20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Seen it?1954 | 127 min | Adventure, Science Fiction, Fantasy
Friday Night FlickWhy it’s a Friday Night Flick
Critics loved it (91% on Rotten Tomatoes), it won 2 Oscars, it made about 6 times its budget and it's still drawing plenty of interest. Make plans for this one.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for sci-fi fans, fantasy fans and adventure fans. If you loved Creature from the Black Lagoon or Jason and the Argonauts, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Exciting.
- The pace
- Moves along nicely, at 2 hr 7 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated G, but peril.
- Made in 1954: an older pace and style.
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
A ship sent to investigate a wave of mysterious sinkings encounters the advanced submarine, the Nautilus, commanded by Captain Nemo.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Won 2 Oscars: Best Art Direction, Color, Best Special Effects. Also nominated for 1 more Oscar. Plus 1 other award.
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$28 million worldwide on a $5 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 167K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Richard Fleischer
- Kirk DouglasNed Land
- James MasonCaptain Nemo
- Paul LukasProf. Pierre Arronax
- Peter LorreConseil
- Robert J. WilkeFirst Mate of the Nautilus
- Ted de CorsiaCapt. Farragut
- Carleton YoungJohn Howard
- J.M. KerriganBilly
- Percy HeltonCoach Driver
- Gloria PallBlonde Girlfriend (uncredited)