--- title: "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen" year: 2003 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen" fi1m_id: "the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen" imdb_id: "tt0311429" tmdb_id: 8698 wikidata_id: "Q567577" fi1m_score: 36 critics_score: 36 critics_reviews: 10 published: "2026-10-05T03:17:02.040095+00:00" updated: "2026-10-05T03:17:02.642093+00:00" region: "PT" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003) Directed by Stephen Norrington · 1h 50m · IGAC M/14 · Fantasy, Action, Thriller, Science Fiction ## Identity The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen - **IMDb ID:** tt0311429 - **TMDB ID:** 8698 - **Wikidata ID:** Q567577 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0311429/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/8698, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q567577 **Fi1m score: 36** · Critics 36 from 10 reviews *In a sentence:* Captain Nemo, Mina Harker and Dorian Gray turn up, and somehow the scenery is better company > Stephen Norrington’s literary ensemble has handsome surroundings and a few spirited performances, but the characters barely develop and the fights are hard to follow. A poor adventure that wastes a promising guest list. ## Synopsis Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery) takes the central place in a gathering of characters drawn from the pages of different literary adventures. Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), Tom Sawyer (Shane West) and Mina Harker (Peta Wilson) join the company, alongside Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend). The ensemble also includes Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde (Jason Flemyng) and Rodney Skinner / The Invisible Man (Tony Curran). Introductions give way to action as the assembled figures bring their different abilities to bear against a common villain. ## Review There ought to be some pleasure in putting Captain Nemo, Mina Harker and Dorian Gray in one adventure and letting them get on one another’s nerves. Stephen Norrington’s *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* makes surprisingly little of the opportunity. It is a poor, muddled action fantasy, with an appealing company of literary characters and too little time spent making them interesting together. The production design and several supporting performances deserve a better film. Sean Connery plays Allan Quatermain with enough charm to explain why the film keeps returning to him. He can hold our attention without much assistance from the story, which is useful here. But the decision to make him so dominant leaves an ensemble adventure feeling cramped, with everyone else competing for whatever attention remains. A central performance can help a crowded film find its way; this one is asked to compensate for characters who have barely been introduced. Peta Wilson’s Mina Harker is one of the stronger reasons to stay, and Jason Flemyng is also worth watching. Both find something playable in characters whom James Robinson’s screenplay introduces too hastily. With Captain Nemo, Tom Sawyer and Dorian Gray also competing for attention, the script has more people than it knows how to use. Their introductions establish who has arrived without giving enough sense of why these particular people belong in a story together. Carol Spier’s production design is the clearest success, giving the surroundings an interest that the plot seldom matches. There is care here, and enough visual invention to make us wish the characters had something less routine to do. Dan Laustsen’s cinematography helps establish that appeal, although attractive images cannot make an overcrowded adventure coherent. The effects are less persuasive, and their shortcomings become harder to overlook alongside the more accomplished design work. Paul Rubell’s editing makes the action particularly difficult to enjoy. We were bored by the fights. Too often, the cutting left us unable to tell where the characters were in relation to one another, so we stopped trying to follow their movements. This is a substantial failure in a film whose chief attraction should be seeing these unusual people put their abilities to use. Without that basic sense of position, more activity merely prolongs the confusion. Trevor Jones supplies the score, but the music cannot make these confrontations matter when the writing has done so little to establish the people involved. The villain is weakly drawn, and the principal characters remain too thin for their danger to feel urgent. As the plotting becomes busier, the film gives us little reason to become more involved. Across 110 minutes, even the novelty of watching this company in action becomes wearing. These literary characters need not be treated reverently, and a fantasy adventure has no obligation to behave like a reading group. It does need to let us enjoy their company for longer than it takes to recognise their names. We would happily accept a foolish plot if the companions were entertaining enough to carry it. Choose this only if Captain Nemo and Mina Harker sharing a cast list is already half the attraction. *Fi1m score 36, published 5 October 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond negatively to The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, with praise clustering around the production design rather than the storytelling. The mix of literary characters offers some initial amusement, and several reviews find visual appeal even when the adventure disappoints. Total Film also singles out Jason Flemyng and Peta Wilson among the supporting cast, though it finds the film incoherent and too centred on Sean Connery. The reservations are largely shared: overstuffed plotting, shallow characterisation and action that is difficult to follow. The disagreement concerns how much enjoyment survives those faults. Radio Times finds an enjoyable, if overambitious, adaptation and takes pleasure in the characters using their abilities; harsher reviews find little reason to care about them. Connery’s presence divides opinion too, earning praise for charm but criticism for dominating the ensemble. Two reviews offer too little accessible text to establish an overall verdict, so they provide no clear evidence of a favourable counterweight. ## Straight answers **Is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen worth watching?** *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* is a poor action fantasy that we score 36/100, worth considering only if its gathering of literary characters is enough of an attraction. Handsome production design and spirited supporting performances offer some pleasure, but the thin characterisation and hard-to-follow fights waste the promise of putting Captain Nemo and Mina Harker together. **How long is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and what is it rated?** *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* runs 1h 50m and is rated M/14 by the IGAC in Portugal. It is a fantasy and action film. **Where can I watch The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen in Portugal?