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From:James Mason , Kirk Douglas , Peter Ellenshaw , Elmo Williams , Vincent Di Fate , Charles A. Nichols , Richard Fleischer , Walt Disney Video ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#2823 |
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1 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
 A Disney Classic!, 2007-01-04
As a boy I use to read everything I could on Walt Disney's work, hoping to one day work at the Disney studios as an animator. Well, even though that dream never happened, I was quite saddened by Walt's death when I saw a stand up poster of Mickey Mouse on a street corner one day as a boy, my mother and I passed with the stand up A-frame showing Mickey Mouse, with tears falling from his eyes, holding up a sheet of paper in his right hand saying"My father has died!".
Walt was a great man and a visionery in my book. I especially enjoyed reading Diane Disney's book; telling her father's life story when I was going through high school and how Walt went through three bancrupcies, as I recall, before drawing Mickey Mouse on a subway one day, while his wife looked on viewing over his shoulder what he had drawn. He had named the character "Mortimer" but his wife proposed "Mickey" as a name, which Walt liked better; so goes Diane's account.
This film was, however, I think, his most ambitious, if not most costly; price wise. What a gambler he was! But he caught us kids with this one and boy how we lined up at the theatre's to see this one! I wasn't a real big Kirk Douglass fan back then. However I did enjoy Kirk Douglass in the motion picture film entitled "The Final Countdown" where he plays Captain Yelland aboard the aircraft carrier Nemitz which travels back into time a day before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Another great film worth viewing I might add.
Anyway, in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, I saw myself more as Captain Nemo throughout the film; played by James Mason. Mason struck me as the perfect Captain Nemo, if there ever was going to be one on the silver screen. Douglass's character struck me more as a guy who was a jerk, out for profit and gain, as well as a good time, while not being a visionary of what Nemo was trying to accomplish as a peace ruler. So I don't know if it was his character or Douglass himself that turned me off.
While we all had our own imagination working for each of us, when we read the book, I think Walt came the closest anyone could in bringing it to the silver screen. Even if the subject was remade today, those my age would still be comparing it to the fabulous achievement Walt Disney and his people did with this production master while we waited in theatre lines to see the film again and again.
I even remember they had the giant squid on display at Disneyland, as a boy, in a giant "aquariam tank"; for lack of a better word. The tank was not real, but the lighting and the glass going around the display made it look real as you viewed the giant squid. It was well done for the viewing populace. Wish I had pictures, but then I was only a boy back then and my parents didn't take any picture of the display that I know of to this day.
Anyway, I gave this four stars, simply because I didn't think the role Kirk Douglass played was the right part for him, but the film itself is worth five stars. I've also been a long time fan of Peter Lorre, who I loved in the Humphrey Bogart film "The Maltese Falcon" and other old Hollywood classic films that graces my library collection. The behind the scenes DVD is also well worth the money that comes with the product.
The case and DVD were in excellent condtion and I have no complaints about the DVD quality. Purchase price was good too and delivery was on time.
4 of 4 customers found the following review helpful:
Douglas' song neatly sums up the whole Disney venture..., 2006-12-16
The film begins in 1868 as news of a mysterious and puzzling phenomenon sweeps the nautical world... Tales of vessels being swiftly destroyed by this apparition reach the public mind... American government and an armed frigate is sent to destroy the mysterious 'thing', most of the time phosphorescent, and infinitely larger and more rapid in its movements than a whale...
But the monster sinks the frigate and only three survivors find themselves aboard 'a floating island' which inflamed their minds... The three survivors were: a roguish sailor (Kirk Douglas), an oceanic professor (Paul Lukas), and his assistant, Conseil (Peter Lorre).
The three men also find that their host, the enigmatic Captain Nemo (James Mason), is a cultured, hospitable gentleman whose big ambition is to destroy the world, which he despises... His splendid ship, the futuristic Nautilus, is a technological, self-sustaining wonder, enabling its crew to investigate worlds hundreds of fathoms beneath the surface...
In their involuntary roles as prisoner-guests, the trio is invited to tour the wonders of the deep... and the walk freely on the bottom of the sea...
Although the professor and Conseil are content to remain aboard to take advantage of the knowledge gained, the 'prince of harpooners' was eager to escape and get back to his own way of life... Douglas makes his great escape when the Nautilus stops at a lonely island but savage cannibals chase him back to the safety of Nemo's ship...
Seizing every opportunity to get away, Douglas inserts notes containing the location of Nemo's secret island, in bottles and tosses them hopefully into the sea... One of the notes finds its way to the Navy...
'20,000 Leagues Under the Sea' deserves acclaim for its futuristic insight... It is the finest visualization so far of a Jules Verne fantasy...
According to Verne, the Nautilus gathered all the treasures of nature and art, with the artistic confusion which distinguishes a painter's studio...
Kirk Douglas is at his best as the extravagant harpooner, occasionally violent and very passionate when contradicted...
With his uniquely expressive voice, James Mason is brilliant as the dark genius, who put himself beyond the pale of human laws, defying all attempts made against him...
Paul Lukas looks like a very curious intruder, absolutely astounded to pass his time in this mystic garden of the deep, on board the land of marvels...
Peter Lorre is quite funny as the true, devoted servant, who despite his name, never giving advice, even when asked for it...
At one point in the picture Douglas sings "Whale of a Tale," which neatly sums up the whole Disney venture..
2 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
Early 1950's Film Still Impressive, 2006-11-11
My dad took me to see 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea when it played in theaters in the 1950s, one of the first movies we saw together. Albeit a quirky blend of Disney-Cousteau and dark philosophy, the first CinemaScope-Technicolor film still is fun to watch. I can't get enough of Nautilus on its attack run. Kirk Douglas' portrayal of Ned Land, the ignorant but skillful harpooner who was responsible for Nemo's demise, cemented my lifelong dislike of that actor (and his progeny). Go Figure!
1 of 2 customers found the following review helpful:
One of the best Jules Verne movie, 2006-11-03
I bought this movie for my son (6 years), but we enjoyed so much as new action movie.
4 of 5 customers found the following review helpful:
 Disney fans don't hesitate to buy this!, 2006-07-22
I purchased this as simply and add on to my ever growing Disney DVD collection. I did not really expect much. What a wonderful surprise awaited me inside this little package.The movie was very good, but the special features made it excellent. I learned so much from watching them about the Disney studios at the time of the filming as well as about Walt Disney himself.The features also included great detailed info about the making of the film, the musical score and many many other intersting things. This is a must own for Disney fans and Sci-Fi movie fans. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.
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