We’re currently living in the age of comic book movies, with the MCU still going (mostly) strong after over a decade and the DCU having just been rebooted by James Gunn’sSuperman. But a film being adapted from a beloved comic book wasn’t always a surefire formula for success. In fact, the genre once went through a very turbulent period during the early 2000s. While films likeX-Men,V for Vendetta,Blade II, andWatchmenwere all hits with fans and critics, and pulled in decent numbers at the box office, there’s one comic book movie that was released at the same time that was destroyed by everyone who had the misfortune of seeing it. The movie had all the foundations for success, including being adapted from an acclaimed comic book byAlan Moore(Watchmen) and having an all-star cast. But, while the title of the film promised something extraordinary, the final movie was anything but. The film was recently added to streaming, so why not see for yourself just how bad it is?
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemenis now streaming on Hulu. Released in 2003, the film is often regarded as one of the worst comic book movies of the 21st Century. Based on thecomic book series of the same name by Alan Mooreand Kevin O’Neill, the story was adapted for the big screen by James Robinson, with Stephen Norrington directing the movie. Sean Connery led the movie, alongside Stuart Townsend, Peta Wilson, Jason Flemyng, Tony Curran, David Hemmings, Terry O’Neill, and Naseeruddin Shah. The story took famous figures from literature and teamed them up to save the world from a nefarious villain (that’s about as much thought as was given to the adaptation’s plot). The official synopsis reads:
“A team of extraordinary figures culled from great adventure literature (including Alan Quatermain, vampiress Mina Harker from Dracula, the Invisible Man, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, an American secret service agent named Sawyer, Captain Nemo, and Dorian Gray), are called to stop a villain intent on turning the nations of the world against one another.”
90% Rated Adaptation of One of the Best Comic Books of All-Time Is Now on Netflix
One of the best comic book movies of the 2000s is now streaming on Netflix.
When it was released in 2003,The League of Extraordinary Gentlemenwas despisedby critics and audiences. It holds a 16% critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 44% audience rating. Most movies that are that bad often find cult status as so-bad-they’re-good movies. But notThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen… It’s just bad, so bad that it killed Sean Connery’s acting career.
What Does Alan Moore Think of ‘The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen’?
Anyone who knows theacclaimed comic book writer Alan Mooreknows that he’s vehemently opposed to adaptations of his work. He famously slated the movie adaptations ofWatchmenandV for Vendetta. However, he hasn’t directly commented onThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
The closest he’s come to giving his thoughts was in 2013, when it was announced that a TV adaptation was in the works (although that fell through). “Me and Kevin have been chuckling about that one; we only heard about it the other day,” the writer told Entertainment Weekly (viaGiant Freaking Robot). “When [DC Comics] did the recent Watchmen prequel comics, I said all sorts of deeply offensive things about the modern entertainment industry clearly having no ideas of its own and having to go through dust bins and spittoons in the dead of night to recycle things.”
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemenis now streaming on Hulu.
The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen
Source:Giant Freaking Robot
