20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1997 Hallmark Film)
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''20,000 Leagues Under the Sea'' is a 1997 television film directed by Michael Anderson and starring Ben Cross as Captain Nemo. It premiered on March 23, 1997. Based on the 1870 novel of the same name by
Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...
, it is most notable for replacing the character of Professor Aronnax's manservant, Conseil, with the Professor's daughter, Sophie, who disguises herself as a boy so that she may accompany her father aboard USS ''Abraham Lincoln''; she becomes the apex of a love triangle involving Captain Nemo and Ned the harpooner. The film was produced by Hallmark Entertainment.


Cast and characters

* Richard Crenna as Professor Aronnax * Ben Cross as Captain Nemo * Paul Gross as Ned Land * Julie Cox as Sophie Aronnax * Michael Jayston as Admiral John E. Sellings * Jeff Harding as Captain Michael Farragut


Production

Executive producer Robert Halmi Sr. said that he wanted the film to be more positive than the original novel in order to make it more accessible to children.


Critical reception

The film was generally poorly received. Variety described the film as being "not quite that bad". They praised the film's photography and said that film's special effects "almost made the film worth watching."
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
described the film as being "the next worse thing" to the seasonal flu. The film was criticized for lacking a sense of adventure or action. Richard Crenna and Ben Cross were both described as being miscast in their roles, and the replacement Professor Aronnax with his feminist daughter in the story was also criticized as being transparent and forced. The film's special effects were also criticized.


See also

* List of underwater science fiction works


References


External links

* 1990s American films 1997 television films 1997 films American science fiction television films Sonar Entertainment films Television shows based on Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas {{US-tv-film-stub