THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN

US, 2003, 111 minutes, Colour.
Sean Connery, Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Tony Curran, Stuart Townsend, Shane West, Jason Flemyng, Richard Roxburgh, Max Ryan, David Hemmings.
Directed by Stephen Norrington.

Because the main characters in this extravagant adventure are literary figures, most of the critics seemed to be expecting some kind of literary and literate film. What with Alan Quartermain from King Solomon's Mines, Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Tom Sawyer, The Invisible Man (or, at least, someone who stole his formula, both Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, Dorian Gray (and eventually his portrait) and one woman, Jonathan Harker's wife, Mina, who had, of course, been vampirised by Dracula. And the villain is... well, only by seeing the film will you find out who that literary villain is (and an excellent choice it is at that).

But... The screenplay is based on what were once were comic books and now are Graphic Novels. Author Alan Moore has had his graphic novel on Jack the Ripper filmed under the title From Hell. Graphic novels are not strong on words. It is the simple and straightforward image that counts. So it is here (with pounding sound engineering to add to the atmosphere). The characters all display their idiosyncrasies (with explanations for those who are wondering who all these people are and why they have been summoned). The enjoyment is in the imagining of their interactions.

It is 1899 and a villain called The Phantom has developed tanks and other weapons of mass destruction. He is using them to provoke an arms race and then a war between Britain and Germany. His contemporaries are stuck in the more single combat, bright uniform ideas of war and to imagine a world war seems infinitely fanciful. The M of 1899 summons this league to stalk the Phantom and thwart his ambitions.

An old priest friend once remarked that in movies, he liked a good stoush. This is a film with stoushes galore, and them some. It is full of explosions and mayhem, which makes dialogue sometimes superfluous. After all this is a motion picture of a graphic novel. Sean Connery is himself as Quartermain (but acknowledging he now needs glasses for long distance shooting). Captain Nemo is Indian (which reviewers assure us is genuine. Stuart Townsend is appropriately Wildean and dilettante as Dorian Grey. Jason Flemyng has to double as the slight Jekyll and gross makeup that makes him look like an ancestor of The Hulk.

The twist may be a bit obvious, but it is the identity of the obvious that is intriguing - as long as you know your literature of the time.

1. The dramatisation of a graphic novel? The comic strip style of characters, action, coincidences, quests?

2. The filming done in Prague, standing in for London, for Venice and Paris? African sequences? The atmosphere of 1899, the subdued and dark colours, the end of the century? Fears of war, hopes for the future and for peace?

3. The imagination of the plot, the league, the characters from fiction, each with their own distinctive personality, the background of the literature in which they appeared? Their status in the 1890s? Their being brought together for a mission? An enjoyable flight of fancy? A league of extraordinary gentlemen - and woman?

4. The opening, the tanks, the robberies, the brutality of the Fantom? The robbing of the Bank of England - the destruction of the dirigibles and Britain and Germany blaming each other? Their being dressed in the respective uniforms? The headlines which presage World War One? The Fantom and his discussion of World War One, imagining the unimaginable, the audience knowing that it actually happened and that these were the two main protagonists?

5. The transition to Africa, Nairobi, the huts and the magnificent hotel, the British inside and their drinking, the young man seeking Alan Quartermain, mistaking Nigel for him, the discussions, Quartermain owning up? The proposition to come to England and serve the Empire? His ironic comments about patriotism? The attack on the hotel, the killing of Nigel, the fight, Quartermain deciding to join the quest? The irony that the messenger was in league with the Fantom and that he had sent the gunman? The skills of shooting - especially with Allan Quartermain having to wear his glasses to shoot long distance?

6. His arrival in England, going downstairs, the meeting with M? The explanation of the risk of war? The quest to protect those going to Venice for the international meeting? The arrival of the members - the humour of the Invisible Man, his having taken the formula, a thief, unable to become visible again? Captain Nemo and his Indian background, accused of being a pirate? Mina Harker and her marriage to Jonathan Harker, her becoming a vampire because of Dracula? Their going to see Dorian Gray, his dwelling-place, his resistance, the attack in his house, his agreeing to be part of the expedition? The irony of Tom Sawyer arriving as a special American agent and infiltrating? The decision to hurry to Venice, using the Nautilus?

7. The Nautilus, its appearance, its power, its interiors, the Indian background? The group going to Paris, tracking down Mr Hyde, the hulk-like monster in action, his gradually being reduced to Dr Jekyll and his respectability? The proposal that he be part of the group?

8. The voyage to Venice, the suspicions that the Invisible Man was a traitor? Dr Jekyll and his looking in mirrors and talking with Mr Hyde, images of a kind of schizophrenia? The battle between good and evil within the one person? Quartermain and his helping Tom Sawyer as a kind of apprentice (and substitute for his dead son and others blaming him for the death of his son)? The pulling and shooting on the water? The loyalty to each other?

9. The arrival in Venice, the carnival, the people in costume, the merriment? The irony of the explosions, the domino effect of the collapsing buildings? Each using their skills, especially Quartermain, to stop the destruction of Venice? The confrontations, Quartermain discovering the Fantom, the interchanges and his escape? Eventually discovering that M was the Fantom?

10. The strategies to stop the destruction? The Nautilus, the explosions, Dorian Gray being the traitor? The quick-wittedness of the group and their being saved, Mr Hyde going down into the water to release the flooded bulkhead? The message from the Invisible Man and the map and their going to China?

11. In China, the discovery of the village, the scientists being trapped there who had been taken away at the beginning? Each of them planning a strategy to take over the palace, destroy the weapons, confront the enemy?

12. Quartermain and Sawyer and their going to the building, casing it, stopping the explosions, the confrontation with M, Dante his assistant? The Invisible Man and the henchman taking samples from each of the extraordinary league so that they could use them, especially for disguise? Quartermain and his being confronted, Sawyer with the knife? The shooting, the stabbings, the stoushes? M and his running away, and Quartermain helping Tom Sawyer to shoot him at a distance? The irony of the samples all going under the ice?

13. Dorian Gray, his complacency, the dandy? His having been a visitor to Eton when Quartermain was at school? The famous portrait? The past relationship with Mina, her getting revenge on him, his staking her and thinking he had killed the vampire, her rising, stabbing him - and the portrait deteriorating?

14. Captain Nemo, his crew, the rescue of the scientists and their families? The Invisible Man and his help, but his being burnt?

15. Dr Jekyll, the confrontation with Dante, his taking all the chemicals and becoming a monster? The fight, Hyde becoming Jekyll, the explosions and the destruction of Dante?

16. The accomplishment of the mission, the death of Quartermain, their going to Africa, the funeral - and the significance of the witch doctor, his chants, the movement in the grave?

17. The pleasant irony that M, and the link with British Intelligence, turned out to be Professor Moriarty?

18. The characterisations, the manners, the costumes, the décor, the distinctive elements of each of the extraordinary league?