Parents' Guide to

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

By Scott G. Mignola, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 9+

A classic action-adventure for older kids.

Movie G 1954 127 minutes
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Darkseid
Darkseid Parent of 5 and 7-year-old
May 28, 2020
age 9+

A good movie but slow when compared to today's action

My kids are 5 and 7, they loved the movie for the most part. SPOILERS: The kids loved the sea monster and the sea-lion. Laughing and getting scared by each. The language from Captain Nemo was educated, direct, and beyond my kids. My kids struggled to to watch but loved the action and comedy.

This title has:

Great messages
Plague
Plague Parent
March 5, 2010
age 7+

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

A Grade-A classic for the whole family.
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Professor Aronnax boards an American frigate intending to put to rest rumors that an enormous sea creature is destroying ships throughout the South Seas. His efforts are dashed when the vessel is attacked and only he, his apprentice Conseil (Peter Lorre), and hot-tempered harpooner Ned Land (Kirk Douglas) survive. The three find themselves not in the belly of the beast, but onboard the Nautilus, an impressive submarine created by Captain Nemo (James Mason) solely to sink ships bearing weapons of destruction. Blind to the hypocrisy of his acts, Nemo takes Aronnax and company with him on his murderous crusade, but leaves his guests no choice but to escape the Nautilus before its captain takes them all to a watery grave.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (7 ):

This is one heck of a family adventure movie. The visionary Jules Verne wrote about submarines and diving suits -- not to mention space travel -- back in the 19th century when it was all just science fiction. Walt Disney, a 20th-century visionary, had his studio turn Verne's ambitious deep sea tale into the studio's first live-action feature, and the result is impressive.

Captain Nemo's pet seal, the run-in with cannibals, and the stormy tussle with a giant squid will have every 10-year-old captivated. Best of all is Nemo's creation, the Nautilus, a beautifully designed submarine with all of the gothic trimmings, including an imposing pipe organ that plays Bach's "Toccata and Fugue in D minor." The sleek metal tub steals the show from human stars James Mason and Kirk Douglas. This 1954 release won Academy Awards for Art Direction and Special Effects.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Captain Nemo could have better directed his genius. How does each family member channel his or her intellectual and creative energy?

  • Talk about some of the old-fashioned stereotypes in this movie. What kinds of stereotypes in today's movies will one day seem old-fashioned?

  • What more modern undersea adventure movies have you enjoyed?

Movie Details

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