20,000 Leagues Under The Sea

 

Release Date: December 23, 1954

Watch Date: February 14 - February 15, 2023

"Climb aboard the Nautilus and into a strange undersea world of spellbinding adventure! Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre star as shipwrecked survivors taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo, brilliantly portrayed by James Mason. Wavering between genius and madness, Nemo has launched a deadly crusade across the seven seas. But can the captive crew exposes his evil plan before he destroys the world?"

    There is a song, early on in this movie, and that is the best part of this movie. It's on my Spotify playlist. I did my best to warn Bob. I think he thought I was exaggerating. I was not.

    This movie is so boring. It drags. And at no point does anyone go 20,000 leagues under the sea. Around the sea, sure, but not under - as in deep. Which is what that title definitely lets you believe. I don't care if going 20,000 leagues deep would put you into space, as Bob would gleefully point out (anytime he can make his smart wife seem dumb, he makes sure to enjoy it).

    This movie is also racist, which Bob would be annoyed if I didn't point it out. Cannibal African tribesman is a little on the nose as far as stereotypes go, and super duper offensive. I'm not saying cannibals don't exist and have never existed, but a relatively large tribe going crazy over two dudes on a beach? Seems excessive, even Jules Verne.

    The 'French' accents in this film drive me batty. No one sounds like they come from where they're meant to be from, and not in a charming 'aw everyone has a British accent' kind of way. Just in a really bad accents kind of way.

    Captain Nemo is a well written, complicated character. He's lost everything, he's rebuilt everything. He sees the way the world could be better, but because of humanities ills, he simply won't share it. He will blow it up, of course, but then would he be a villain if there wasn't mass murder.

    I like the sealion, but I will always like sealions. I did want to be a marine biologist when I was growing up, and that will never change.

    Whether or not either of us found the movie entertaining at some point lots and lots of people did. Disneyland would feature a ride that had people going for their own adventure aboard the Nautilus, and the piano made it from the set, to the ride, to eventually - and finally - residing in the Pirates of the Caribbean. 20,000 Leagues has secured it's legacy, and if you want to see a true piece of Disney history - this is the movie for you.