 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
- Review Date: December 15, 2003
- PG-13
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- 2003
Common Sense Media says
Enough deaths here for a more restrictive rating.
Parents say
QUALITY
Kids say
QUALITY
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that this movie contains strong violence, a great deal of peril, and deaths enough for a more restrictive rating. Nameless characters are killed in every manner of way, from the traditional (flame-throwers, guns and explosions) to the supernatural, including the unwanted attentions of a vampire. There are some sexual references as well as sexuality between characters.
What's the story?
Based on the comic book/graphic novel series by Alan Moore and Kevin O'Neill, THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN is about a team of iconic adventurers from 19th century English literature who are members of a "League" imbued with the task of protecting England. In this movie, Mysterious "M" (thought by the comic book characters to be Sherlock Holmes' older brother, Mycroft Holmes) recruits individuals with special abilities to protect England from a master criminal. These individuals are harvested from the writings of a rich crop of authors from H.G. Wells' "Invisible Man" to Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". Where vampire hunter Mina Harker (Peta Wilson) is the leader of this band of "gentlemen" in the graphic novel, great white hunter, Allen Quartermain (Sean Connery) is given the task in the movie. The group--once assembled--track the mysterious "Phantom", a man who looks like a cross between Genghis Khan and the Phantom of the Opera, to stop him before he can realize his goal of starting a global war.
Is it any good?
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen takes the graphic novel as a start, drains it of its quirky, prim Victorian tone, turns the characters more Hollywood, and leaves the audience on their own to find something to like in the end. Director Stephen Norrington, best known for his vampire movie Blade, and writer James Dale Robinson throw in unnecessary tweaks and additions. The dark ambiance and low-lit sets rob the colorful comic book settings of everything but their two-dimensionality, and multi-layered action style--splicing scenes into a visual barrage of images—turn fight scenes with many protagonists into an unimpressive jumble. Pat little biographical descriptions clog the flow of the story and talk down to the audience. All of these additions leave a potentially extraordinary film drowned in a cloying soup of mediocrity.
On the bright side, the movie has potential and originality, with familiar legends placed together in an interesting situation. The rich, imaginative fantasy that the idea of this movie represents is ambitious and intriguing. It is pity that the story does not realize even a fair share of what it could be, but it is entertaining and each of the characters deserves a second look, which is an extraordinary quality for any action movie.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the strengths and weaknesses of each of these very different characters.
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AGE
A Respectable action flick
I personally liked this movie. It had tons of action. The trick to enjoying movies is coming with the right mindset. Don't expect a fluttering drama out of this one.
On to the appropriateness:
Sex: Kissing, references.
Violence: All over the place, characters die in many different ways including getting run over by a tank, impaled by a mounted elephant horn, blood sucked out by a vampire, shot, stabbed, crushed by a collapsing building, and aging at 10 years a second. However despite some of the gruesomeness in these they are all bloodless (With the exception of the vampire one, you get to see her bloody mouth afterward). Also slightly video game like are the fact that with two exceptions, you do not get to see corpses.
Substance abuse: Alcochol is consumed mildly
Social Behavior: The LXG are ultimately in it for good, even though they use shoot first methods.
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AGE
kinda DUMB...
really it was...the story line was actually rather pointless! Senseless violence, and even if it was "good" I wouldn't watch it cuz of the vampire. Its really a dumb movie and not worth time and money. There are better fantasy/action flicks out there...
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AGE
Awesome!!!!
This movie is really good. It is fun, and it really isn't that violent. I would reccomend it to anyone. It is awesome with Sean Connery.
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AGE
check out my page for more awesome recommendations
i love this movie and i hate the story!
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AGE
Great fantasy
Sligtly dark fantasy, with a good story line. I liked the combination of characters brought together to solve the situation. I did think some of the violent "shoot'm ups" were a little too lengthy. Great fanasy story, with surprise twists and turns. I recommend it to all sci-fi and/or mystery lovers.
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AGE
hulk too angry for younger kids
the violence is ok for todays de-senceitised kids. But the Hulk character was too much (scary and violent emotions) for my 8 year old.
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| Studio: | Twentieth Century Fox |
| Director: | Stephen Norrington |
| Cast: | Naseeruddin Shah, Peta Wilson, Sean Connery |
| Genre: | Action/Adventure |
| Run time: | 110 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | July 11, 2003 |
| DVD release date: | December 16, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | PG-13 |
| MPAA explanation: | intense sequences of fantasy violence, language and innuendo |
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