fieldmarshal Rommel in "The Desert Fox", Cicero in "Five Fingers" and Professor Arronax in "Journey to the Center of the Earth" of about the same period.
Kirk Douglas and Peter Lorre form a perfect if not odd comical duo, to ease the tension of the story.

The score is beautifully remastered and brings you immediately back to those long bygone days of great moviemaking.

I won't be long reviewing this movie, since many others before me, have already praised it and described it in detail.

I can only say, buy it, buy it, buy it!

Oh, and by the way, don't forget about another Jules Verne classic coming out soon on DVD and in Widescreen:
"Around the World in 80 Days".
That's another "absolutely must have".

In the meanwhile, have you checked on "Journey to the Center of the Earth".
Do you have it on your DVD shelf?
No?
Shame on you...
Go and get it fast.
It's been remastered and it's a worthy companion to the other two Jules Verne movies.
So, what are you waiting for?