Based on a comic series I’ve never seen, the film groups fictional characters from popular 19th century literature together as a sort of Victorian Justice League.
Naturally, they have enemies who are also fictional characters from popular 19th century literature. Evil enemies who want to cause a war then profit from it by selling technology and science to the opposing factions!
Considering the film is set in 1899, the number of 20th century inventions littering it seem out of place and distracting. Tanks? Assault rifles? The Nautilus existed in the Jules Verne books of course, but its depiction here of a giant, narrow submarine just seems wrong. And as for it surfacing and negotiating the waterways of Venice? When it’s about a mile long? Stupid.
And how did the invisible man survive not only arctic conditions – naked – for prolonged periods, but also manage to not die when severely burned by a flame thrower, then blown up?¬¨‚Ć You’d think he’d at least have a nasty case of chilblains if nothing else.
But aside from the many faults, it’s a fun action “romp”, that perhaps would have benefitted from being set more carefully in the time period it supposedly depicts. I can cope with artistic licence and science fiction, but this could easily have been 1950 and they wouldn’t have needed to change a thing.
Verdict: 3/5
