Featured Audience Ratings

• AJ V

  
  I love Douglas and I love Lorre, it's always cool to see actors you love, but this movie was also exciting and fun, I really liked it.

• Conner R

  
  The ultimate Jules Verne experience. Everything from the film-making to the acting is perfect. It brings the very demented and fantastical elements of Verne's novel into reality. Kirk Douglas and James Mason are a great team and deliver some great dynamics. The story is not a… More
  The ultimate Jules Verne experience. Everything from the film-making to the acting is perfect. It brings the very demented and fantastical elements of Verne's novel into reality. Kirk Douglas and James Mason are a great team and deliver some great dynamics. The story is not a word for word translation, but it captures the tone perfectly and I almost think it is the best it can possibly be on screen.

• Cassandra M

  
  Disney`s version of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is rightly remembered for the classic scene featuring the giant squid (which was an inspiration for Michael Crichton Sphere novel) , but it should be remembered for more than that . Captain Nemo is a wonderfully written anti-hero who`s… More
  Disney`s version of 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA is rightly remembered for the classic scene featuring the giant squid (which was an inspiration for Michael Crichton Sphere novel) , but it should be remembered for more than that . Captain Nemo is a wonderfully written anti-hero who`s what would be described nowadays as an environmentalist , but don`t dare confuse him with being some sort of yogurt knitting tree hugger because this is a man waging a violent crusade against warmongers and anyone else he sees fit to exterminate . It`s a really intriguing character study and Nemo is played superbly by James Mason . Compare Mason`s performance as Nemo to that of Steven Seagal`s role as ecowarrior Forrest Taft in ON DEADLY GROUND . Done so ? A laughable contrast isn`t it . Kirk Douglas may disappoint as Ned Land but his real function is to act as a physical square jawed hero alongside the academic and somewhat ambigious Professor Arronnax. I also appreciated the fact that Disney resisted the temptation to invent a child character in order to make the film appeal to children more by way of audience identification , nor is there any sort of mawkish sentiment or frivolity that`s spoiled many a Disney film . In fact this is such an exciting thoughtful adventure if it wasn`t for the presence of a seal I wouldn`t have believed it was a Disney film . Did I mention there`s a great battle with a giant squid ?

• Tim S

  
  Excellent effects for its time and a pretty dark tone for the film.

• Wahida K

  
  Great Classic

• Ken S

  
  How can you not love Kirk Douglas and a singing seal?

• Curtis L

  
  Been a super long time since I've seen it, but I do love the whale of a tale song.

• Lafe F

  
  A grand adventure with Kirk Douglas held hostage on misguided Captain Nemo's (James Mason) spectacular Natilus submarine. They fight a giant squid and visit a secret island. Kirk Douglas has time to sing a silly song throughout all of this. There's adventure, but Kirk… More
  A grand adventure with Kirk Douglas held hostage on misguided Captain Nemo's (James Mason) spectacular Natilus submarine. They fight a giant squid and visit a secret island. Kirk Douglas has time to sing a silly song throughout all of this. There's adventure, but Kirk Douglas' getup seems a bit fruity. Nice set design of the Natilus interior. The squid is worth seeing.

• xGary X

  
  Authentically capturing the spirit of Jules Verne with some nice art deco production design and moral ambiguity, but the obvious drawback is that it all feels very dated. The story is also rather episodic and it's too self -important and po-faced but it's an interesting… More
  Authentically capturing the spirit of Jules Verne with some nice art deco production design and moral ambiguity, but the obvious drawback is that it all feels very dated. The story is also rather episodic and it's too self -important and po-faced but it's an interesting blast from the past.

• danny d

  
  i loved this as a kid, a classic

• Jason S

  
  A good little adventure.

• John B

  
  Douglas and Mason are fantastic in this still glorious adaptation of the Jules Verne novel. The filming is absolutely incredible for its time and what a fabulously squidy ending!

