| 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea |
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| Buy the VHS | |
| Genre: | Family |
| Year: | 1954 |
| Rating: | G |
| Cast: | Richard Fleischer, Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas |
For aficionados of literary adventure, it doesn't get much better than Jules Verne; for lovers of movie magic, Walt Disney is the man to beat. It's no surprise, then, that when Verne and Disney come together on the big screen, all bets are off. Film history was made in 1954 with the arrival of director Richard Fleischer's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, the long-awaited Disney adaptation of Verne's underwater classic. Verne's story concerns an 18th-century mariner (Kirk Douglas) who is kidnapped on the high seas by Captain Nemo (James Mason), the mad pilot of a futuristic sub. A half century ago, this enthusiastically touted, high-megawatt extravaganza made waves within the industry for its grand scale and even grander production costs. But in the end, the efforts -- and the salaries -- paid off. The movie's still-breathtaking special effects -- which include, among other pitched battles, the famed hand-to-tentacle combat with a mammoth squid -- earned an Academy Award. Perfectionists take note: 20,000 Leagues took full advantage of all Cinemascope had to offer, and subsequent TV showings and video releases have chopped up the film's panoramic vistas. So go for the letterboxed editions where available, and find yourself a great big TV. Bruce Kluger
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