Dean Kish reviews 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'

[Michael]

[Boomstick]

I recently read the first volume of "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" by Alan Moore. I was surprised to find it highly overrated. So much so, in fact, that I'd say the film does a better job with the concept.

My biggest complaints with the comic are it's treatment of some of the characters. Allan Quatermain is found a drug addict, The Invisible Man raping school girls. It's been a while since I've read H.G. Well's book, but I don't recall it going that far.

The issue that features the introduction of The Invisible Man is full of stupid sexual 'humor', as well, not at all the sort of thing I was expecting, although I'll concede that it's a matter of personal taste whether or not it's funny.

The other big problem is that a Chinese villain,obviously based on Sax Rhomer's Fu-Manchu, is introduced as the red herring that "M" sends the team after. The problem is that his story is never completed, the reader apparently left to assume that he's killed. Very poor writing, I thought.

With all this in mind, I appreciate the film even more. It did make money in the long run, as far as I know, so I don't think it deserves the reputation it got. If anything, I suspect that audiences weren't sure what to do with a steampunk film featuring Victorian literary characters. In my mind, though, "LXG" is one of the most underrated popcorn movies of the past decade, and holds it's own against other action-adventure movies that have been released since.

[Michael]

I love the movie but it's definitely a very different style of tale from what movie audiences are used to. One could almost call it a Steampunk art film.

[EDSEL_PK]

Not a bad flick. I liked the cast and the general premise. It might have done better, though, if they had pared down the League a bit. I hardly think Tom Sawyer brought much to the table.

And 'Steampunk' is probably a good description.

The film was, perhaps, a bit too cerebral for mainstream SF audiences.

[Boomstick]

Not a bad flick. I liked the cast and the general premise. It might have done better, though, if they had pared down the League a bit. I hardly think Tom Sawyer brought much to the table.

Dorian Grey and Tom Sawyer were additions made for the film, they don't appear in the comic book. I'm guessing Sawyer was added in an attempt to give American audiences a character they'd at least heard of.

BTW, the comic book is very steampunk, much more so than the film.

[Michael]

I thought Dorian was in the comic book. Oh well. So much for my memory of things I haven't had time to read.

[Boomstick]

I thought Dorian was in the comic book. Oh well. So much for my memory of things I haven't had time to read.

I've not read beyond the first volume of the comics, but he doesn't appear in the first one. His portrait does appear on the wall behind the league in one of the images, though, suggesting an association of some sorts. At any rate, the character fits well.