• Matthew Y

  
  A great technical achievement and a better cast than most of the 50's Verne and Wells adaptations showcased, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an overlooked classic that deserves more recognition. Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre comprise one of the oddest collections of… More
  A great technical achievement and a better cast than most of the 50's Verne and Wells adaptations showcased, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is an overlooked classic that deserves more recognition. Kirk Douglas, James Mason and Peter Lorre comprise one of the oddest collections of talents for a charming early Disney live-action production and the best looking, best effects, film of all the Jules Verne adaptations. My favorite 50's adventure/sci-fi film as well. Douglas's rendition of "Whale of a Tale" accompanied by a back-up singing Seal is almost as enjoyable as the giant squid. Highly recommended film. FYI: RT has the wrong Movie Info for the film. This is not the animated version, this is the 1954 live-action film which is much much better.

• Dannielle A

  
  I didn't care for this movie as a child... I thought it was too slow. But I saw it again recently and I am able to appreciate it better.

• Danny R

  
  Walt Disney's classic epic version of Jules Verne's nautical tale with Kirk Douglas in a impressive and charismatic performance as the robust harpooner Ned Land, who along with two other shipwrecked survivors, a scientist Professor Aronnax and his apprentice Conseli, played… More
  Walt Disney's classic epic version of Jules Verne's nautical tale with Kirk Douglas in a impressive and charismatic performance as the robust harpooner Ned Land, who along with two other shipwrecked survivors, a scientist Professor Aronnax and his apprentice Conseli, played beautifully by Paul Lukas and Peter Lorre are taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo, brilliantly portrayed by James Mason and are plunged into a series of incredible events aboard Nemo's cosmic-powered submarine the Nautilus, a technological self-sustaining wonder that gives Nemo compete mastery of the seven seas circa 1868. Wavering between genius and madness, Nemo has launched a deadly crusade across the oceans of the world to destroy all ships of war. The film is superbly directed by Richard Fleischer it was Disney's first live-action film and the most expensive film ever produced at the time. It has memorable action scenes, especially the battle between Nemo and his men against a monstrous giant squid. Magnificent Oscar winning visual effects by Peter Ellenshaw and Ralph Hammeras and gorgeous Oscar winning art direction by John Meehan and Emile Kuri and fabulous original score by Paul Smith, a truly breathtaking achievement in every respect. Highly Recommended. Special Note: Around the time that 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was released the United States Navy launched it's first nuclear submarine, as a tribute to Julies Verne, they named the ship the "Nautilus". Walt Disney could not have gotten better publicity if it paid for it. The film went on to become a huge hit with the critics and a box office sensation. Highly Recommended.

• Juan C

  
  an amazing visual underwater adventure for disney fans. A

• Brandon K

  
  A lot smarter than I was expecting though it does wander aimlessly around a bit. Nemo is the star.

• Andrew F

  
  A surprisingly entertaining film. Kirk Douglas kind of annoyed me.

• Simeon D

  
  Phenomenal performances from Mason and Douglas and generally impressive special effects. Two dimensional, but enjoyable. 84/100

• Henrik S

  
  Solid entertainment that feeds on Jules Verne's vivid imagination. Kirk Douglas (singing !) is a good lead, but James Mason is unfortunately a miscast. The movie' structure is a bit lacklustrous but overall, wholesome Disney entertainment. The set design and the fight… More
  Solid entertainment that feeds on Jules Verne's vivid imagination. Kirk Douglas (singing !) is a good lead, but James Mason is unfortunately a miscast. The movie' structure is a bit lacklustrous but overall, wholesome Disney entertainment. The set design and the fight against the Giant Squid save the movie from being average. If you are into fantasy, Disney or marine movies, this is for you. Still the best version of the novel to this day (out of half a dozen) There is a new one coming up in 2010, but I do not know much about that. The only other honourable mention is a version which features Michael Caine as Nemo (!) but suffers from a weak supporting cast.

Read all 20 featured audience ratings