Back in early 2000, I broke down and got a DVD player.  The main catalyst for this was the release of 9 animated features by Disney on DVD.  Over the course of the next 4 years, I grew my collection at an astronomical rate.  One thing that I did notice was that Disney, more than any other studio, did not just want to put out a movie on DVD; it wanted to give movie lovers a true reason to upgrade from VHS.  This included taking a number of the live-action movies and giving them the “Disney” treatment.  Some (The Parent Trap, Swiss Family Robinson) were released under the banner of Vault Disney; others were released without the fancy banner, but with all of the substance.

Which brings us to 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea.

Released in 1954, Leagues was Disney’s first fully live-action feature.  Based on the novel by Jules Verne, Disney set out to release a movie like no other.  He recruited A-list stars in Kirk Douglas, Peter Lorre, and James Mason; he paid a lot for special effects that were revolutionary at the time; and he filmed many scenes underwater.  Even today, the movie is a visual treat, even with the huge, fake squid.

What amazed me more than the movie and its presentation in its original, wide-screen format was the amount of extras that Disney put on this two-disc set:

• Audio commentaries from the director
• 5.1 audio remastering
• Over 10 different videos about various aspects of production
• Theatrical trailer
• Radio spots
• Peter Lorre’s audio loopbacks that show the process of dialog replacement after filming
• The Donald Duck cartoon released at the front of the movie when it was in theaters

All-in-all, it took me an extra 2-3 hours to go through all of the extra features, and it was worth every second.

My advice: this is one 2-disc set worth having in any collection and a great way to spend an evening with the whole family — I swear by my tattoo…

In the late 70s and 80s, there was an up-and-coming movie director that captured our imaginations and told wonderful stories.He could weave tales of horror, fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure while still making you believe that the child within still existed.  Then award snubs kept happening and he became more serious.  In becoming more serious, he lost what it meant to play on a movie set and simply create.  How else do explain the same man producing Jaws, E.T., and Schindler’s List?

In 1985, just a couple of years removed from his iconic movie, E.T. and just after the release of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Spielberg gave the world his idea of what would have happened if Holmes and Watson had met as schoolboys.  What unfolded on the screen was a wonderful tale worthy of Doyle’s Holmes and a treat for the eyes.  The Academy rewarded the visuals with the Oscar for best effects.  It also became the movie that caused everyone to stay until the credits had ended by putting a plot twist after them.  This of course inspired the irrevent take at the end of Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and other movies.

So, does it hold up 24 years later?

To an extent, yes.

The story is still amazingly simple, yet has enough twists to keep you engaged.  The effects are still impressive, if not moreso given the timeframe.  What I didn’t notice then that hit me hard watching it now is how much of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom Spielberg copied.  The temple scenes in Young Sherlock Holmes are toned down from what we saw in Indy, almost as if Spielberg was telling everybody he could make it gentler.  That is probably the only real issue I have with the movie.

Unfortunately, the DVD got the shaft.  No extras at all, which is surprising given the groundbreaking effects created for it.  One can only hope that Paramount corrects this injustice with an anniversary release next year.  I am not holding my breath.

My advice:  See the movie if you haven’t — particularly if you liked Indy and The Goonies…