ierre Arronax (Dempsey) is a young French scholar with a bold notion about recent, inexplicable attacks on sailing vessels around the world: a giant narwhal is to blame. Few are willing to listen to Arronax's ideas, though, and his own father (a self-serving, intellectual brute) publicly ridicules him, even though many speculate a monster of some sort is to blame.
But the Cunard line, desperate to reestablish the safety of the high seas, hires Arronax to help them hunt the monster, whatever it may be. They've also enlisted veteran whaler Ned Land (Bryan Brown) and his unparalleled harpooning prowess to kill the beast once it's sighted. The expedition sets out aboard the Abraham Lincoln, a warship captained by a tough-as-nails admiral.
As expected, the expedition finds the "monster," which turns out to be an armored, submersible ship. The Lincoln goes on the attack, determined to sink this sea scourge, and Pierre, Ned and hired-hand Cabe Attucks (Adewale) are washed overboard. The mystery ship disables the Lincoln and steams away, but not before taking the three stranded crewmen aboard.
The captives find themselves aboard the Nautilus, a technological wonder created and captained by a brutal, enigmatic man named Nemo (Caine). Nemo is unwilling to kill the three outright, but he also cannot let them go, for they would tell the world of his existence. He decides on the unhappy compromise of keeping them prisoner aboard the Nautilus. While Arronax seems content with the solution -- indeed, Nemo quickly turns into the father figure he was always missing -- Ned and Cabe do not accept their confinement willingly. Things only become worse as Nemo reveals his plans to create a new world under the sea.
Good effects, good acting. Mostly.
Although there are plenty of nits to pick with this version of 20,000 Leagues, and although scriptwriter Brian Nelson added more than his share of insipid TV nonsense (of course Nemo has a daughter, of course Pierre is forbidden to see her, of course she and Pierre fall in love), overall this is an amazingly solid and compelling work. Purists, of course, will scream at any deviation from the original, but most viewers will find this a pleasing mix of the original Jules Verne novel and Nelson's new material.
Surprisingly, what this mini-series does right is leave the special effects in the background, where they belong. That's not to say that there isn't some gorgeous set work here; the interior of the Nautilus alone is worth tuning in for a quick look. But the fantastic scenery is merely a backdrop for the heart of this story: the men and women aboard the Nautilus, and the conflicts raging within each. Those men and women are aptly portrayed by the veteran cast assembled here.
The best performance has to go to Brown (F/X, F/X2), who portrays the tragic Ned Land. Ned wants nothing more than his freedom from confinement, and freedom is the one thing Nemo will not give him. Caine is a good counterweight to Brown, although his acting comes off as a bit stilted (mostly by design, but not always effective). The titanic struggle of wills between these two men drives much of the plot. Dempsey and Mia Sara (Nemo's daughter) acquit themselves well, as does the spirited Adewale, and it's nice to see at least one strong female role.
Overall this is a fine TV movie that most viewers will find quite enjoyable.