** *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* is streaming on Disney+ in Portugal, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from €3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, and is it suitable for children?** *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* has a UK 12A certificate, meaning children under 12 need an accompanying adult at the cinema. The fights are frequent enough to become wearing, though our objection is their confusing editing rather than their intensity. We would not treat it as an automatic choice for younger children; the certificate calls for parental judgement. **How does The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen compare to The City of Lost Children?** *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* is the weaker choice beside [*The City of Lost Children*](https://film.one/film/the-city-of-lost-children), which we recommend for strange inventions and an ensemble whose peculiarities matter. Both have crowded storytelling, but *The City of Lost Children* offers black humour and a touching central partnership, while *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen* gives its handsome surroundings more attention than its characters. **What should I watch after The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen?** After *The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen*, try [*The City of Lost Children*](https://film.one/film/the-city-of-lost-children) (1995, Fi1m 78): For strange inventions and an ensemble whose peculiarities are allowed to matter. Then [*Hellboy*](https://film.one/film/hellboy) (2004, Fi1m 71): Another unlikely team, with clearer action and more affection for its outsiders; and [*The Mummy*](https://film.one/film/the-mummy) (1999, Fi1m 71): Period adventure with companions worth following and danger that leaves room for jokes. ### Reviews we read (10) - **Screen Daily**, Mike Goodridge (64/100, inferred): The review text is behind a paywall, so its verdict cannot be determined. The available page does not reveal what the critic praises or criticizes. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/4014148.article) - **Time Out**, DA (64/100, inferred): The accessible text does not reveal the critic’s overall verdict. It singles out the premise as intriguing, but provides no further praise or complaint. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen) - **Radio Times**, Sloan Freer (2/5): Freer presents it as an enjoyable but overambitious adaptation. She singles out the colourful team of literary characters and the fun of watching them use their abilities. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-l40iff/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/) - **Total Film**, Total Film (2/5): The review finds the film incoherent and overly centered on Sean Connery, ultimately advising caution. It praises the production design and some of the supporting performances, especially Jason Flemyng and Peta Wilson. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen-review/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (35/100, inferred): Bradshaw finds the film initially amusing but ultimately overdone and short on thrills. He singles out its wacky mix of literary characters as a novelty that soon wears off. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/News_Story/Critic_Review/Guardian_review/0,4267,1064279,00.html) - **Variety**, Todd McCarthy (35/100, inferred): McCarthy finds the film visually appealing but ultimately overblown and dramatically ponderous. He praises its exceptionally beautiful design while faulting the thin character development and weak villain. [Read](https://variety.com/2003/film/reviews/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen-1200540621/) - **Slant Magazine**, Jeremiah Kipp (1/4): Kipp pans the film as incoherent, characterless, and devoid of investment. He criticizes Sean Connery’s dominance and the action sequences’ lack of clarity and geography. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen/) - **The New York Times**, A. O. Scott (25/100, inferred): The review is negative, finding the adventure clumsy and incoherent. It faults the film’s noisy, overstuffed plotting. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/11/movies/film-review-loners-league-to-foil-villainy.html) - **Empire**, Danny Graydon (20/100, inferred): Graydon finds the film a clumsy, creatively timid action movie that mishandles its source material. He praises the production design and Sean Connery’s charm, but criticizes the shallow character introductions, poor effects, and badly edited action. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/league-extraordinary-gentlemen-review/) - **Evening Standard**, Christopher Tookey (10/100, inferred): Tookey dismisses the film as a disastrous waste of its blockbuster budget. He especially condemns the screenplay for its foolish anachronisms and shallow characterisation. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen-7436668.html) ## Details - **Director:** Stephen Norrington - **Director:** Stephen Norrington - **Screenplay:** James Robinson - **Cinematography:** Dan Laustsen - **Editor:** Paul Rubell - **Music:** Trevor Jones - **Production design:** Carol Spier - **Costume design:** Jacqueline West - **Producer:** Trevor Albert, Don Murphy - **Cast:** Sean Connery as Allan Quatermain; Naseeruddin Shah as Captain Nemo; Shane West as Tom Sawyer; Peta Wilson as Mina Harker; Stuart Townsend as Dorian Gray; Jason Flemyng as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Edward Hyde; Tony Curran as Rodney Skinner / The Invisible Man; Richard Roxburgh as M - **Runtime:** 1h 50m - **Certificate (IGAC):** M/14 - **Release (Portugal):** 3 October 2003 - **Genres:** Fantasy, Action, Thriller, Science Fiction - **Budget:** $78 million - **Box office:** $179 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fndHh-SEDe0 ## Where to watch in Portugal - Disney+: streaming, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent €3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent €3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy €4.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy €7.99, hd *Checked 2026-10-05.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IL, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, UA, US, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The City of Lost Children* (1995), Fi1m 78: For strange inventions and an ensemble whose peculiarities are allowed to matter. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-city-of-lost-children.md) - *Hellboy* (2004), Fi1m 71: Another unlikely team, with clearer action and more affection for its outsiders. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/hellboy.md) - *Mystery Men* (1999): Misfit heroes whose quarrels provide more pleasure than their attempts at saving anything. - *The Mummy* (1999), Fi1m 71: Period adventure with companions worth following and danger that leaves room for jokes. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-mummy.md) - *Penny Dreadful* (2014), Fi1m 76: Literary characters share a darker story with more time for complicated relationships. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/tv/penny-dreadful.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/the-league-of-extraordinary-gentlemen