The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen is an adventure story based on an interesting idea -- fictional heroes from various adventure novels get together to fight a common enemy.

The idea first saw life in comic book form. On the big screen, however, The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a fabulous mess.

We find Dorian Gray (Stuart Townsend), Mina Harker (Peta Wilson), Allan Quatermain (Sean Connery) Captain Nemo (Naseeruddin Shah), Agent Sawyer (Shane West), Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde (Jason Flemyng) and the Invisible Man (Tony Curran) all working together to prevent a world war in a plotless fiasco that boasts leaden direction, bizarre editing, cheesy special effects and a curious flatness of atmosphere and colour.

The first part of the film introduces the characters (badly) and sets up a story about the turn of the last century and the advent of new and terrible machines. Or something.

Once the team of heroes is assembled, the story changes under their feet. The writing is terrible. There is no tension, no mystery, no excitement, no adventure.

How does that happen?

Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde does his Hulkifying thing.

Captain Nemo shows off his cool submarine.

Allan Quatermain is good with a rifle.

Mina Harker is quick and toothy as a vampiress.

Dorian Gray (how did he get in here?) cannot die.

The Invisible Man -- well, he's always useful.

Agent Sawyer has spunk.

And that's about it.

If you know these characters from literature, you'll likely hate the movie quite a bit. If you don't know these characters from the page, you'll likely hate the movie quite a bit, and what's worse, you'll never be inspired to read the books the characters inhabit. That's anti-literacy. That hurts libraries. That warps young minds. That's enough of that.

The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen is very ordinary. In fact, it's not even that good.

(This film is rated PG)

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