Review - 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)

          Hey guys, Chuck here, and as we continue to celebrate one hundred years of Disney, I'd like to take a look at a cinematic classic from Disney: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Based on the famous adventure novel by Jules Verne, this movie was released in the year 1954 and stars Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre. 

         So, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is set in the year 1868, where rumors run rampant about a massive sea monster attacking ships traversing across the Pacific Ocean. In San Francisco, Professor Pierre Aronnax and his assistant Conseil, who are meant to be sailing to Saigon, are held over due to concerns about the monster. The two are brought on to join an expedition aboard a U.S. Navy frigate under Captain Farragut, and the expedition is joined by harpooning expert Ned Land. The aim: to investigate the validity of the alleged sea monster. 

        After several weeks, the voyage is somewhat fruitless. One evening, however, the ship does come across the alleged sea monster, and all three of Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned are knocked off the ship. Eventually, all three end up coming across what was believed to be the sea monster, but was actually a massive metallic submarine. A craft made by man. Investigating the mysterious craft, Aronnax and Conseil bear witness to an undersea funeral being held by the supposed crew of the craft. Upon returning, the crew spots the intruders and returns to the vessel to apprehend them. Here, they're introduced to Captain Nemo, who allows Aronnax to stay, but orders both Conseil and Ned to be taken up top to be washed out to sea. Aronnax refuses to abandon his friends, and is taken up top as well. After a moment of observing their resolve, Nemo allows the three to stay, albeit restricted to quarters on board the vessel, which we learn is called the Nautilus. Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned join Nemo for dinner, which consists of food predominantly gathered from the ocean. 

          One thing to really note about this movie is the sense of adventure that runs throughout the majority once Aronnax, Conseil, and Ned are aboard the Nautilus. Seeing the wonders found on the ocean floor is simply breathtaking, and something that can't be replicated with today's CGI. I also liked seeing some of the more tropical locations that our lead characters get to visit, including an island of cannibals. However, the most memorable moment of the movie is the battle against the giant squid. Now, the scene was originally meant to take place in the daylight, but Walt Disney noticed how phony the puppetry was on the squid itself, and suggested shooting the scene at night during stormy weather. And that was a good call, as the nighttime setting and the stormy weather really added to the tension of the scene, and I just loved it. 

         The performances in this movie are just second to none in terms of excellence. Both Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre excel in the roles of Professor Aronnax and Conseil, respectively. The two definitely give off a trust in each other that really works well for the two characters. James Mason is the definition of the stern captain in the role of Captain Nemo. Both the character and the actor just command respect and dignity that few actors could pull off, especially at the time this movie was made. But easily my favorite is Kirk Douglas as Ned Land. Douglas excels at not just being the wild card, but also in being heroic when it's called for. Plus, getting to hear him sing the song "Whale of a Tale" is just a lot of fun for me. 

          Now, of course the film ends with the Nautilus returning to the island of Vulcania, but unfortunately the island is crawling with adversaries, forcing Nemo to destroy his own vessel, with his entire crew alongside him. The only ones to escape are Ned, Aronnax, and Conseil, along with Nemo's pet sea lion Esmeralda. In a final narration, Aronnax notes that one day, perhaps, mankind will be ready for the type of technology the Nautilus was made of, but the time isn't right yet. 

         Speaking of which, the design of the Nautilus is really iconic. The simple, streamlined design of the exterior is just legendary and sharp, while the interior is just amazing and great to look at, especially Nemo's stateroom, which includes a window looking out at the ocean and a massive pipe organ. 

       Overall, this is a genuine Disney classic. Next time you're on Disney+, give it a watch. I'm giving 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea a rating of 5/5. I would like to point out that Disney will soon return to the world of Jules Verne's classic tale of Captain Nemo with a new Disney+ series called Nautilus, which will focus on the origins of Captain Nemo, and will star Star Trek: Discovery star Shazad Latif as Captain Nemo. So, yeah, definitely looking forward to that. Anyway, guys, I guess I'll be signing off now. Be sure to join me this Wednesday when I dive back into the world of Kingdom Hearts with my review of the games Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories and Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. Later today, however, I'll be taking a look at the first two movies of the Creed franchise starring Michael B. Jordan. See you guys then.