20,000 Leagues Under The Sea: Special Edition

Review by Steve Rogers

Production Year: 1954
DVD Release Date: May 20, 2003
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Director: Richard Fleischer
Cast: Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Peter Lorre, Paul Lukas
Genre: Science Fiction - Adventure
MPAA Rating: G
Widescreen Anamorphic, 2.55:1

Walt Disney’s adaptation of the Jules Verne sci-fi classic novel was the studio’s first venture into feature length, live action filmmaking. Walt and the gang pulled out all the stops for this one, even risking the solvency of the company. But the result was one of the greatest adventure movies ever made, with spectacular, Oscar-winning visual effects that still enchant even 53 years later. Only the second feature to be shot in CinemaScope (after The Robe), Disney’s gamble proved to be a smash as audiences of all ages flocked to see the widescreen adventure that boasted the most fantastic underwater sequences filmed to date.

Disney’s retelling of the story actually didn’t stray far from Verne’s original book with only a few plot changes to enhance the action and pace of the film. And 20, 000 Leagues had star power. Kirk Douglas hams it up as harpooner Ned Land, with Paul Lukas as the world-renowned Professor Aronax and veteran character actor Peter Lorre serving as his assistant Conseil. But it was James Mason, as the enigmatic Captain Nemo, who really steals the show with his brilliant portrayal of the brooding, angst-ridden submarine commander. As played by Mason, Nemo is a tortured soul who veers between crusading savior of mankind and a planet in peril, and psychotic madman out to avenge the horrors of his personal past. Of course the real star of the show is the Nautilus, the futuristic, nuclear-powered submarine that Nemo pilots around the world in the mid-nineteenth century, ramming and sinking naval warships at will and continually being mistaken for a sea monster. When a ship carrying the professor, Ginger and Maryann – whoops, wrong shipwreck – Aronax, Conseil and Ned Land is sunk by Nemo, the trio winds up as guests/prisoners of the debonair captain and get a glimpse of the mesmerizing undersea world (and the coolest movie submarine ever) that Nemo inhabits. What follows is a whale of a tale, in the words of the corny song that Douglas performs early on in the film, highlighted by the now legendary battle with a giant squid during a ferocious thunderstorm.

The fact that 20,000 Leagues remains at the top of the sci-fi genre five decades after its debut is a tribute to the ability of Disney and director Richard Fleischer to translate Verne’s tale of wonder and mystery onto the screen, with some truly awesome visual effects that still look great today. Largely the vision of Production Director Harper Goff, the movie’s looks derive in good part from incredible use of miniatures, props and gorgeous matte paintings, achieving a level of detail and realism that would not be equaled until the CG effects of 30 years later. It’s a movie that lends itself to repeat viewings, and it’s entertainment on the grand scale that Disney aspired to during his career.

The THX-certified special edition DVD of 20,000 Leagues released by Disney in 2003 was no less grand in scale. While the Disney studio has been faulted, and rightly so, for spotty special edition releases, there was no arguing with this two-disc bonanza. In fact, it could be the mightiest special edition DVD the House of Mouse has ever released, easily the equal of many of the vaunted Criterion Collection sets. And it’s only fitting for what stands as one of the crowning cinematic achievements in Disney history.

Video Quality

The original anamorphic CinemaScope image is reproduced to near perfection here, though probably not quite at the 2.55:1 aspect ratio noted on the disc cover. Unfortunately, the picture quality is a mixed bag, and the only weak link in the whole set (except of course that hokey Douglas musical number). While the Technicolor presentation looks nothing short of amazing, with deep, vivid hues across the color spectrum, the clarity of the picture does suffer slightly in wide shots and darker scenes with some noticeable grain and a hazy quality to the image. But overall, it’s a worthy transfer for a movie of this vintage, and the cinematography and underwater sequences are still a knockout.

Audio Quality

The sound was remastered for Dolby Digital 5.1 surround, and while you won’t likely use this disc to showcase your home theater system, the upgraded mix does lend a vibrancy to the film not experienced since the original theatrical showings. Front channel effects are rendered in realistic fashion with the sonic action moving laterally in realistic fashion. The surrounds and subwoofer come into play only rarely, but are used to excellent effect during the giant squid sequence and to enhance Paul Smith’s marvelous score.

Special Features

In a word – wow! This is where you really get the bang for your buck. The special features included on this two-disc edition are too numerous to detail here, but highlights include a tremendous making of documentary that clocks in at a whopping 87 minutes and offers as thorough a look at the making of a film as I have ever seen. Most “behind-the-scenes” features really don’t live up to that label, but this doc literally does take you all the way through the production with detailed information on every aspect of the shoot. Then there’s a “Lost Treasure” featurette that provides a look at the original giant squid fight, where a rosy sunset served as the backdrop for a very lame looking battle. Other interesting featurettes examine parallels between Verne and Walt Disney, and profile actual Humboldt squids (though not actually the size of the movie’s squid, they can consume a human being!). And you get the original animated short, “Grand Canyonscope”, that was presented in CinemaScope before the main feature.

Also included are “The Musical Legacy of Paul Smith”, a Disney Studio album from 1954, “Monsters of the Deep”, “Script Excerpt: Nemo’s Death”, “Touring the Nautilus” a geeks-eye view of the submarine from every angle, complete with cutaway diagrams, “Monsters of the Deep” and audio commentary from Fleischer and film historian Rudy Behlmer. Add to that script excerpts, scene trims, radio spots, samples of Peter Lorre’s ADR tracks, unused animation, storyboard-to-scene comparisons, a four-minute trailer, and production galleries with hundreds of images and you’ve got what I consider a true special edition. And if that isn’t enough, there’s “Movie Merchandise” a nine-minute featurette where two brothers showcase a gaggle of their vintage collectibles associated with the movie.

Summary

Disney Video’s Special Edition DVD of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea remains its most satisfying and extravagant treatment yet of a Disney film, classic or otherwise. It’s a no-stone-left-unturned look at a captivating sci-fi classic. While a number of remakes have been filmed, none has ever come close to the Disney version, and it remains one of the all-time great adventure epics. The DVD is more than equal to the film’s achievement and it’s an undeniable keeper.