20, 000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

This film reminds me of a later Disney picture, "The Black Hole". Both explore the uncharted areas of our universe. The former under the sea and the later outer space. Both have men who want to exclude themselves from society and think their reasons for destruction are justified and reasonable. Both are good in their own ways, but 20,000 has a classic feel to it that the later doesn't have.

The first great thing about 20,000 is the portrayal of Captain Nemo by James Mason. A great movie villain or anit-hero if you prefer. Captain Nemo does admit that he is not a civilized man and it really shows. Even though he is un-civilized, he has a sense of Justice. NEMO JUSTICE. He hates slavery and the men who enslave them. He hates violent men and their kegs of gun powder that kill other men. His great solution to this injustice is to blow up those ships with his super-duper submarine. He doesn't give a whale's fin who he kills along the way.

The 2nd great thing about 20,000 is Kirk Douglass. He sings, gets into fights, and gives some witty lines. The third great thing is the seal. Animals always rule in Disney films. Monkeys, Seals, and Dogs are usually a winner. The 4th is the Giant Squid. This bad boy is not to be underestimated. The Fifth is the The Nautilus. Imagine if modern submarines were this cool. Crimson Tide would be a different film if they had been on board the Nautilus instead of that cramped submarine.

The final great thing I will mention is that the film is not a typical good vs. evil adventure story. It is a compelling Sci-Fi story filled with ethical and moral questions that engage one's brain. It also has a lot of great adventure. Disney films are not all cutesy. It's not all tame. The violence may be scaled down but it's there. Someday I'll actually read the book and compare the two.

This is one of those films that would fit well into a family library.

More Jules Verne Excitment

Early Made Jules Verne

A Trip to the Moon (short) (novel "De la Terre à la Lune" - uncredited) 1902

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (novel "Vingt Mille Lieues sous les mers") 1916

Classic Golden Age Jules Verne Movies

1954 20000 Leagues Under the Sea

1956 Around the World in Eighty Days (book)

1959 Journey to the Center of the Earth (novel "Voyage au centre de la Terre")

1961 Master of the World (novels "Master of the World" and "Rubur, the Conqueror")

1961 Mysterious Island (novel "L'Île mystérieuse")

1962 Five Weeks in a Balloon (novel "Cinq semaines en ballon")

1962 In Search of the Castaways (novel - uncredited)

1969 Captain Nemo and the Underwater City (characters)

Rare and hard to Find Jules Verne Films

The Conquest of the Pole (short) (novel "Voyages et aventures du Captaine Hatteras") 1912

Michael Strogoff   1956

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (novel "Face au Drapeau") 1958

Up to His Ears 1965

Ukradená vzducholod (novel "Deux ans de vacances") 1967

Those Fantastic Flying Fools   1967

The Southern Star (novel "L'Étoile du sud") 1969

The Light at the Edge of the World (novel "Le Phare du bout du monde") 1971

Modern Up to Date Jules Verne

Around the World in 80 Days 1989 (TV mini-series) Pierce Brosnan

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1997 (TV movie) Hallmark

Journey to the Center of the Earth 1999 (TV movie) Hallmark

Around the World in 80 Days 2004 Jackie Chan

Mysterious Island (TV movie)  2005 Hallmark

Journey to the Center of the Earth   2008 Brendan Fraser

Journey to the Center of the Earth  2008 Rick Schroder

Jules Verne Yet to Come

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo (pre-production)

Mysterious Island  2011/12