a whale of a tale

The other night, Brian and I watched 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. (1954, Disney, live action.) See more about it.

I loved it. What an awesome movie! Why have I never seen it before? Brian said it was one of the staples when he was a wee one, and he enjoyed it even up into his teenage years. Here is what I liked about it:

--It doesn't fit easily into any category. It's a little bit mystery (What is this weird thing in the water? Where are we going now? Will we survive?), a little bit sci-fi (that sub is cool and still looks good, even for being done over fifty years ago), a little bit fantastical wonder (a complete life under the sea? An underwater island for a farm! Look at those amazing creatures!), and a little bit nature of man/ethics (for good measure). 

 

--It was free of sex, swearing, and (mostly) violence, but still felt like something adults and kids could enjoy and think about.

--It lends itself well to interesting conversations. (Why does Nemo do what he does? Is he justified? Why does Nemo test the professor? Why does Ned disobey the captain's orders? Why does he save Nemo's life? Is the ending for the best or the worst kind of tragedy? How on earth could you milk a sperm whale?) 

 

--I recognized the song on it from my classic Disney CD. “Got a whale of a tale to tell you, lads, a whale of a tale or two...” Every movie that you can sing along to goes up a notch.

--It doesn't have the typical story arch, but rather a series of smaller incidents (which do, I'll admit, lead up to the grand finale) and that keeps you guessing all along. I love how one question would arise, and be answered, but then there was something else to figure out, then another crisis came up...it kept me on my toes.

--You never quite know who the protagonist is, nor the real villian. Is Captain Nemo good or bad? What about Ned? And why does the professor change his mind about the whole thing?

I know what book I'm getting from the library next!